MEP Gyöngyösi: here’s how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict got to Europe

During the 2015 refugee crisis, European countries were completely unprepared for the challenges. While the European political mainstream was dreaming of making diligent European assembly line workers from the new arrivals, many of whom came illegally by either falsifying or hiding their identity, there were other voices, even back then, who warned of the risk that we might be importing third-party conflicts along with the people.

By now, Europe has reached the consensus that it is not only inhumane to support illegal migration, but dangerous, too.

Erupting after Hamas’ brutal attack however, the latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict has once again demonstrated how third-party conflicts affect Europe at local political levels. Although all well-meaning people empathize with the innocent Palestinians who are stranded in Gaza without utilities and medicine and exposed to Israel’s response, but this current conflict was clearly triggered by the Palestinian terrorists who murdered Israeli people with brutal cruelty. 

After such events, it was shocking to see the Palestinian flags appearing in Europe’s big cities and to hear people using various platforms to interpret these events as if Hamas’ attack hadn’t even happened.

One of the reasons might be the activity of leftist intellectuals who grew up on the anti-colonialism of the mid-20th century. Even more importantly, there is also the voice of the disenfranchised European suburban people with Middle Eastern and North African roots. Many of them unconditionally identify not only with the Palestinian cause, but, unfortunately, with Palestinian terrorism, too. Since these people are eligible voters of their new European home countries even if they feel absolutely no loyalty to it, politicians have to react to their voice, and many politicians are ready to give them what they want.

Far be it from me to suggest that all people with Middle Eastern or North African origins support Hamas.

But it does have supporters among them, and not just a few. On the other hand, they are not the only ones responsible for it: hypocritical European countries are also at fault for allowing them to settle there without ever really integrating them. Marching under the banner of political correctness and suggesting the new inhabitants are not required to show even a minimal loyalty to their new homeland or adapt to its culture even to a minimal extent, this kind of leftist policy can be rightfully blamed for the disaster.

And now, as so many times before, Europe can once again rack its brain to figure out how to suppress the voices which, in lack of a true integration, want to see third-world political methods in Europe: the cult of violence and brutality.

I can only hope it’s not too late to realize that people of different cultures cannot live together peacefully unless they are able to respect each other’s lifestyle and habits, which is possible to learn. However, it’s impossible to live together in Europe with glorifiers of terrorism, and we can’t be expected to, either.

Disclaimer: the sole liability for the opinions stated rests with the author(s). These opinions do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Parliament.

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