Narrative Power Europe? : Change and continuity in the European Union’s policy narrative to the Israel–Palestine conflict

This thesis investigates the European Union and its predecessors’ official political position on the Israel–Palestine conflict through a narrative lens. It offers a detailed analysis of the EU’s Israel–Palestine policy narrative from the earliest discussions within the European Economic Community to the European Union’s present-day position. Despite a rich literature on the Israel‒Palestine conflict and the European Union, scholarly attention to the EU’s policy narratives on the conflict has been limited. This study bridges the existing gap, offering fresh insights into the European Union’s policy on the Israel–Palestine conflict. The theoretical and methodological concepts derive from the Narrative Policy Framework, which is an overall approach and a systematic tool for analysing narratives that permeate policies and policymaking. The thesis applies the Narrative Policy Framework in a less conventional qualitative setting, conducting a qualitative content analysis on EU documents, including archival material and recent statements. It also reflects on the applicability of the Narrative Policy Framework and offers some ideas for its further refinement. The analysis is structured around four phases, which reflect a central theme or idea in the narrative at the time. The study reveals that the European Union’s approach has retained a great degree of continuity despite some notable changes and smaller adjustments. The analysis demonstrates how the EU has used narrative elements and strategies to advocate for certain solutions and legitimise and justify its role in the conflict. It also sheds light on how the European Union seeks to position itself in the conflict and, more broadly, in the global arena, presenting itself as a “moral hero” driven by norms and values. These findings reflect the often-noted tension between the European Union’s normative commitments and its actual conduct and capacity to act. By analysing the EU’s policy narrative on the Israel–Palestine conflict, the thesis contributes to our understanding of the European Union as a foreign policy actor and to the broader field of policy narrative research, highlighting the importance of narrative approaches for political science and international relations.

Grantor dc:publisher

Helsingin yliopisto

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Vallivaara, Henriikka

• European Union
• Israel-Palestine conflict
• Narrative Policy Framework
• policy narratives
• EU foreign policy

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright 1.0

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10138/597350

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:helda.helsinki.fi:10138/597350