A Time to Take Action: Europe’s Responsibility in the Middle East

The prospects for peace in the Middle East look rather bleak at the moment. However, the conflict can definitely be resolved. In the current edition of "spotlight europe" Almut Möller pinpoints the crucial role of the European Union and the tasks it can perform in the peace process.

U.S. President George Bush convened a Middle East conference in Washington for November 2007. In order to ensure that this turns out to be a success, the European Union should do two things. First, it should persuade the U.S. to adopt a regional approach to conflict resolution, and therefore to include the Israeli-Lebanese and Israeli-Syrian disputes. Secondly, it should develop a common position on how to integrate Hamas.

The paper was developed within the project Europe and the Middle East. The purpose of the project jointly conducted by the Center for Applied Policy Research (C·A·P) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung is to outline a new approach for future EU relations with the Middle East and to provide strategic answers to the challenges in its neighbourhood.