European Leaders Push for Stronger Israel Ties, Warn of Russian-Iranian Axis
Senior lawmakers, defense analysts, and civil society leaders from across Europe, Israel, and the Middle East gathered Sunday in Paris to open the 2025 International Policy Conference (EIPC), hosted by the European Leadership Network (ELNET). The annual event serves as a high-level platform for addressing threats to Western democratic values and security cooperation, with this year’s discussions centering on growing authoritarian influence and internal vulnerabilities within democratic states.
ELNET France CEO Dr. Arié Bensemhoun opened the proceedings with a stark appeal to moral clarity and collective determination. “Now the world is black and white. Either you stand on democratic principles, or you don’t,” he said, warning that the future of democratic societies depends on their ability to confront rising aggression.
A key panel featured Latvian Member of the European Parliament Rihards Kols and Israeli Member of Knesset Orit Farkash-Hacohen, who debated the primary sources of danger to democracies—whether from foreign autocratic coalitions or domestic fragmentation and fear. Kols, who serves on the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, argued that internal paralysis driven by fear is the most immediate threat.
“I would argue our main enemy is fear,” Kols said. “The autocrats drive us by fear. Because fear, for any human being, is paralyzing. And this is what they prey on—to spread fear through intimidation, through threats, and particularly through hybrid threats.”
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Kols described what he called a growing alliance between Russia and Iran as “the new autocratic axis in the making,” citing the deployment of Iranian Shahed drones on NATO territory as evidence of deepening strategic coordination. “Shahed drones produced by Iran fall out of the sky on our soil. … Together with Iranian hardware and Russian software, they have adjusted these ‘Shaheds’ to avoid radar systems and with a longer range. So, this is the axis in action—not just for ad hoc interests,” he said.
He warned that democracies projecting uncertainty or division only encourage further hostility from authoritarian powers. “Nothing provokes autocrats more than the show of weakness by free people. And this is our favorite moment,” he said, referring to the tendency of adversaries to exploit democratic indecision.
Spanish Member of the European Parliament Nicolás Pascual de la Parte also addressed the conference, voicing concern over the United States redirecting its strategic focus toward the Indo-Pacific, which he argued leaves Europe exposed. “America’s concentration of energy and attention … to the Indo-Pacific has left Europe more vulnerable,” he said.
Pascual de la Parte urged European countries to invest in defense as a “complementary pillar” within NATO and called for closer ties with Israel. “Israel has a paramount role to play … because you are a democratic country in the Middle East, the only one. You share our principles. We can rely on you, and you can rely on us,” he said.
He emphasized that cooperation should go beyond symbolic gestures. “We must recover the trust that sometimes we have lost in the past,” he said. “We must reinforce our relationship … not only with words, but with facts.”
With discussions set to continue throughout the week, the tone of EIPC 2025 was defined by a sense of urgency and a call to unity. Participants argued that the ability of democratic nations to stand firm will determine whether the West can continue to define its future—or be shaped by external and internal threats.
