Middle East

Successive attempts have failed to deliver self-determination and sovereignty for the Palestinians living under occupation for over 50 years. As Israel’s largest economic partner and one of the main donors to the Palestinians, the European Union can play a significant role in supporting the process towards a just peace in Israel and Palestine.

In a nutshell

Our advocacy work is guided by the principles of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. We engage the EU and its member states to ensure accountability for international law violations by all parties involved. By actively promoting accountability, the EU can help end the prevailing climate of impunity whilst addressing the deep power imbalance in the region. Moreover, decades of occupation have had a disastrous impact on the Palestinian economy. Only a just and lasting peace can create the conditions for sustainable development in Palestine.

Our long-term objective is to promote a rights-based and lasting solution to the conflict that ensures peace, security, and dignity for all people.

The work of the Secretariat is informed and reinforced by the contributions of our members, their local partners and cooperation with other advocacy organisations in Europe.

To find out more about the principles governing international humanitarian law, see the work of our member Diakonia IHL Centre.

A young boy with a bicycle standing in the narrow, sunlit stone-paved alley of Jerusalem's old town.

current priorities

  • Challenging Israel’s de facto annexation of the Palestinian territory
  • Garnering EU support for international justice and accountability mechanisms
  • Addressing the issue of shrinking space for local and international civil society in Israel and Palestine
  • Demanding that contractual relations between the EU and Israel do not support settlements
  • Supporting Palestinian-owned development

Resources