The EU-Israel Relations Wielding Normative Power in Times of Crisis- the West Bank Wall (original) (raw)
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This thesis provides an analysis of Israel’s security conceptions, discourses and practices, in the context of the Arab–Israeli conflict in general and the Israeli– Palestinian conflict in particular, between 1948 and 2000. The purpose of the study is, to explore those processes through which particular definitions and practices of security have been produced and changed, against the background of the domestic debates and competing worldviews among key political actors; and to highlight the overall impact of these points in different periods on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and, thus, on Israel’s overall security. In this context, it is observed that the debates among the political actors, regarding the future borders and the identity of the state, have played a key role in the construction and reconstruction of Israeli security policy particularly vis-à-vis the Palestinian problem. Nevertheless, it is also observed that the extent of these differences has been limited to the objectives of the security policy, and that a zero- sum conception of security, and the primacy of military means to confront the perceived threats have prevailed as common characteristics of Israeli security understanding, informing Israel’s related practices. Along these lines the thesis considers the Oslo peace process as an anomaly, and tries to assess it within the framework of the continuities and changes it has introduced to thinking and acting about security in Israel.
The European Union and Israel: a lasting and ambiguous 'special relationship'
Few players on the international scene are able to claim such a rich and ambiguous relationship as Israel and the European Union (EU). The EU is one of the prime commercial partners of Israel, along with the United States, with a commercial exchange volume that reached 20.2 billion Euros in 20092. On the geostrategical level, the two players cooperate more and more actively on common threats, such as an Iranian nuclear power. On the cultural and scientific as well as the commercial level, the EU is often defined as the Israeli "hinterland" due to the latter's regional isolation. Their relations have proven to be profound and enduring – since the establishment of the diplomatic relations in 1959 – despite a particularly restrained geopolitical context. In this article we will strive to render an account of the special and ambiguous character of this relationship through the study of three factors: historical, realist and normative. We will start with the historical factor – more specifically, with the relations between Israel on the one hand and France, Germany and Great Britain on the other hand – and its influence on the EU-Israel relationship. Then, we will examine their mutual interests by studying the deepening process of their agreements in the different sectors – economics, science and security – in a challenging environment. Finally, we will compare their perceptions as well as their mutual expectations.
Institute of European Studies, 2005
On December 8th, 2003, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to submit the question concerning the legality of Israel's construction of a wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion. The Court accepted, and thus entered into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict-one of the most far-reaching, difficult, and delicate disputes that the international community has faced. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it analyzes the most relevant issues in the Wall case related to jurisdiction and merits. Second, it considers the position of the European Union in terms of the Middle East conflict, and specifically, concerning this advisory opinion.
Israel and the Fencing Policy: A Barrier on Every Seam Line
Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies , 2015
The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies is an independent research institute and think tank for the study of history and social sciences, with particular emphasis on the applied social sciences.