Gudrun Harrer, Christian Berger & Myriam Benraad: EUROPA’S ROLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST - BETWEEN ASPITRATION AND ACTION

In cooperation with the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (CFA/ÖFZ)  Raimund Löw in conversation with Gudrun Harrer, Christian Berger and Myriam BenraadEUROPE’S ROLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST: BETWEEN ASPITRATION AND ACTIONHamas’ 7 October 2023 attack on Israel set off a devastating war in Gaza, followed by a twelve-day clash with Iran. Both conflicts have been reshaping Middle Eastern politics. They have sidelined the United Nations and left little space for diplomacy, exposing the limits of multilateral action. For the European Union, the war poses a strategic dilemma. The EU is the largest donor to the Palestinians and has long positioned itself as a normative power, yet it remains largely excluded from peacemaking efforts. Internal divisions and strained transatlantic ties hamper a common strategy, even as Europe’s own security is directly affected by turmoil on its doorstep. To stay relevant, the EU must move beyond the role of donor and define a coherent approach that balances humanitarian credibility with strategic influence in a region where force increasingly trumps principle.OpeningSabine Kroissenbrunner, Secretary General of the Bruno Kreisky ForumDiscussionGudrun Harrer, Senior Editor and Middle East editor at the newspaper Der StandardChristian Berger, Director of the Crisis Response Centre at the European External Action Service (EEAS), BrusselsMyriam Benraad, Political scientist specialised in the Middle East, Institut catholique de Paris (ICP) / Sciences Po, ParisModerationRaimund Löw, Historian, journalist, columnist for the Vienna Weekly „Falter“ ConclusionDietmar Schweisgut, Secretary General of the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe