Israel’s Foreign Minister Chided for Going Rogue at European Summit
A prominent European Union official has publicly criticized Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz for derailing a crucial meeting meant to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza with an “irrelevant” infrastructure pitch.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, one of the bloc’s most senior officials, told reporters on Monday that Katz had interjected in the meeting with a proposal to build an artificial island off of Gaza’s coast—making crystal clear his view that the high-stakes summit was not the time or place for an infrastructure pitch.
“We had had the pleasure of watching two very interesting videos,” the senior EU official said in remarks on Monday. “This didn’t have much to do with what we were discussing. I think the minister could have made better use of his time to worry about the security of his country and the high number of deaths in the Middle East and the high death toll in Gaza.”