"Europe is more paralysed than divided over the illegal US-Israeli war on Iran. Yet rather than fostering a shared sense of purpose, this crisis is hollowing out Europe's identity and undermining its ability to act independently in the world."
"The Iraq war created a three-layered fault line: within core Europe, between old and new Europe, and across the Atlantic. Yet the shock galvanised Europe to urgently reflect on its identity and global role. Millions of Europeans took to the streets to protest against the US war."
"European intellectuals such as Jurgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida articulated a Kantian vision of a common European identity rooted in multilateralism, international law and soft power."
Europe's response to Middle Eastern crises reveals a paradox: while commonly assumed to be divided and inactive during crises, Europe demonstrates paralysis rather than division regarding the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The 2003 Iraq War exemplified European division, with France and Germany opposing the invasion while the UK, Italy, and Spain supported it. This conflict created three-layered fault lines within core Europe, between old and new Europe, and across the Atlantic. However, the Iraq War crisis prompted European reflection on identity and global role, with intellectuals articulating a Kantian vision of European identity based on multilateralism, international law, and soft power. Despite this intellectual response, current Middle East crises hollow out Europe's identity and undermine its ability to act independently in world affairs.
#european-identity #middle-east-geopolitics #international-multilateralism #us-european-relations #crisis-response
Read at www.theguardian.com
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