After Tuesday’s EU’s emergency meeting on the Mideast crisis, during which the foreign ministers could not agree on a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, press comments Wednesday see a split Europe.

A Swedish and a German daily disagree over whether Europe should punish or support Israel for its actions.

A split Europe

France’s weekly Le Nouvel Observateur magazine says that the EU foreign ministers’ meeting on the Middle East crisis came at a time of division for the Europeans.

“The international community is divided on the question of an immediate ceasefire which France has specifically called for.”

The quotes Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja as saying that the EU’s credibility on the international stage is at stake: "If we fail, we can say goodbye to the EU’s influence on international matters."

Austrian daily Die Presse praises the Finnish EU presidency for its position on the Lebanon crisis. The newspaper commends Errki Tuomioja, the Finnish foreign minister, for making "clear, courageous and frank statements on the Lebanon war and on Israel’s actions".

"Please, do not let them get you down, continue along recent lines", the paper says.

It adds that some of Mr Tuomioja’s European counterparts did not appreciate his outspokenness.

The paper says this is true of the EU’s foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, whom it describes as "the embodiment of meaningless stock diplomatic phrases".

“However it is even more true of British foreign secretary Margaret Beckett, who regards herself as the vermiform appendix of the Americans,” the Austrian paper comments.

Sanctions against Israel

Sweden’s Aftonbladet says “the EU should show its European muscles by breaking off its free-trade agreement with Israel.”

"Sweden should push for the EU to suspend free trade with Israel for as long as the country breaches human rights and international law.”
"Here the EU has a financial instrument which it should use in one of the most serious Middle East conflicts in a long time".

German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel says it is Germany’s responsibility to help Israel in the Lebanon crisis, even militarily.

The paper argues that Germany has an historic responsibility to guarantee Israel’s right to exist and must do everything to help its government.

"So if Prime Minister Ehud Olmert really asks Germany for help, then no German government must hesitate, even if it is asked for soldiers."

Belgian daily in French La Libre Belgique says that “a consensus among the EU member states was impossible to get because of the opposition of Britain and Holland, which is not surprising since the traditional alignement of these countries with the American policy. »