ABSTRACT
EU and Russian foreign-policy making towards Palestinian statehood deserves special attention, as it highlights the role of self-perception and perception of ‘otherness’ in this process. The issue of Palestinian state-building underscores the fact that peacemaking with all of its signifi cance represents a formidable opportunity to create a presence and then transfer it to actorness in order to fulfi l strategic interests, not only through hard power, but also through soft means such as involvement in the MEPP. Peacemaking is a manifestation of soft power that can create close relationships and facilitate access to fi elds of strategic or economic interest. In the Middle Eastern confl ict, primarily between Palestinians and Israelis, the construction or reinvention of the foreign policy identity of the EU and Russia plays a key role in infl uencing their engagement with local actors. Of additional interest is the fact that the EU and Russia react differently towards the establishment of a Palestinian state as a function of their perceptions of the situation in the Middle East and Palestinians in contrast to the Israelis.
