Abstract
This essay assesses the involvement of the European Union (EU) in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, from its origins to the emergence of the Arab Spring. Unlike the United States – where foreign policy is an area attributed to the federal executive since independence – Member States of the EU have a ‘multilevel foreign policy,’ in which they cooperate amongst each other by way of their Union, while simultaneously pursuing independent policies. The conclusion of this essay is that as the EU evolved to become an important player in regional power configurations and local political dynamics, EU policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been inconsistent and incoherent,. The following elements lie at the basis of this conclusion: incoherence amongst Member States; inconsistency between economic objectives and foreign policy; the failure to understand and focus on mental structures, in particular religion; and a problematic Transatlantic Partnership. These inconsistencies have had a significant impact on certain crucial elements in Palestinian state- and nation-building, notably nationalism and Islamism, political liberalization and authoritarianism.
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