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OPT: EU's position on the Middle East process - key inconsistencies

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INTRODUCTION

This paper points out nine key inconsistencies in the European Union's position on the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) as defined in the EU's Council Conclusions over recent years and puts forth concrete recommendations for rectifying them. The paper was prepared by a group of 15 European and international humanitarian, development, human rights and peace organisations with operations or partners in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT). The paper, based on an analysis of the conclusions of the EU's General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) on the MEPP, does not aim to provide a comprehensive assessment of all inconsistencies, but to address several of the most significant ones.

The undersigned organisations believe that in order to play a genuinely constructive and impartial role in the search for a just and viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the EU must correct these inconsistencies in future Council Conclusions.

Why the EU's position matters

The EU's words are important. The EU is a major trading partner of Israel, a major donor to the Palestinian Authority, and member of the Middle East Quartet. The positions taken in Council Conclusions, often after lengthy discussions among the Member States, are the basis for policies and actions of the EU on the ground. They also guide the EU's and Member States' diplomacy on the MEPP in dealing with the parties to the conflict and on the international level. The EU's positions have an impact on the diplomatic process and on developments on the ground. The support, condemnation or silence of the EU in relation to various actions of the parties to the conflict also send important signals that may affect their calculations and behaviour as well as the positioning and behaviour of other members of the international community. At the same time, while improving the EU's declaratory stance is important and necessary, it is not enough. Crucially, the EU also needs to act on its statements by adopting policies and concrete measures that give effect to its declared positions.