Venue: Casa Árabe
Thursday, 19 June 2025, from 10:00 to 12:10 CEST (UTC+2). Venue: Casa Árabe, c / Alcalá 62, Madrid.
Casa Árabe and Elcano Royal Institute are pleased to organize this timely roundtable discussion on the major war that has broken out between Israel and Iran, which threatens to widen regionally, in the context of the catastrophe unfolding in Gaza for the past 20 months and after the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023.
The attacks by Hamas triggered a massive Israeli military response, which has destroyed the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands and displacing its 2 million inhabitants, and has engulfed the region. While the ICC has issued arrest warrants against leaders of Hamas and Israel and the ICJ is investigating Israel for possible genocide, Israel launched a vast offensive against Iran.
The EU has struggled to respond to Israel’s onslaught against Gaza and stop the large-scale bloodshed and humanitarian catastrophe. It finally decided to launch a review of the Association Agreement with Israel, but the UN Conference in New York to be held June 17-20, aimed at advancing global efforts towards achieving a two-State solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, has been cancelled. The EU appears again divided over the response to the war against Iran initiated by Israel.
The discussion will draw on ideas suggested by the article “Four Ways in Which Europe Can Re-Engage to Halt the Catastrophe in Gaza“, recently published by the Elcano Royal Institute.
Hosted at Casa Árabe in Madrid, the event brings together distinguished voices to explore the urgent role Europe can and must play in responding to the deepening crisis in Gaza.
Hashtag: #EuropeGaza
Programme
10:00 – Welcoming words
- Miguel Moro, Director, Casa Árabe.
- Charles Powell, Director, Elcano Royal Institute | @CharlesTPowell
10:10 – The Middle East on a tight rope: what margin for EU intervention?
- Josep Borrell, Distinguished Senior Fellow; former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
10:30 – First Session: The view from Europe
- Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, former EU Representative in Palestine.
- Martin Konecny, Director, European Middle East Project.
- Moderator: José Vericat, Senior Fellow, Elcano Royal Institute.
11:15 – Second Session: The view from Palestine
- Munir Nuseibah, Palestinian human rights lawyer and academic.
- Saida Ghodaieh, Asociación Hispano-Palestina Jerusalén.
- Sonia Boulos, Associate Professor of International Human Rights Law, Antonio de Nebrija University.
- Moderator: Karim Hauser, International Relations Coordinator, Casa Árabe | @KarimHauser
12:00 – Final comments
– The event will be held in English without simultaneous translation.
– If you would like to attend in-person, please register here.
– The event will also be live streamed on the Casa Árabe’s YouTube channel. Online attendance does not require registration.
Image. Improvised tent camp on the coast of Gaza. Photo: Jaber Jehad Badwan (Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0).
