www.iepn.org September 2018 Challenges to the International Legal Order ­Israeli and European Perspectives Berlin, Germany, 23 and 24 May, 2018 Edited by: Dr. Jan Busse, Dr. Roby Nathanson, Dr. Paul Pasch and Mr. Yanai Weiss The annual meeting of the Israeli-European Policy Network(IEPN) in Berlin, Germany focused on the role that International Law plays in the relations between Europe and Israel as well as its impacts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Global politics in recent years has been marked by a revival in ethno-nationalist policies that has followed a wave of populist leaders to markedly change the landscape of international relations. Israel has been at the forefront of this shift, with an increase in nationalist sentiments accompanying a push away from modern democratic ideals and towards an approach that highlights the importance of the state of Israel as the home for the Jewish people. This attitude has leaked into many aspects of Israeli politics, including the manners in which the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is addressed, the status of Israel-EU relations, especially as they relate to the legal standing of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and even the ways in which the fundamentals of the Israeli political system are understood and interpreted. This shift has forced many European states to address an issue that lacks a universally satisfactory solution. Do they state their position as one of unequivocal support for the actions of Israel, a state that maintains strong ties to many countries in Europe, as well as a continued prominence in Europe’s collective mindset, or do they impose restriction on a state whose military actions are almost universally portrayed in the media as that of aggression against an underfunded, under organized, and relatively helpless adversary. This dilemma has prompted many to ask what the role of international law might be as it pertains to the actions of Israel, both domestically and internationally, with the hope that a more explicit understanding of what is and is not permissible can be gained. This would enable many European states to take clearer stances on Israel, stances that would be dictated not by public opinion and political compromise, but rather by the adherence to the law. The IEPN met as this topic remained pressing to many in the international community. With the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians continuing, many policy makers hope that progress towards a lasting solution can be made, or at least a more explicitly stated understanding of the roles and limitations of the different parties. The objective of this meeting, therefore, was to share Israeli and European views on the ways in which international law applies to both the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the relations between Israel and the EU. Minutes and Conclusions from the Conference The meeting focused on three main topics. The first topic was the role of international law in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Among other things, discussions were held about the Palestinian strategy of internationalization, Israel’s perspective on the International Criminal Court(ICC) and on the UN, and the implications of an international court ruling on the status of Israeli settlements. The second topic was the status of human rights in Israel and the EU focusing mainly on the reduction of civic freedoms in Israel and its implications for Israel-EU relations. 111