Uneasy Neighbors Israel and the European Union [Paperback]

Israel is located historically, geo-politically and culturally between Christian Europe and Islamic West Asia. All the more interesting and important are the evolving love-quarrel relations between the European Union and Israel. Sharon Pardo's and Joel Peters' book provides a comprehensive description and penetrating analysis of these multi-dimensional relations as changing with time. It is obligatory reading for all interested in EU external relations, Israel's policy dilemmas and their dynamic interaction.This is a rich and comprehensive overview of EU-Israel relations. The book fills a gap in the literature by approaching this strategic relationship from several angles (bilateral, multilateral, cognitive, economic, and political, to mention a few). The clarity of the analysis and the information provided makes this book essential reading for scholars, students and policy-makers.At a time when EU-Israeli relations are approaching a crossroads, this volume is very timely. As experienced commentators on the vicissitudes of the Israeli-European relations, Dr. Peters and Dr. Pardo are ideally positioned to posit alternatives to the policy deadlocks of the past, whilst also acknowledging the positive achievements of the previous 60 years of interactions. For all those interested in the future of this critical relationship, the authors shed light on a critical dilemma that both Israelis and Europeans will soon have to face: do these societies really still reflect the same roots or are they moving in significantly different directions? How can they manage their shared interests and differences in the futureUneasy Neighbors is a welcome contribution to an increasingly important aspect of the EU's external relations. The publication is particularly timely coinciding as it does with the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty and the EU's enhanced foreign policy capacity. The book will be essential reading for academics and graduates researching on EU-Israeli relations.Pardo lCE