Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, sent a greeting to Israel on the occasion of its 75th anniversary of independence, but it was quickly reacted to by Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) referred to von der Leyen’s message as “inappropriate, false, and discriminatory” in a statement on Wednesday.
We are commemorating 75 years of thriving democracy in the Middle East today,” she remarked.
The German lawmaker remarked, “Today we also commemorate 75 years of friendship between Israel and Europe. “We have more in common than geography would suggest: our shared culture, our values, and hundreds of thousands of dual European-Israeli citizens have created a deep connection between us.”
The PA claimed that her claim that Israel had “made the desert bloom” in particular is a “anti-Palestinian racist trope” and that the day actually commemorates Israel’s “colonial project,” which has been ongoing for 75 years.
Israel’s democracy and its ties to Europe were praised by Von der Leyen.
In the heart of the Middle East, we commemorate 75 years of thriving democracy today, she remarked.
The German politician stated, “Today we also commemorate 75 years of friendship between Israel and Europe. “We have more in common than geography would suggest: our shared culture, our shared values, and hundreds of thousands of dual European-Israeli citizens have created a deep connection between us.”
Please refrain from using colonial rhetoric. Executive director of The Jerusalem Fund in Washington, DC, Jehad Abusalim, tweeted.
When compared to Russia, another user criticised von der Leyen’s treatment of Israel as being hypocritical.