The European Commission on Friday distanced itself from comments made by Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera, who referred to Israel’s military operations in Gaza as “genocide.”
“It is not for the Commission to make determinations on such questions or definitions; this is the remit of the courts,” said Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho when asked whether Ribera’s remarks reflected the institution’s official position. “There has been no College decision on this matter. That is all I can say.”
Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni added, “Determining whether international crimes, including genocide, have been committed falls within the competence of national and international courts and tribunals. The legal characterization of an act as genocide requires a proper establishment of facts and a formal legal finding.”
Ribera’s comments, delivered Thursday during a lecture at Sciences Po, marked the first time a senior EU official explicitly used the term “genocide” in reference to Israel’s Gaza campaign. She told students that “the genocide in Gaza exposes Europe’s failure to act and speak with one voice,” noting that protests were spreading across European cities while 14 U.N. Security Council members had called for an immediate ceasefire.
Her statement drew immediate condemnation from Israel, whose Foreign Ministry labeled the remarks “baseless allegations” and accused Ribera of becoming “a mouthpiece for Hamas propaganda.”
Ribera has consistently criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza, but Thursday’s speech represented a notable escalation in language. In an August interview with POLITICO, she had already suggested that the patterns of starvation, displacement, and killing in Gaza “look very much like genocide” and urged the EU to consider suspending its Association Agreement with Israel.
The backdrop to these comments includes the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks from Gaza into Israel, which left approximately 1,200 people dead, the majority of them civilians.
