Punishing the Jewish state for the Gaza war only benefits terrorists and weakens the bloc's influence in the Middle East, Haim Regev has claimed

Israel's ambassador to the EU, Haim Regev, has urged the bloc to stop focusing on Israel's human rights record and has warned against taking any actions to punish the country for its military campaign in Gaza.

Israel has faced mounting backlash over the conflict, with several Western countries recently announcing plans to recognize a Palestinian state and, in some cases, reduce military or trade cooperation with Israel. 

In an interview with Politico published on Wednesday, the envoy claimed that some EU states have an "obsession" with Israel's human rights record and singled out Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia as the most unfair. He also accused France, Germany, and the UK of making statements that play into the hands of Hamas and anti-Semitic groups.

Regev insisted that Israel was a "dream" neighbor for the EU because it is a democracy, has no migration issues, and protects gay rights. "Israel is the only player in the region that serves directly the interests of the EU," he added.

The envoy warned that attempts by EU states to exert pressure on Israel over Gaza "will never work" and would only damage relations and weaken the bloc's influence in the Middle East. He noted that moves to suspend Israel's participation in EU research programs or cut trade would make it difficult to see the EU "playing any role" in the region in the future.

Regev claimed that Europe is "going back to the old days" when anti-Semitism was common, adding that being a Jew in Europe is "not safe" now.

The Gaza war broke out in 2023 when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 captives. Since then, Israeli forces have killed more than 61,000 people in the enclave, according to recent estimates. 

The UN has reported "mounting evidence" of famine, with spokeswoman Olga Cherevko warning that "the lives of over 2 million people are at stake." Gaza's Health Ministry says more than 200 people, including 98 children, have already died from malnutrition.