BRUSSELS — The rate of negative official statements about Israel issued by European Union institutions rose by nearly 60% following the October 7 Hamas attacks, according to a study published by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI). The study found that the share of negative statements increased from 29% before October 7 to nearly 46% afterward.
The JPPI analyzed more than 24,000 statements released by the European External Action Service between 2017 and 2026. After applying a relevance filter, researchers examined 3,584 statements, nearly 25% of which concerned Israel. Of those Israel-related statements, 38% were negative, 49% neutral, and 13% positive. During the post–October 7 period, neutral statements about Israel declined from 51% to 46%, and positive statements dropped from 20% to 8%.
Among the countries evaluated in the study, only Iran received more negative statements than Israel. The study attributed negative remarks about Iran to security-related concerns, while those directed at Israel focused on humanitarian or legal issues. Just over half of the Israel-related statements included keywords tied to the two-state solution.
"The current study shows that not only the street and specific countries, but also the European Union itself operates a negative double standard in its relationship to the State of Israel," said Yedidiya Stern, JPPI President.
"Israel must concentrate its efforts on changing the trend through diverse means. It is not enough to just provide information, but to address the threat at its true value: a threat to the national security of the State of Israel," concluded Stern.