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European Involvement in the Arab-Israeli Conflict

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European Involvement in the Arab-Israeli Conflict European Involvement in the Arab-Israeli Conflict Arab-Israeli the in Involvement European This Chaillot Paper examines European involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict. It focuses on the European Union’s involvement in the conflict, with special, but not exclusive, attention to EU involvement in the Israeli- EUROPEAN Palestinian dimension of the conflict. Three decades on from the landmark 1980 Venice Declaration of the then nine Member States of the European Community, 2010 has seen new setbacks in efforts to resolve the conflict, INVOLVEMENT IN THE and negative trends that increasingly fuel doubts about the very possibility of a two-state solution. This contrasts sharply with the optimistic objectives of the latest US peace initiative and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister ARab-ISRAELI CONFLICT Salam Fayyad’s plan for a Palestinian state, both of which envisage 2011 as a key year for moving towards a two-state solution. These contrasts invite far- reaching, honest and critical reflection on where European involvement in Edited by Esra Bulut Aymat the conflict has left the EU and its Member States, and how it has impacted on peace prospects. Chaillot Papers | December 2010 The volume aspires to make a timely contribution to policy thinking by focusing attention on a number of cross-cutting issues, challenges and opportunities for the EU. Drawing on the expertise and distinct approaches Esra Bulut Aymat of researchers from across Europe, the volume combines discussion of past and present EU policies, basic challenges for the EU, European interests and lessons learned, with elaboration of policy implications and recommendations. ISBN 978-92-9198-176-2 published by phone: + 33 (0) 1 56 89 19 30 ISSN 1017-7566 the European Union fax: + 33 (0) 1 56 89 19 31 QN-AA-10-124-EN-C Institute for Security Studies e-mail: [email protected] doi:10.2815/21669 43 avenue du Président Wilson www.iss.europa.eu CHAILLOT PAPER 75775 Paris cedex 16 - France 124 124 CHAILLOT PAPERS BOOKS In January 2002 the Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) became an 123 116 autonomous Paris-based agency of the European Union. Following an EU Council Nov 10 L’UE ET l’AFRIQUE : LES DÉFIS Jun 09 WAR CRIMES, CONDITIONALITY 2010 QUELLE DÉFENSE EUROPÉENNE DE LA COHÉRENce AND EU INTEGRATION IN Joint Action of 20 July 2001, modified by the Joint Action of 21 December 2006, en 2020 ? Damien Helly THE WESTERN BALKANS Claude-France Arnould, Juha it is now an integral part of the new structures that will support the further Judy Batt, Vojin Dimitrijevic, Auvinen, Henri Bentégeat, Nicole development of the CFSP/CSDP. The Institute’s core mission is to provide analyses 122 Florence Hartmann, Dejan Jovic, Gnesotto, Jolyon Howorth, F. Oct 10 VIOLENce POLITIQUE ET PAIX Tija Memisevic and and recommendations that can be of use and relevance to the formulation of the Stephen Larrabee, Tomas Ries, DANS LE MONDE ARABE Jelena Obradovic-Wochnik; Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Stefano European security and defence policy. In carrying out that mission, it also acts Abdallah Saaf edited by Judy Batt and Silvestri, Alexander Stubb, Nuno as an interface between European experts and decision-makers at all levels. Jelena Obradovic-Wochnik Severiano Teixeira, Álvaro 121 de Vasconcelos, Alexander Weis et Sep 10 CHIna’s FOREIGN POLICY DEBATES 115 Richard Wright; Chaillot Papers are monographs on topical questions written either by a member Zhu Liqun Avr 09 MAGHREB : VAINCRE LA PEUR Préface de Catherine Ashton of the EUISS research team or by outside authors chosen and commissioned DE LA DÉMOCRATIE Sous la direction d’Álvaro de 120 Luís Martinez Vasconcelos by the Institute. Early drafts are normally discussed at a seminar or study Apr 10 NUCLEAR WEAPONS AFTER group of experts convened by the Institute and publication indicates that the THE 2010 NPT REVIEW CONFERENce 114 2009 THE OBAMA MOMENT – paper is considered by the EUISS as a useful and authoritative contribution to Ian Anthony, Camille Grand, Dec 08 NEGOTIATING THE FINAL STATUS eUROPEAN AND AMERICAN Łukasz Kulesa, Christian Mölling, OF KOSOVO the debate on CFSP/CSDP. Responsibility for the views expressed in them lies PERSPECTIVES Mark Smith; edited by Jean Pascal Marc Weller Alexandra Bell, John Bruton, exclusively with authors. Chaillot Papers are also accessible via the Institute’s Zanders Tom Cargill, Joseph Cirincione, website: www.iss.europa.eu 113 James F. Dobbins, Nikolas Foster, 119 Nov 08 TOWARDS A EUROPEAN Daniel S. Hamilton, Bruce Jones, Nov 09 BACK FROM THE COLD? DeFENce MARKET Erik Jones, Ibrahim Kalin, THE EU AND BELARUS In 2009 Erkki Aalto, Daniel Keohane, Andrew C. Kuchins, Michael Margarita M. Balmaceda, Christian Mölling and O Hanlon, Rouzbeh Parsi, Sabine Fischer, Grzegorz Sophie de Vaucorbeil; Glen Rangwala, Pawel Swieboda, Gromadzki, Andrei Liakhovich, edited by Daniel Keohane Álvaro de Vasconcelos, Alex Vines, Astrid Sahm, Vitali Silitski and Marcin Zaborowski; Leonid Zlotnikov; edited by Sabine 112 edited by Álvaro de Vasconcelos Fischer Oct 08 EU SecURITY AND DEFENce. and Marcin Zaborowski CORE DOCUMENTS 2007 118 VOLUME VIII 2009 EUROPEAN SecURITY AND DEFENce Oct 09 GLOBAL SecURITY IN A compiled by Catherine Glière POLICY – THE FIRST 10 YEARS MULTIPOLAR WORLD (also published in French) (1999-2009) Feng Zhongping, Robert Hutchings, edited by Giovanni Grevi, Radha Kumar, Elizabeth 111 Damien Helly and Daniel Keohane Sidiropoulos, Paulo Wrobel Sept 08 BUsh’s LEGACY AND AMERICa’s and Andrei Zagorski; NEXT FOREIGN POLICY 2009 WHAT AMBITIONS FOR EUROPEAN edited by Luis Peral with an Marcin Zaborowski DeFENce In 2020? introduction by Álvaro de Vasconcelos Claude-France Arnould, 110 Juha Auvinen, Henri Bentégeat, 117 Aug 08 ReTHINKING IRAN: Nicole Gnesotto, Jolyon Howorth, Jul 09 EU SecURITY AND DEFENce. FROM CONFRONTATION F. Stephen Larrabee, Tomas Ries, CORE DOCUMENTS 2008 TO COOPERATION Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, VOLUME IX Christoph Bertram Stefano Silvestri, Alexander Stubb, compiled by Catherine Glière Nuno Severiano Teixeira, (also published in French) Álvaro de Vasconcelos, Alexander Weis and Richard Wright; edited by Álvaro de Vasconcelos; preface by Javier Solana EUROPEAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE ARab-ISRAELI CONFLICT Muriel Asseburg, Michael Bauer, Agnès Bertrand-Sanz, Esra Bulut Aymat, Jeroen Gunning, Christian-Peter Hanelt, Rosemary Hollis, Daniel Möckli, Michelle Pace, Nathalie Tocci Edited by Esra Bulut Aymat CHAILLOT PAPERS December 2010 124 Acknowledgements The editor would like to thank all participants of two EU-MEPP Task Force Meetings held at the EUISS, Paris, on 30 March 2009 and 2 July 2010 and an authors’ meeting held in July 2010 for their feedback on papers and draft chapters that formed the basis of the volume. Thanks in particular to Costanza Musu, Anne Le More and Rouzbeh Parsi for detailed comments on draft chapters. Thanks also to Gearoid Cronin for his editorial work, to Noelle Tomas for the formatting of the text, and to Suzanne Lavender and Arsim Mulaku for their work on the annexes. Any errors are the responsibility of the editor and authors. Institute for Security Studies European Union Paris Director: Álvaro de Vasconcelos © EU Institute for Security Studies 2010. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the EU Institute for Security Studies. ISBN 978-92-9198-176-2 ISSN 1017-7566 QN-AA-10-124-EN-C doi:10.2815/21669 Published by the EU Institute for Security Studies and printed in Condé-sur-Noireau (France) by Corlet Imprimeur. Graphic design by Hanno Ranck in collaboration with CL Design (Paris). Contents Preface 7 Álvaro de Vasconcelos Executive Summary 11 Chapter summaries 11 Policy recommendations 12 Examining European involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict 15 Esra Bulut Aymat 1 Introduction 15 Does Europe matter? 17 Between diplomatic dichotomies 19 An ever-involved EU? 22 Summary of chapters 24 Conclusion 29 The basic stakes and strategy of the EU and Member States 31 Rosemary Hollis 2 Introduction 31 European interests and stakes 31 Formal EU position on the conflict 35 Europe’s evolving role: a salutary tale 36 Policy constraints and limitations 38 Unpalatable options 40 Conclusion and policy implications 41 The conflict and the UE ’s assistance to the Palestinians 43 Agnès Bertrand-Sanz 3 Introduction 43 Historical background 44 State-building in an emergency: the Fayyad plan 45 Necessary EU responses to roadblocks in the way of Palestinian Statehood 46 Building matchstick houses in a storm: EU aid and state-building efforts during occupation and blockade 47 Conclusion and policy implications 51 The conflict and UE -Israeli relations 55 Nathalie Tocci 4 Introduction 55 The political context: EU goals, interests and policies regarding Israel 55 Contents EU policies towards Israel and implications for the conflict 57 Conclusion and policy implications 62 The Middle East conflict, transatlantic ties and the Quartet 65 Daniel Möckli 5 Introduction 65 From conflict to limited cooperation 66 Obama playing an EU tune 69 The transatlantic agenda: difficult decisions ahead 70 Conclusion and policy implications 74 EU crisis management in the Arab-Israeli conflict 75 Muriel Asseburg 6 Introduction 75 EU approaches and interests 75 Fields and instruments of EU crisis management 76 Conclusion and policy implications 83 The end of EU democracy promotion and of the two-state solution? 87 Michelle Pace 7 Introduction
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