Palestine Diplomatic Role in Influencing the Attitudes and Policies of the EU Towards the Process of Political Development in Palestine (2005-2013)

This study aims to examine the effects of Palestinian diplomacy on the positions and the role of the European Union in regard to the political development process in Palestine, through the lenses of the EU developmental role in Palestine. It also shed light on the EU vision of development and the obstacles it faces, and it seeks to overcome to reinforce this role. On the Palestinian side, the study seeks to clarify the Palestinian Authority's vision of development, and to understand the prospects and the limits of Palestinian diplomacy in affecting the EU role and the challenges this diplomacy faces in this respect. Assessing the mechanisms Palestinian diplomacy deploys in order to develop EU role in the development of Palestinian political processes. Thus, the study evaluate strengths and weaknesses, and successes and failures of this diplomacy. The study departs from a hypothesis that says that Palestinian diplomacy suffers from weakness in affecting EU positions and policies in the realm of political development in Palestine. This weakness manifests in the inability of this diplomacy to compel the EU to turn its declared positions into actual policies that travels beyond EU own interests that often takes Israeli demands and conditions as the limits within which the EU acts. There are four main aspects through which this study proceeds: the first is the theoretical and conceptual; the second traces the origins and the development of Palestinian diplomacy and its main traits, especially in the aftermath of the Oslo Accords of 1993. The third aspect analyzes the development of the EU positions toward the "peace process" and political development of the PA. Finally the study discusses the extent to which Palestinian diplomacy has affected EU policies in developing Palestinian political life. In the conclusion the study submits that the EU role in development is way larger that its role in the political arena. The EU is the largest financial supporter to the Palestinians through the PA. The objective of this assistance is reinforce and support the political process. In this regard, Palestinian diplomacy has accomplished some successes in developing EU political and developmental roles in Palestine. The most important areas of weakness of Palestinian diplomacy is that it couldn't make the EU cash out its verbal positions into practical policies that contribute to the political development in Palestine, especially in regard to the achievement of a Palestinian state. The study notices, by way of recommendation, that there is a basic need to develop and reinforce the performance of Palestinian diplomacy toward the EU. This includes the reinforcement and increasing the diplomatic cadre working in the EU; training diplomatic personnel in EU countries; and to adapt and implement a grand Palestinian diplomatic strategy with clear objectives, tools and mechanism. Such a diplomacy must match the importance of the EU, and the unique situation in Palestinian.