EU throwing money at Palestinians - no metrics, no follow-ups, just extending programs that will never end ~ Elder Of Ziyon

Sunday, August 24, 2025

EU throwing money at Palestinians - no metrics, no follow-ups, just extending programs that will never end

EUPOL COPPS head of mission Karin Limdal and a map that erases Israel

The Council decided today to renew the mandates of two civilian missions under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).

Following the coordinated strategic review conducted by the Political and Security Committee and on the basis of the invitations from Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the Council decided to extend the mandates of the EU Border Assistance Mission at the Rafah Crossing Point (EUBAM Rafah) and of the EU Police Mission in the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS) for one year until 30 June 2026. The missions will have the opportunity to develop their mandates on the ground through a flexible, realistic and scalable approach, with a view to adapting to future evolutions.

EUPOL COPPS was launched in January 2006 and it is headed by Ms Karin Limdal. The mission’s current mandate focuses on support to the Palestinian Civil Police and wider justice institutions, in the areas of policing and wider criminal justice arrangements. Through its contribution to security and justice sector reform, the mission supports efforts to improve the security of the Palestinian population and to reinforce the rule of law.

So for nearly 20 years, EU experts have been advising the Palestinian Authority police and justice departments, at a cost of about $12.6 million a year.

But what, exactly do they do?

Here's a video they made recently that pretends to answer that question, but doesn't actually say anything.

Looking at their social media, we see a lot of activity - meeting with Palestinian officials, coordinating workshops, holding seminars, creating programs on things like cybercrime and domestic violence.

But what is unanswered is why does the PA need the EU to do these things? How do we now that previous initiatives made a difference to Palestinians? What are the metrics for success, and how well did EUBAM COPPS meet those metrics? When would their mission be considered a success? Has the Palestinian police become more responsible, with fewer deadly incidents or human rights abuses? Have there been any actual reforms instead of more and more seminars about reforms?

Any international initiative like this requires metrics. EUBAM has a mission in Moldova-Ukraine that issues annual reports showing what they have been doing with charts and tables - but no such annual report is issued for the two Palestinian EUBAM missions.

It appears that there is a feedback loop happening here that no one is discussing. The PA has no interest in improving its police but needs to show progress to keep getting EU money, so it indulges the clueless Europeans and pretends to go along with these endless initiatives that make little or no difference in the lives of Palestinians. The EU wants to pretend that the PA is a mature government that really needs all of these things they provide, yet somehow have not yet figured out how to do it on their own after having their own government for over 30 years now.

The EU is condescending towards the Palestinians, treating them like third world savages that need help to do basic work like fighting domestic violence. The PA is condescending towards the EU, treating them as a cash cow as long as they make a pretense that they care about performance - but not enough to tell the EU, thanks but we can handle it from here on our own.

A nation that desires independence will not want to remain dependent on outside experts forever. They have had 20 years to send Palestinian students to study criminal justice from the finest universities in the world, receive doctorates, and come back to improve the Palestinian police and courts with the latest Western standards. Why haven't they? Why hasn't EUPOL COPPS given them a deadline to do exactly this?

The EU desperately believes that a two state solution will solve problems and not cause more. The PA has a great interest in promoting that fantasy. The EU wants to pretend that throwing money at the problem will solve it; the PA wants EU money.

It is a symbiotic relationship. And that is why there are no metrics or criteria for success - because no one wants success, they just want to keep the situation at the status quo of the EU feeling righteous and the PA acting just helpless enough to justify the money train - not just for this mission but for the billions that the EU provides to the PA.

It is like when the Palestinians join international conventions but don't do anything to adhere to them. They want the trappings of a state but not the responsibility for one - and they are happy to outsource their governance to Europeans who want to feel like white saviors.

If someone actually looked at the PA and saw that there has been no significant progress in any area in the past 30 years, then people might ask hard questions. Everyone, except for EU taxpayers, prefers to keep things as they are.

(h/t Irene)