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How the Persistent Palestinian-Israeli Conflict is Exacerbating Divisions and Challenges Within the European Union
A fresh wave of Palestinian-Israeli conflict erupted in October 2023, showing no signs of abating, with the specter of escalation and broadening looming. Despite its geographical remove from Europe, the historical and strategic ties tether European interests closely to the Middle East, ensuring Europe’s inevitable entanglement in the Palestinian-Israeli imbroglio. As the conflict persists and metastasizes, Europe’s entanglement therein deepens markedly. Internecine divisions widen On the Palestine-Israel conundrum, a perennial dearth of consensus among EU member states prevails. While Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic steadfastly align with Israel, Spain, Ireland, and Belgium evince greater sympathy toward the Palestinian cause. France endeavors to tread a middle path, while others, chiefly…
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EU Backtracks on Pledge to Ban Harmful Chemicals
Leaked documents show that the European Commission is poised to renege on its pledge to ban all but the most important European hazardous chemicals. The pledge to ban the most harmful chemicals in consumer products and only allow them where necessary is a flagship component of the 2020 European Green Deal launch. Between 7,000 and 12,000 hazardous substances are expected to be banned in all marketable products in an update to the EU’s Reach regulation, including many “permanent chemicals” – or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – which Accumulates in nature and in humans and is associated with various hormonal, reproductive and carcinogenic diseases. But the Guardian has learned that…
