EU Foreign Minister has been a driving force behind the nuclear agreement with Iran and strongly criticized Israel • Replaces: Spanish politician from the left ranks
Former EU Secretary of State, Federica Mogherini // Photo: AFP
Federica Mogherini, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Relations, and one of the leading forces on the way to formulate a nuclear agreement with Iran, has left her job today as planned.
Mogherini, who negotiated nuclear talks between Iran and the six powers in 2015, fought tirelessly for the sake of keeping Europe in the original agreement even after the United States left it in 2018.
Mogherini, an Italian politician from the left, took office in 2014 and declared that she would work to promote values of human rights and dialogue around the world. But her soft attitude toward totalitarian countries such as Russia and Iran has been fiercely criticized.
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Mogrini's stance on Israel was critical, but also sympathetic to the episodes. Mogherini visited Israel during a strong cliff operation and even toured Ashdod during rocket fire on the city. Mogherini was under pressure and refused to call on Israel to cease the operation, which warned against harming civilian life in Gaza.
Mogherini and Iranian Foreign Minister Smile Smiles During Nuclear Negotiations // Photo: AP
In January 2015, she stated that the Israeli government's decision to freeze Palestinian tax money, following their request for admission to international institutions, is an Israeli violation of the Oslo Accords.
But with Mogrini's departure, her legacy, especially around the nuclear deal with Iran, seems to be in danger. Yesterday, for the first time since the Trump administration decided to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran, two senior European partners have made it clear that their patience is expiring in view of ongoing violations of the Tehran agreement and that they are considering recommending Iran's international crackdown.
The person who will have to deal with the decision is Joseph Burrell, Mogrini's replacement in the role. Burrell, a Spanish socialist, is considered to continue the political line of his predecessor in office and may even take a more Israeli line. Borel volunteered in the 1960s at Kibbutz Galon in Israel where he met his wife.
Sharon visits Israel, Joseph Borel // Photo: AFP
Burrell is considered a warm-tempered and sharp-tongued man. A few months ago, on social networks in Europe, a video was shown, in which he seems to abandon a live interview because he didn't like the questions. He volunteered at the kibbutz many years ago, and even knew his first wife here, but for a very long time he visited Israel sharply. About a year ago, Borel suggested that the EU and its companies would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. He even threatened that Spain would do it alone, which didn't happen either.
Borel (72) has been critical of the US and positive about Iran. In a 40-year Twitter tweet following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, he described its positive results: "Literacy has risen from 35 to 84 percent. Women's participation in the workforce increased from 5 to 47 percent. Iran is a key country in the Middle East. It is involved in wars in Syria and Yemen and is in competition with Saudi Arabia. 40 years after Vietnam, Iran is still an obsession for the US. Iran could survive the sanctions if Trump is not reelected. Otherwise, the regime will renew its nuclear program and double its aggression in the region. " In a press interview, Borel was asked about Iran's calls for the destruction of Israel. His response was "Iran wants to erase Israel? There is nothing new here. You have to live with it."