For decades, Europe cultivated the belief that the Middle East was not merely a distant arena of instability, but a defining stage upon which the European integration project could demonstrate global relevance. From the aftermath of the Six Day War in 1967 onward, the conflict became a recurring fixture on the European foreign policy agenda.
It was never simply about diplomacy.
It was about identity.
Europe was emerging from its own violent 20th century, sought to present itself as a normative power capable of shaping peace beyond its borders.
That aspiration has always contained an element of tension. Europe wanted to matter. But it rarely possessed the instruments of hard power necessary to impose outcomes. The result was a paradox that critics captured succinctly: Europe was often a player, but primarily a payer.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar speaks at a press conference on the day of an EU-Israel Association Council with European Union foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium, February 24, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/YVES HERMAN)
This pattern became particularly visible after the Oslo Accords in 1993, when the European Union (EU) positioned itself as a central f
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