Europe, with its normative, economic, and political power, plays an important role in the Western coalition of states of which Israel aspires to be a part. In addition to Israel’s geographic, cultural, social, and economic proximity to the European Union and its member states, partnerships with Europe are critical to Israel’s national security and prosperity as a state.

In this program, we examine trends and dynamics in Europe, the relationship between Europe and the United States, and Europe’s influence on the Middle East — both on the state level and within the European Union — with the goal of strengthening Israel’s bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the continent. We aim to mitigate negative trends and vulnerabilities in Israel–EU relations, while expanding and leveraging the many opportunities for cooperation, particularly in the current era of shifting global dynamics.