Opinion: The Banality Of Inaction
We often think of evil as something obvious—monstrous figures committing heinous acts with clear malicious intent. But as Hannah Arendt argued in her book on Nazi officer Adolf Eichmann, evil can also be disturbingly ordinary, boring even. It’s the kind of evil that happens when people simply follow orders, fall in line, and stop asking questions.
Today, many European leaders are guilty of a similar complicity. They are not the ones dropping bombs or pulling triggers, but their silence—their refusal to speak out or intervene—allows atrocities to continue unchecked. They have outsourced the act of committing evil, but their hands aren’t clean. This is the banality of inaction.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola—Madame President, as she is often called, is no different.
A year ago, when the Gaza genocide was still only a month in, I wrote an open letter to Metsola, appealing to her to speak out and use her platform to advocate for an end to what was already shaping up to be an unprecedented attack on the Palestinian people.
The message was clear: as President of the European Parliament, an institution that prides itself on upholding values such as freedom of expression and the rule of law, Metsola had an obligation to speak out against actions that aggressively violate those principles. Both for the sake of her own integrity and, more importantly, for the credibility of the institution she represents, it was essential for her to take a stand.
The European Union once positioned itself as a global defender of human rights, and Metsola’s role at the forefront of this institution means she should be leading the charge to ensure that basic human rights are upheld—especially in the face of such clear violations.
Unfortunately, it appears that Mme Metsola has positioned herself at the front of a very different European Union. One that, with Ursula von der Leyen at its helm abets the ongoing atrocities.
Metsola and von der Leyen with Israeli President Isaac Herzog who just a few days later declared that there were "no innocent civilians in Gaza"
Stonewalled and Ignored
After a couple of ill-advised statements early on, Metsola appears to have retreated into silence. Every time we’ve reached out for clarity or comment, we’re more or less stonewalled. If we’re lucky, we receive vague, non-committal responses. No clear views or opinions. For someone who often positions herself as a defender of European values, her silence on this issue is both hypocritical and shameful. Her social media presence has become a stage for highlighting her own speaking engagements and personal awards, while the atrocities in Gaza continue unabated, unaddressed.
Metsola often speaks out in favour of journalists and the work that they do, yet struggles to condemn the repeated killing of journalists by the Israeli Defence Forces. She was quick to push for anti-SLAPP legislation but has said nothing about the deplatforming and silencing of artists, journalists, and professionals for daring to speak out against the genocide.
This silence doesn’t mean she’s incapable of taking a position. We’ve seen Metsola use her voice when it suits her.
On Ukraine, she was a tireless advocate, positioning herself as the face of European solidarity. She was one of the first Western leaders to visit Kyiv after Russia’s invasion, making a public display of standing for European values and calling out purported war crimes. Ukraine was her moment to shine, to show that Europe wouldn’t abandon its neighbours.
She also found no problem taking a stand on Belarus, where she condemned the Lukashenko regime’s crackdowns on protesters and political opponents. Metsola didn’t hesitate to call for stronger EU sanctions, aligning herself with those fighting for democracy.
She was equally vocal about women’s rights in Afghanistan, urging the EU to protect Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule, framing this as a fundamental European value. When Iranian women took to the streets following Mahsa Amini’s death, Metsola expressed solidarity with their fight for freedom, once again positioning herself as a defender of those facing repression.
Even in distant crises like the alleged human rights abuses in Venezuela, she spoke out against the Maduro regime, and during the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, she criticised the Chinese government’s oppression.
Metsola has never been shy about speaking out when it aligns with the narrative of so-called European democracy and human rights.
If Metsola were truly serious about democracy and human rights, she would be speaking out unambiguously against Israel’s actions, just as she has with Russia. The hypocrisy is glaring, and Europe’s leadership is complicit in Israel’s systematic apartheid and continued dismantling of the rules-based order it claims to uphold.
Metsola in Ukraine with Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of Ukraine's Parliament. Stefanchuk was full of praise for Metsola for her support for Ukraine.
Crisis of Leadership
As cliché as it sounds, but there are moments in history that separate the men from the boys, the women from the girls, pretenders from leaders. We are living through one of those moments, and it’s already painfully clear that we are suffering from a global crisis of leadership. Roberta Metsola, despite the image she portrays, has shown herself to be part of the problem—not the solution.
Real leadership is about more than just slaying in nice shoes; it’s about having the courage to speak out when it matters, to confront injustice even when it’s uncomfortable. But Metsola, through her silence, has chosen the easy path—the one that doesn’t upset powerful interests, even if it means turning a blind eye to atrocity.
How can the European Union be taken seriously when it admonishes countries like Hungary (or lest we forget Malta) for not respecting the rule of law, yet remains silent on Israel’s regular commission of grave human rights violations?
Not only has the European Union shied away from taking a stand, but its member states have continued to arm Israel, in clear breach of the Genocide Convention. Why should we allow them the hypocritically usurp any more authority over us, when they are so tainted by this injustice. And why isn’t Mme Metsola calling it out for what it is?
The Weight of Silence
Since my letter, the atrocities have only worsened. That piece came a few weeks after a bomb struck the courtyard of the Al Ahli hospital, where hundreds of displaced civilians were seeking shelter from the incessant bombing. At the time, there was some uncertainty about whether the rocket had been fired by Israel or was a misfired Hamas rocket.
As I write this, the world is once again shocked by footage showing displaced civilians literally being burnt alive in their tents following an Israeli strike on Al Aqsa Hospital.
It is one of many reprehensible and inhumane actions taken by Israel over the past 12 months—a period in which it has bombed schools, hospitals, aid centres, and refugee camps, all while maintaining a blockade of essential, life-saving supplies.
An Israeli airstrike on a hospital in Deir al-Balah sent flames sweeping through a packed tent camp for displaced civilians
We’ve seen children shot in the head, Israeli soldiers desecrating graves and homes, and threats of violence from across Israeli society. In recent months, we’ve seen the same done to Lebanon as Israel seemingly tries its best to start a regional war with Iran. The International Court of Justice has essentially said that Israel is committing genocide, the International Criminal Court has been asked to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu, and now Israeli soldiers have actually opened fire on UN peacekeepers.
Imagine if Russia had done that. Or Iran. Or anywhere else really. The international response would have been swift and severe. Yet, when Israel does it? Silence.
Metsola, and by extension, the European Union, should have been leading the charge to hold Israel accountable for these actions. Instead, they sit quietly as the global rules-based order crumbles, unwilling or unable to challenge their “allies” in Tel Aviv. This level of cowardice should alarm every European citizen who cares about the future of global governance.
Several European government's, especially Germany's, have clamped down on citizen's right to express themselves through protest. Not a word from the EP or any other EU institution for that matter.
A Legacy of Hypocrisy
The Nakba of 1948 and the current atrocities are part of the same story. Europe, eager to assuage its post-Holocaust guilt, created Israel on Arab land, handing a European-backed settler-colonial project to European Jews at the expense of Palestinians. The Jewish question of the early 20th century has become the Palestinian question of the 21st century. And now, Israel is enacting its “final solution” to that question, with the full backing of Western powers.
Perhaps Metsola’s silence isn’t a failure of leadership, but a reflection of deeper moral rot that has hollowed the EU out. Maybe she’s simply following in the footsteps of bureaucrats before her, who have perpetuated racist and colonialist policies against Arabs and Africans, all the while paying lip service to human rights and international law. After all, Europe has a long tradition of turning a blind eye to injustice when it serves its interests. But how does this serve us, her electors? Is this in our interest?
A year ago, I asked Roberta Metsola to act before it was too late. Now, it is too late.
The destruction, the loss of life, and the erosion of every moral principle Europe once claimed to stand for have already happened.
This article isn’t a call to action anymore; it’s a reminder—a grim reckoning—that each and every one of our politicians has failed. Roberta Metsola included.
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