Some 800 EU staff members sent a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on October 20, criticizing her "uncontrolled" support for Israel and her "double standards" against the Russian-Ukrainian war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
European political news website Politico and Al Jazeera reported that 798 staff members of EU headquarters and EU embassies around the world jointly sent a letter to European Commission President von der Leyen yesterday to protest her "unrestrained" support for Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In the letter, protesters noted that they "barely see EU values in von der Leyen" and called the EU "indifferent" to the ongoing massacres in Gaza over the past few days, with no regard for human rights and international humanitarian law.
"We are concerned about the unconditional support of the Commission, which you represent, for one of the two parties, which has been presented in an unrestrained manner, such as the European Commission building lighting the Israeli flag."
The employees also noted their sadness at the "double standards" of the European Commission, saying that the EU considers the Russian blockade of Ukraine to be an act of terror, while on the other hand "completely ignores" the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Al Jazeera claimed that the letter showed deep divisions within the EU on how to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But EU officials believe the Commission has more than 30,000 staff and more than 800 signatures to show that the letter did not have much support. Von der Leyen himself did not respond to this.