The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, pledged today, Monday, more than two billion euros (€2.17 billion, or $2.3 billion) to support Syrian refugees in the region and rejected any talk of a possible return of refugees to their homeland, stating that conditions for voluntary and safe return are not in place. Borrell said, "But our commitment cannot end with financial pledges alone," at the start of a conference on Syria in Brussels. He added, "Despite the lack of recent progress, we must double our efforts to find a political solution to the conflict, a solution that supports the aspirations of the Syrian people for a peaceful and democratic future."
Borrell stated that "European foreign ministers gave the green light today to reactivate the EU border mission in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza." He noted, "I received the green light from EU ministers to reactivate the Rafah border mission," adding that "such a mission will require support from Egypt, Israel, and the Palestinians."
Borrell also criticized Netanyahu for labeling the International Criminal Court prosecutor, Karim Khan's decision to request arrest warrants against him and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as an instance of "new antisemitism." Borrell described Netanyahu's statements as intimidation, and stated that accusations of antisemitism are made whenever anyone does something "that does not please Netanyahu."
