He said the EU had to show "more empathy" for the loss of Palestinian civilian lives in Israel's war against Hamas, launched in response to the deadly Oct. 7 cross-border assault by the Palestinian militant group.
On the trip, which ended on Monday evening, Borrell heard Arab leaders and Palestinian civil society activists complain that the 27-nation EU was not applying the same standards to Israel's war in Gaza that it applies to Russia's war in Ukraine.
EUROPE STRUGGLESAs High Representative for foreign policy, Borrell is charged with crafting common positions among EU members.
It has largely limited itself to support for Israel's right to defend itself within international law and calls for pauses in fighting.
Borrell, a veteran Spanish Socialist politician, last month declared that some of Israel's actions contravened international law - to the annoyance of some EU member countries.
Persons:
Josep Borrell, Defence Margarita Robles, Isabel Infantes, Kibbutz Be'eri, Borrell, Israel's, Andrew Gray, John Irish, Alexandra Hudson
Organizations:
EU, Representative, Foreign Affairs, Defence, REUTERS, Palestinian, European Union, Ukraine, Hamas, Reuters, West Bank, United Nations, Spanish Socialist, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson
Locations:
Toledo, Spain, Ukraine, BRUSSELS, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Kibbutz, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, EU, United States, East, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Belgium, France, Spanish