The Role of the EU in the Political Development Towards Palestinian Occupied Territories (1991-2007)

This study aims to explain the European union developing policies and its influence on the economical, political, social and security position in West Bank and Gaza strip. It also aims to explore if these policies has contributed in building Palestinian economy that helps in setting up an independent Palestinian state or it was just security policies disguised in an economical mask to protect Israel and it security. Moreover, it aim to reveal the European political efforts to promote middle east peace process since its break through in Madrid conference in 1991 until Annapolis conference for peace which was held by the end 2007. It also discusses the effects of Israeli policies on Palestinian development efforts since the sign up on Oslo contract which intern leads to the establishment of Palestinian authority. beside this, it aims to clarify the role of the European union in reducing the side effects of the Israeli sever policies through the financial aid which the European union gave Palestinian people to build a national economy. However, the writer shed lights on the limitations of the EU external policy Towards the middle east and the Palestinian issue, such as the economical, political and security factors. The study also includes a report on the prominent role of EU towards the Palestinian issue during the period before the sign up of Oslo agreement and the European aids to Palestinian at that time. The researcher also discussed the role of EU to promote the peace process in Middle-East after Oslo and the EU relations with Palestinian authority. The EU has played an effective political role to push up the political peace process in 1990s.not only does the report show the EU position of the second Palestinian Intifada and it role in international initiative that appeared as a result the breakthrough of the Intifada, to settle the Palestinian -Israeli conflict but it also reveals the role of EU position of Hamas and it victory in the legislative elections in 2006 and forming the tenth government which in turn leads to a severe siege on Palestinian people. Moreover, the researcher gave us a clear idea about the effects of EU developing policies until Annapolis conference to build together a national independent economy for Palestinians. He also mentions the EU role in the Palestinian political reformation. he also talks about the Israeli repeated violence's through building settlements, collective punishment, and Hebraizing Jerusalem. By the end of this research, he concludes that EU aimed to protect Israel through his financial aids. EU connected those aids with commitment of the Palestinian authority to fight terrorism and terrorist organizations. He also says that EU looked for apolitical role in the peace process in cooperation with Americans and under their umbrella. the EU agrees to start with a simple role even if it just to give aids. But EU has failed to turn the paper of financial aids into an effective role to play an effective political role as a result of the American- Israeli orders. So the EU role stays as a secondary role. Moreover, the study inform us that all the financial aids have failed to in occurring a real economical development in Palestine. Since they were given politically to refresh the political process, but not to build a strong independent economy in Palestinian, and because the donating countries including EU offered these aids with a plan that suits its political goals, but they don’t meet the Palestinian people needs. Financial aids have failed also to compensate the lose in the Palestinian economy which appeared as a result of the Israeli severe measurements against Palestinian people during the second Intifada.