Gaza Sparks a Civil Servants’ Revolt in the European Union

11th August 2025

3 minutes read

Gaza Sparks a Civil Servants’ Revolt in the European Union

Internal unrest is growing within the European Union as angry staff accuse the Commission of violating its “ethical and legal obligations.”

In Brussels, EU civil servants are engaged in an escalating standoff with the European Commission over their right to protest the EU’s stance on Israel, according to the U.S. magazine Politico.
An increasing number of employees argue that the EU’s failure to pressure Israel — at a time when it is accused of committing war crimes in Gaza — makes it impossible for them to perform their duties without breaching EU and international law.

A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fears of professional repercussions, told Politico: “EU institutions have imposed complicity on their staff, breached their ethical and legal obligations, and delayed meaningful action.”

Proposals Left Unimplemented
The EU’s diplomatic arm has accused Israel of breaching its human rights obligations under the EU–Israel trade agreement and floated the idea of suspending preferential trade relations and excluding Israel from the Horizon research program.

However, EU leaders have yet to agree on either measure, prompting criticism from those who say Brussels is not taking its treaties seriously.

The Commission insists that EU foreign policy is a matter for national governments and has warned its staff against political interference.

Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podestà described the internal protests over the EU’s failure to sever ties with Israel as “political in nature.”
She stressed that employees must “carry out their duties and obligations in an honest, loyal, and impartial manner.”

Podestà stated that staff may use internal channels — such as messages, dialogue with staff unions, and discussions with managers — to express concerns, but that “work premises, administrative buildings, and tools provided by the administration are not a place for political activity, whether for or against specific issues.”

She added that internal messages sent to managers should not be made public, and that the Commission would review any potential breaches of staff obligations.

However, protesters have questioned the value of the internal tools mentioned by Podestà, which in many cases were the starting point of the protest movement.

An Open Letter
Since late July, about 1,500 staff members — out of a total of 32,000 — have signed an open letter highlighting the deteriorating situation in Gaza and warning of rising famine-related deaths if the EU fails to pressure Israel to allow more humanitarian aid and food into the enclave.

Some civil servants are now considering other actions to push EU institutions toward a stronger stance, in the face of resistance from several European governments.

An internal memo seen by Politico, sent last month by the pro-Palestinian solidarity group EU Staff for Peace to EU leadership, claimed that some protests had been met with “intimidation tactics,” including allegations of mistreatment by security personnel, unfair contract terminations, and the suppression of an internal petition.

In one incident, seven officials wearing t-shirts reading “Say No to Genocide” were reportedly forcibly removed from the European Council’s Europa restaurant; one had his arm twisted, and another was compelled to delete protest videos from his phone.

The letter also mentioned the non-renewal of contracts for unnamed protesters, forced resignations, and an unjustified ban on a pro-Palestinian internal survey.

For her part, Podestà denied that protesters were intimidated or forced to resign for reasons other than “service needs and individual performance.”