List of author's articles

Full profile page: Bc. Lucie Svobodová

Introduction The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has been going on for decades, is one of the world's most serious conflicts. Although overshadowed in recent years by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and some other military clashes, its resolution remains a prerequisite for peace in the Middle East, which is of strategic importance to most of the Western world.

1. A brief historical summary of the European Community's (European Union) involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict The countries of Western Europe, as well as the USA and Russia (formerly the USSR), have considered the Middle East one of their strategic areas since World War I. Throughout the last century, therefore, they have tried to keep the region in its sphere of influence. The decisive power position of Great Britain, which lasted from the First World War until the proclamation of the State of Israel in 1948, in the 1950s (especially after the so-called Suez Crisis in 1956) was taken over by the United States, which has maintained it to this day. The United States has long been by far the strongest player in the Middle East and probably the only state with the means to reach a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

2. The EU's official position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, EU-Israel-Palestine relations The European Union's official position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the Israeli-Arab conflict, is based on the framework established by the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy. The 2003 European Security Strategy, entitled "A Secure Europe in a Better World", identified the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as one of the Union's strategic priorities. The EU believes that peace cannot be achieved without a definitive and universally recognized state arrangement between Israelis and Palestinians
in the Middle East, which is a necessary condition for global stability.

3. EU position on the recent and current issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict In the second half of 2009, pressure from all Quartet members intensified to resume negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, leading to a settlement of all permanent status issues as soon as possible. The EU summarized its views in a document entitled "Council Conclusions on the Middle East Peace Process", issued on 8 December 2009.

4. Possible future developments Although the theory that radicalism primarily stems from poverty is considered simplistic, it is clear that the poor economic situation is one of the factors contributing to a negative and radical climate in society. This has always been the case, and it is still the case in the Palestinian territories, and of course the Gaza Strip. Even during the peace process of the 1990s, when the degree of autonomy of the Palestinian Authority was increasing, it was not possible to start Gaza's economy [181]. The Israeli blockade, exacerbated by the 2007 war between Fatah and Hamas, is contributing to a further deterioration in the region's economic situation. The EU has repeatedly drawn attention to this fact by calling on Israel to end it immediately. The EU acknowledges that easing the blockade in the summer of 2010 is an important step forward, but does not consider it sufficient and considers that its practical effect is not very visible in Gaza.

Conclusion Historically, it has always been difficult for European countries to find agreement on the Middle East. The differing interests of the European powers, led by France and Germany, have long prevented the EU (EC) from taking a common position on the Israeli-Arab issue and, with it, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This was not achieved until the 1990s under the CFSP.
The EU's position has always been rather supportive in the past, but especially in recent years the Union is trying to intervene more actively in peace negotiations, and even though the US still holds the main initiative, the EU's position as a mediator and neutral third party is gaining in importance.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has been going on for decades, is one of the world's most serious conflicts. Although overshadowed in recent years by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and some other military clashes, its resolution remains a prerequisite for peace in the Middle East, which is of strategic importance to most of the Western world.