The Political Purpose of Remembering: Collective Memory in EU-Israeli Foreign Policy 2009-2021

Abstract

This thesis explores what role collective memory played in the ‘‘special relationship’’ between Israel and the European Union during Benjamin Netanyahu’s second administration as Prime Minister (2009 to 2021). While extensive scholarship explored the role of collective memory in foreign policy between states, its role in multilateral institutions remains underexamined. During the second Netanyahu administration, the EU-Israeli relationship shifted interestingly in its levels of communication. Therefore, this timeframe offers the perfect case study to analyse what role collective memory played in different levels of foreign policy. Through a critical discourse analysis of 393 speeches, statements, and declarations, this study investigated who invoked the past when, how they did so and, most importantly, why. The analysis revealed that both the EU and Israel predominantly referred to the past positively for explaining, legitimising, justifying and mobilising purposes. Interestingly, their use of the past varied throughout different socio-political and geo-political contexts. Additionally, Israel demonstrated greater flexibility in which pasts it referred to than the EU and did so for legitimising and justifying purposes rather than mobilising ends. These findings enhance our understanding of collective memory beyond a state-centric perspective and uncover new insights into the special EU-Israeli relationship.