The Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the European printed press

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
• GGP: Global Governance Programme

Join this comparative workshop on how European media shaped perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This workshop aims to analyse representations of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the 1980s and 1990s in mainstream print media across several European countries, using a comparative perspective. It will examine articles, opinion pieces, satire, and cartoons, employing discourse analysis to evaluate how these representations contributed to shaping national public opinion and/or fostering a broader European perspective.

This discussion is situated within the broader historical context of the European Community during a period marked by significant transformations, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the end of the Cold War, and the expansion of membership from ten to fifteen states between 1981 and 1999. These two decades represent a pivotal turning point also for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, influencing its dynamics into subsequent decades and persisting to the present day.

Against this backdrop, the workshop will explore similarities and differences in how different European presses reported on and interpreted the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It will also consider their role in shaping public opinion and whether their narratives converged across Europe or diverged due to distinct national interests. A central question underpinning this workshop is whether—and to what extent—the frameworks employed by European media to analyse and describe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during this era reveal more about Europe’s national or collective historical narratives than about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Please note: If you wish to attend this workshop, please contact the organiser directly.