Working Paper: The Holy Grail of Middle East Peace – What Role and Duty for Europe?

This is the first milestone report of the 2023/24 Charlemagne Prize Academy Fellowship by Yasmina Asrarguis, in which she assesses the legacy of the Oslo Accords and Europe's past and future role in the Middle East.

Vision:

Three years after the signing of the Abraham Accords and a few weeks after the attack on Israel by Hamas (7th of October 2023), the strategic need for a European-led peace initiative was not given full attention. At a time when the United States seem weakened as the sole mediator of peace between Israelis and Palestinians, this study aims to assess the legacy of the Oslo Accords and provide European leaders with key analytical elements to revive the Oslo methodology and good practices.

Mission:

This research aims to understand the current challenges to which Europe’s peace diplomacy is now confronted from the perspective of its citizens, while offering concrete practices on how to overcome such challenges and contribute in resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Providing unique quantitative data on peace in the Middle East, this report aims to leverage Europe’s expertise of the Oslo Accords and revive the very concept of a European-led peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians.