The European Union foreign policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (2009-2021): Lessons and Reflections
Gechev, K
Date: 18 March 2024
Thesis or dissertation
Publisher
University of Exeter
Degree Title
PhD in Palestine Studies
Abstract
The dissertation is about the role of the European Union (EU) in the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict after the Lisbon Treaty (2009–2021). Since the establishment of the European
External Action Service (EEAS) and its evolution it was expected that the EU Foreign
policy will be optimised, while the Palestinian state-building project ...
The dissertation is about the role of the European Union (EU) in the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict after the Lisbon Treaty (2009–2021). Since the establishment of the European
External Action Service (EEAS) and its evolution it was expected that the EU Foreign
policy will be optimised, while the Palestinian state-building project will achieve better
results. External criticism directed at the European Union’s inefficient policy towards
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is prevalent both within the academic and political
circles. Usually, constructive criticism is a prerequisite for a positive development or
at least it leads to attempts to shift policy in a more suitable, optimised, and self-serving
direction. However, external, and internal feedback requires tools and capabilities to
transform into knowledge which therefore has the potential to trigger change.
Examination of the official EU documentation - declarations, evaluations, reports, and
analyses can partly reveal the level of self-reflection and self-evaluation capability of
the Union. The participation of EEAS officials and their insights could reveal further
the EU learning process. The research project aims to find whether the EU perceive
its policy as inefficient, and if that is the case, whether it can change its policy,
positions, and rhetoric in terms of declaratory policy, and more importantly, whether
the EU is being able to reflect and learn from critical feedback and challenging
experience. However, the EU support for the peace process, the two-state solution,
and the state-building project are still on the European agenda and rhetoric, while
there are no tangible results or alternative actions which may lead to a substantial
progress in these pre-set concrete directions. The EU continuing support for that non-
progressive policy indicates there is either no sense of failure or there are no lessons
drawn from the failure. On the contrary, if the EU is not bothered or at least at ease
with the status quo there must be a rational explanation and reason for that.
Doctoral Theses
Doctoral College
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