During a speech at the European Defence and Security Summit in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen was interrupted by David Cronin, an associate editor at The Electronic Intifada. Cronin accused the president of the European Commission of "aiding genocide in Gaza" due to her vocal support for Israel, particularly in the context of October 7 and the months since.
His outburst included a declaration of a "citizen's arrest" and charges of having "blood on her hands" due to the deaths of Palestinian children. Over the past six months, von der Leyen's responses to Israel's relentless war on Gaza have drawn significant attention and criticism. She has repeatedly stated that Israel has the right to “defend itself” against Hamas, aligning with the EU's stance supporting Israel's “self-defense” in accordance with international law. However, her firm support for Israel has also been controversial.
Several EU staff members and external critics have accused von der Leyen of bias toward Israel and have expressed concern over the EU's perceived indifference to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where at least 33,900 Palestinians, including 13,900 children, have been killed.
