جواد شعرباف

The significance of the role of interest groups in domestic politics in the US and EU countries is an undeniable fact. Lobbies, as a kind of interest group, play a crucial role in shaping the foreign policy of western countries. Israeli lobbies increasingly seek to transform the US and EU approaches in the Middle East in favor of Israel interests. In cooperation with their American counterparts, Israeli lobbyists struggle to strengthen their political presence in the EU states to ensure the achievement of their political aims. This article tries to explore these lobbyists’ objectives and activities in recent years across Europe. Findings indicate that they are committed to fighting anti-Semitism in Europe, to inhibit the growth of the BDS movement, to deviate the peace process in the Middle East from its normal path and toward Israel interests, to persuade EU leaders to take strict measures against Iran and the last, but not the least, to delegitimize Iran and Hezbollah in EU institutions and provoke EU states to recognize Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. This article basically seeks to explore the reasons behind Israelis’ efforts to establish Jewish lobbies across Europe. . To answer the research question, a case study of Israeli lobbies, established by influential Jews in the EU countries, is conducted.

Due to both internal and external factors, Western Asia has long been suffering from security tribulations and political instability. The institution of various military and militia groups in the region in the absence of powerful central governments is the leading cause of most crises in Western Asia. The development of such security and military interactions outside the sovereignty framework paves the way for foreign interventions, making the region unstable and insecure. Working at times as proxy agents, these groups take action in the absence of a powerful stable central government in short term, and set the ground for sustained unrest, dispersion and the development of irresponsible armed groups in long term. These groups proliferate when the central governments lack the necessary persuasive power or lose the ability to manage crises and to exercise exclusive power for reasons such as lack of effective military power, disagreement over the quality of interaction with opposition groups, losing the monopoly of military power, intervention of regional or transboundary powers, high financial and organizing abilities of the militia, etc. This article is based on the hypothesis that the development and continuous growth of non-state armed groups stems from various internal and external reasons, causing security crisis in the concerned countries. The most crucial way to end these crises is empowering the central government through national cohesiveness, consensus, and the exclusive practice of hard power based on the law.