Israel should not be beyond examination. But applying different standards to different actors undermines the EU's claim to be an indispensable diplomatic broker in the Middle East
Few countries occupy as much space in the European Union diplomatic imagination as Israel. EU institutions devote extraordinary attention to Israeli policies, actions, and conflicts, often placing them at the centre of diplomatic discussions in a way that is difficult to explain by Israel’s size, power, or formal relationship with the Union.
This disproportionate focus raises important questions. Does the EU apply its diplomatic scrutiny consistently across different countries and conflicts? And if not, what are the consequences for its credibility and influence in the Middle East? At the same time, Israel’s growing tendency to dismiss the EU as strategically irrelevant may be creating problems of its own.
A new study by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) sheds empirical light on these questions. Researchers analysed more than 24,000 official statements, press releases, and diplomatic communications issued by the European External Action Service (EEAS) between 2017 and April 2026. Of these, 895 dealt directly with Israel. The study also examined how Israel was portrayed in EU diplomatic discourse.
