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Can Europe re-engage to halt the catastrophe in the Middle East?
June 19, 2025From 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
MADRID
Casa Árabe Auditorium (at Calle Alcalá, 62).
From 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Prior registration required.
In English, with no live translation.
On Thursday, June 19 in Madrid, Casa Árabe and the Elcano Royal Institute are organizing this round table discussion about the war that has broken out between Israel and Iran, threatening to spread regionally, within the context of the catastrophe that has been taking place in Gaza over the past twenty months after the attack by Hamas of October 7, 2023. Sign up here in order to attend, or watch the live broadcast on YouTube.
The attacks by Hamas in the fall of 2023 triggered an Israeli military response on a massive scale, leading to the destruction of the Gaza Strip and killing tens of thousands of people while displacing its 2 million inhabitants, bringing the region to its knees. Although the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders and the International Court of Justice is investigating Israel for possible genocide, Israel has decided to launch a vast offensive against Iran.
The EU has been debating over its response to the Israeli onslaught against Gaza and how to stop the large-scale bloodshed and humanitarian catastrophe. It recently decided to launch a review of the Association Agreement with Israel, but the UN Conference that was to be held in New York from June 17 to 20, aimed at ramping up global efforts to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has been cancelled. The European Union again appears to be divided over the response to the war which Israel has initiated against Iran.
The debate will be based on the ideas suggested in the article “Four Ways in Which Europe can Re-engage to Stop the Gaza Catastrophe,” recently published by the Elcano Royal Institute.
Hosted at Casa Árabe in Madrid, the event will bring together well-known speakers and thinkers, including Josep Borrell, a Distinguished Senior Research Fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute and former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the Vice-President of the European Commission from 2019 through 2024; Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, a former EU representative in Palestine; Martin Konecny, Director of the European Project for the Middle East; Munir Nuseibah, a Palestinian human rights attorney and scholar, presented by the Association of the Spanish-Palestinian Community of Jerusalem; and Sonia Boulos, a professor of International Human Rights Law at Antonio de Nebrija University. Each of them will be exploring the urgent role which Europe can and must play in the response to the crisis.
The event will begin with words of welcome given by Miguel Moro Aguilar, the General Director of Casa Árabe, and Charles Powell, Director of the Elcano Royal Institute, with the goal of critically assessing policy options and promoting meaningful engagement rooted in human rights and international law.
The event will be broadcast live on Casa Árabe’s YouTube channel.
The EU has been debating over its response to the Israeli onslaught against Gaza and how to stop the large-scale bloodshed and humanitarian catastrophe. It recently decided to launch a review of the Association Agreement with Israel, but the UN Conference that was to be held in New York from June 17 to 20, aimed at ramping up global efforts to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has been cancelled. The European Union again appears to be divided over the response to the war which Israel has initiated against Iran.
The debate will be based on the ideas suggested in the article “Four Ways in Which Europe can Re-engage to Stop the Gaza Catastrophe,” recently published by the Elcano Royal Institute.
Hosted at Casa Árabe in Madrid, the event will bring together well-known speakers and thinkers, including Josep Borrell, a Distinguished Senior Research Fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute and former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the Vice-President of the European Commission from 2019 through 2024; Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, a former EU representative in Palestine; Martin Konecny, Director of the European Project for the Middle East; Munir Nuseibah, a Palestinian human rights attorney and scholar, presented by the Association of the Spanish-Palestinian Community of Jerusalem; and Sonia Boulos, a professor of International Human Rights Law at Antonio de Nebrija University. Each of them will be exploring the urgent role which Europe can and must play in the response to the crisis.
The event will begin with words of welcome given by Miguel Moro Aguilar, the General Director of Casa Árabe, and Charles Powell, Director of the Elcano Royal Institute, with the goal of critically assessing policy options and promoting meaningful engagement rooted in human rights and international law.
The event will be broadcast live on Casa Árabe’s YouTube channel.
Makeshift tent camp on the coast of Gaza. Photo: Jaber Jehad Badwan (Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0).
Miguel Moro Aguilar, General Director of Casa Árabe
Charles Powell, Director of the Elcano Royal Institute
10:10 a.m.The Middle East on a Tightrope: How much room for intervention does the EU have? Josep Borrell, Distinguished Senior Research Fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute; former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
10:30 a.m. Session One. The View from Europe
Moderated by: José Vericat, Senior Researcher, Elcano Royal Institute
Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, former EU Representative in Palestine
Martin Konecny, Director of the European Middle East Project
11:15 a.m.Session Two. The View from Palestine.
Moderated by: Karim Hauser, Coordinator of International Relations, Casa Árabe
Munir Nuseibah, Palestinian human rights attorney and scholar, presented by the Jerusalem Spanish-Palestinian Community Association.
Sonia Boulos, a professor of International Human Rights Law from Antonio de Nebrija University
12:00 p.m. Closing remarks.
Charles Powell, Director of the Elcano Royal Institute
10:10 a.m.The Middle East on a Tightrope: How much room for intervention does the EU have? Josep Borrell, Distinguished Senior Research Fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute; former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
10:30 a.m. Session One. The View from Europe
Moderated by: José Vericat, Senior Researcher, Elcano Royal Institute
Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, former EU Representative in Palestine
Martin Konecny, Director of the European Middle East Project
11:15 a.m.Session Two. The View from Palestine.
Moderated by: Karim Hauser, Coordinator of International Relations, Casa Árabe
Munir Nuseibah, Palestinian human rights attorney and scholar, presented by the Jerusalem Spanish-Palestinian Community Association.
Sonia Boulos, a professor of International Human Rights Law from Antonio de Nebrija University
12:00 p.m. Closing remarks.
Josep Borrell
Josep Borrell is a distinguished senior research fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute, and the president of CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs). From 2019 to 2024, he was the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice-President of the European Commission. Prior to that, Borrell was Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation from 2018 to 2019. From 2004 to 2007, he was President of the European Parliament, where he chaired the Development Committee from 2007 to 2009. In Spain, he was a Member of Parliament from 1986 to 2003 and served as Minister of Public Works, Transport, Telecommunications and the Environment from 1991 to 1996. He was also the Secretary of State for Finance (1984-1991) and Secretary General for Budget and Public Expenditure (1982-84). In the world of academia, Borrell held the Jean Monnet Chair for European Economic Integration at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) from 2013 to 2017, and was also President of the European University Institute of Florence from 2010 to 2012. With a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and in Economics from UCM, Borrell was a professor of mathematics at the School of Aeronautical Engineering and at the UCM from 1972 to 1982.
Sonia Boulos is an associate professor of International Human Rights Law at the Antonio de Nebrija University’s School of Law and International Relations. She holds a PhD in Legal Sciences from the University of Notre Dame in the United States. She was awarded a Fulbright PhD fellowship for her doctoral studies. Her research focuses on the international protection of human rights. She is the principal investigator of SEGERICO- Research Group on Security, Risk and Conflict Management, at the Universidad Nebrija. She is a co-editor of Palestine/Israel Review, published by Pennsylvania State University. Her recent publications include: “Can there be citizenship without a right to self-determination? The case of Palestinians in Israel” (pending publication); “The Nation State Law as an Offensive Settler Colonial Paradigm” (with Tamir Sorek); “Decolonization and the Recognition of Palestinian Statehood after Gaza” (with Xavier abu Eid), in addition to others.
Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff is a German diplomat who was the European Union Envoy to the Palestinian Territories. He joined the European Commission’s Foreign Service in July 1992 and subsequently held long-term assignments in Mozambique (1992-1996), Slovakia (1996-2000) and Cuba (2003-2007), where he headed the Commission’s Delegation in Havana. He also carried out short-term missions in Haiti (May-June 2004) and New Caledonia (January-April 2008). Before joining the European Commission, he worked with Germany’s development cooperation programs in Togo for four years and in Frankfurt as a GTZ official. Mr. Kühn von Burgsdorff holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität) and a graduate degree in Development Studies from the German Development Institute (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik)
Josep Borrell is a distinguished senior research fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute, and the president of CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs). From 2019 to 2024, he was the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice-President of the European Commission. Prior to that, Borrell was Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation from 2018 to 2019. From 2004 to 2007, he was President of the European Parliament, where he chaired the Development Committee from 2007 to 2009. In Spain, he was a Member of Parliament from 1986 to 2003 and served as Minister of Public Works, Transport, Telecommunications and the Environment from 1991 to 1996. He was also the Secretary of State for Finance (1984-1991) and Secretary General for Budget and Public Expenditure (1982-84). In the world of academia, Borrell held the Jean Monnet Chair for European Economic Integration at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) from 2013 to 2017, and was also President of the European University Institute of Florence from 2010 to 2012. With a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and in Economics from UCM, Borrell was a professor of mathematics at the School of Aeronautical Engineering and at the UCM from 1972 to 1982.
Sonia Boulos is an associate professor of International Human Rights Law at the Antonio de Nebrija University’s School of Law and International Relations. She holds a PhD in Legal Sciences from the University of Notre Dame in the United States. She was awarded a Fulbright PhD fellowship for her doctoral studies. Her research focuses on the international protection of human rights. She is the principal investigator of SEGERICO- Research Group on Security, Risk and Conflict Management, at the Universidad Nebrija. She is a co-editor of Palestine/Israel Review, published by Pennsylvania State University. Her recent publications include: “Can there be citizenship without a right to self-determination? The case of Palestinians in Israel” (pending publication); “The Nation State Law as an Offensive Settler Colonial Paradigm” (with Tamir Sorek); “Decolonization and the Recognition of Palestinian Statehood after Gaza” (with Xavier abu Eid), in addition to others.
Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff is a German diplomat who was the European Union Envoy to the Palestinian Territories. He joined the European Commission’s Foreign Service in July 1992 and subsequently held long-term assignments in Mozambique (1992-1996), Slovakia (1996-2000) and Cuba (2003-2007), where he headed the Commission’s Delegation in Havana. He also carried out short-term missions in Haiti (May-June 2004) and New Caledonia (January-April 2008). Before joining the European Commission, he worked with Germany’s development cooperation programs in Togo for four years and in Frankfurt as a GTZ official. Mr. Kühn von Burgsdorff holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität) and a graduate degree in Development Studies from the German Development Institute (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik)