On 13 July 2026, European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica addressed the Board of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, pledging EU support for inter-religious dialogue and the protection of religious minorities. Speaking after a day that included the Foreign Affairs Council and the launch of the Team Gaza Initiative, Šuica stressed that freedom of religion or belief is a core EU value and highlighted the appointment of Mairead McGuinness as the new EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the Union. She called for joint efforts to combat discrimination, persecution, and violence against any minority.
Šuica's speech contained no concrete new policy proposals or numerical targets but reaffirmed existing EU commitments and programmes. She cited the Pact for the Mediterranean as a vehicle for inter-religious projects, including dialogue facilitation in Syria among ethnic, religious, and political groups, and a project in Egypt that trains students and scholars in Islamic studies to counter religious extremism. She also referenced the EU Peace Initiative in Israel and Palestine, which brings together faith communities for peace. At home, she noted the work of the EU coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, Katharina von Schnurbein, and the coordinator on combatting anti-Muslim hatred.
The speech was largely declarative, offering support and recognition for the Alliance's work rather than announcing new funding, legislation, or institutional changes. Šuica emphasised the fragility of coexistence in the Mediterranean region, pointing to Syria's recovery, Lebanon's challenges, and threats to religious freedom in Israel, including assaults on Christians. She framed the EU's role as one of visibility, support, and partnership, urging the rabbis to share their assessments and identify entry points for defending freedom of religion and belief.
The policy orientation of the speech is conciliatory and supportive, seeking to strengthen ties with religious leaders in Muslim-majority societies and to promote tolerance without adopting an assertive or demanding tone toward third countries. The speech did not address any trade-offs or potential tensions between security concerns and religious freedom, nor did it specify how EU programmes would be scaled up or funded. Stakeholder impact is limited: the primary beneficiaries are religious minority communities in the Mediterranean region, who may gain increased EU attention and project support. EU taxpayers see no new financial commitments. The speech reinforces the EU's soft-power approach to inter-religious dialogue without altering existing regulatory or budgetary frameworks.