'Von der Leyen knows. She sees genocide yet still chooses to continue EU support for Israel,' says Marc Botenga
A member of the European Parliament on Wednesday accused European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of "active complicity" in Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Marc Botenga, a Belgian MEP from the Left group, accused von der Leyen of acknowledging atrocities committed against Palestinians while maintaining EU backing for Israel.
"She admits seeing Israeli bombs disemboweling Gazan children; someone's grandfather dying queuing for food; reports of teenage boys shot in the genitals,” Botenga wrote on X.
"@vonderleyen knows. She sees genocide yet still chooses to continue EU support for Israel,” he added, concluding with the charge: “Empty words. Active complicity," he said.
The post came in direct response to a statement from von der Leyen in which she condemned attacks on civilians and called for humanitarian access to Gaza.
Israel has killed more than 59,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system, and led to severe food shortages.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
