A new study by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) has identified a dramatic deterioration in the tone of official European Union statements toward Israel following the October 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.
The study analyzed more than 24,000 official press releases and public statements issued by the European External Action Service (EEAS), the diplomatic arm of the European Union, between 2017 and 2026. Using advanced AI-driven analysis, researchers examined whether official EU communications toward various countries were framed in positive, neutral, or negative terms.
Out of the full dataset, researchers identified and analyzed 3,584 relevant statements relating to several countries including Israel, Iran, China, Turkey, and Qatar. Of those, 895 statements focused directly on Israel.
The findings reveal a significant shift in EU rhetoric toward the Jewish state after October 7: Before October 7, 29% of EU statements concerning Israel were classified as negative. After October 7, that figure rose to nearly 46%, representing an increase of almost 60%.
At the same time, positive statements toward Israel fell sharply, from nearly 20% before the attacks to just 8% afterward. Neutral statements declined from 51% to 46%.
Across the full study period, 38% of all EU statements relating to Israel were classified as negative, 49% as neutral, and only 13% as positive.
Researchers also identified a sustained decline in overall sentiment toward Israel beginning immediately after October 7 and continuing throughout the Gaza war.
According to the study, although EU statements initially included condemnations of Hamas, recognition of Israel’s right to self-defense, and calls for the release of hostages, the rhetoric increasingly shifted toward criticism of Israel over humanitarian conditions in Gaza, Israeli settlement policy, and developments in Judea and Samaria. Some statements included warnings of alleged mass famine, alongside demands for a ceasefire and direct criticism of Israeli ministers.
One of the study’s most notable findings concerns the centrality of the two-state solution in European diplomatic messaging. Researchers found that 50.1% of all EU statements relating to Israel included references to terms such as "two states" or "Palestinian statehood."
The study notes that this rhetoric remains a consistent and recurring feature of EU foreign policy discourse, despite the fact that such terminology has largely disappeared from mainstream Israeli political debate since October 7.
Only Iran Receives More Negative EU Treatment Than Israel:
The comparative dimension of the study found that while Israel receives a disproportionately high level of negative rhetoric, Iran is the only country in the sample toward which EU messaging was even more negative.
Researchers noted, however, that criticism of Iran is primarily tied to direct security threats facing Europe, particularly Tehran’s military cooperation with Russia in the war in Ukraine. Criticism of Israel, by contrast, focuses overwhelmingly on the Palestinian Arab arena and humanitarian or legal concerns.
The study also found stark contrasts in EU rhetoric toward other regional actors: More than two-thirds of EU statements concerning Qatar were classified as positive, with almost no negative messaging identified.
Approximately 75% of statements regarding Turkey were classified as neutral, despite widespread international concerns over democratic backsliding, human rights violations, and repression of opposition voices under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Only 10% of EU statements about Turkey were classified as negative, while roughly 15% were positive.
The research was conducted by the Glazer Information and Consultation Center at JPPI. The research team included Shlomi Breznik, Eli Kanai, Yaakov Katz, Dr. Hila Zahavi, and Prof. Sharon Pardo, a senior JPPI fellow and expert on European affairs.
Prof. Pardo warned the study highlights a growing disconnect between European rhetoric and Europe’s actual strategic relationship with Israel.
"One of the clearest findings emerging from the research is the gap between the intensity of European rhetorical criticism and the practical policies pursued by the European Union toward Israel over the years," said Pardo.
"Israel is currently the European Union’s 27th largest trading partner and its third largest in the Mediterranean basin. The EU remains Israel’s largest trading partner overall, accounting for approximately 32% of Israeli goods trade. Bilateral trade in services reached approximately €27 billion in 2024, and the EU is also Israel’s largest scientific and research partner."
Pardo added that until recently, internal political divisions within the EU limited the bloc’s ability to translate criticism into concrete policy measures against Israel. However, he warned that political changes across Europe could alter that dynamic.
"If the European Union wishes to remain a credible and influential actor in the regional arena, it must adopt a more balanced, substantive, and constructive approach toward the State of Israel," he said.