Beyond Recognition:
Findings of the European-Palestinian-Israeli Trilateral Dialogue Initiative - Mapping European Engagement for Peaceful Coexistence
Anne Bauer, Pascal Bernhard, Valeska Heldt, Meryem-Lyn Oral, Adry Youssef
18 months. 27 EU member states. 40 trips. Over 100 Palestinian and Israeli peace practitioners. With one question at the heart of the discussions: how can Europeans support their quest for peace through action rather than observation; how can it act beyond recognition?
"Beyond Recognition - Mapping European Engagement for Peaceful Coexistence" is the concluding report of the Trilateral Dialogue Initiative EPICON – European-Palestinian-Israeli Conveyor.
Although the EU formally endorses the two-state solution, member states have failed to mobilise around a common position and concrete steps towards this end. Instead, internal divisions have undermined collective action, reflected in opposing votes at the UN, conflicting interpretations of international law and ICJ/ICC rulings, and the use of vetoes to block EU-wide initiatives. By examining historical, strategic, and economical drivers on a country-by-country basis, this report shows the broad spectrum of European perspectives, ranging from Ireland's and Spain's strong advocacy for Palestinian rights and willingness to pursue measures against Israel, to the Czech Republic's or Greece's close political alignment with the Israeli government. Qualitative discussions throughout the initiative, as well as quantitative survey findings indicate that those who continue to support a peaceful resolution to the conflict and the establishment of a Palestinian state, alongside the Israeli state, advocate for a stronger and more constructive role for the EU towards this political horizon. Arising from the expertise of Palestinian and Israeli EPICON members, the report outlines ten actionable steps for the EU, which are aimed at strengthening the coherence and effectiveness of its engagement with Israel-Palestine.
The EPICON initiative was implemented by the Candid Foundation gGmbH in 2025-2026. This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Candid Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
