This study examines how stateless diasporas adopt social practices of diplomacy to influence domestic politics and foreign policies of governments in their receiving states and home states, thereby advancing national agendas for state-building in a variety of forms. The paper draws a comparisons between the diplomatic models of the stateless Jewish diaspora in Europe and the US before Israel’s foundation and the current stateless Kurdish diaspora in Europe, highlighting the shift from their orphaned to assertive diplomacy models. The study analyzes the impact of Jewish and Kurdish diaspora leaders’ autonomous agency, economic and intellectual resources, and intra-community relationships on their diplomacy objectives, patterns, and outcomes. Based on five in-depth elite interviews with leaders of the Kurdish diaspora, participant observations at academic events in Paris, Brussels and Stockholm, as well as literature review on Jewish diaspora diplomacy prior to 1948, my study sheds light on the conditions and contexts of stateless diaspora diplomacy models and contributes to international relations literature.
Keywords: Jewish Diaspora, Kurdish Diasporas, Stateless Diplomacy, Europe, the Middle East