“Europe Day” seen from Brussels and Jerusalem

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen is in Kiev on Tuesday 9 May for a fifth trip to Ukraine since the start of the war: this visit is all the more symbolic since the European Union is celebrating the day of Europe. Not content with having broken with Soviet tradition and celebrating the Nazi surrender on May 8 like Westerners, Volodymyr Zelensky instituted as of this year, May 9 “Europe Day” for Ukraine. It is also the symbol of the Ukrainian President’s desire to speed up his country’s application for membership, which he again requested on Tuesday morning but which will not progress.

In Israel, the diplomatic part of the day is canceled

The celebration of Europe Day promises to be disrupted in Israel, where the Union’s representation has decided to cancel the diplomatic component of the day because the Israeli government was going to be represented by a far-right minister. Israel had appointed Itamar Ben Gvir, Minister of National Security, leader of an extreme right, messianic and racist religious Zionist movement. But faced with this provocateur who can sometimes draw his gun in East Jerusalem, in the Palestinian neighborhoods, the European Union refuses “to offer a platform to someone whose views conflict with the values ​​it defends.”

Only Hungary and Poland were willing to host Ben Gvir so Brussels immediately followed the recommendation of the other twenty-five. Stung to the quick, the minister dismissed despite his insistence to come, speaks of a ‘shame on the EU which claims to represent the values ​​of democracy and multiculturalism and engages in ‘anti-diplomatic gagging”.