Israeli Foreign Policy since the End of the Cold War (Cambridge Middle East Studies, Series Number 61)

"This is the first study of Israeli foreign policy towards the Middle East and selected world powers including China, India, the European Union and the United States since the end of the Cold War. It provides an integrated account of these foreign policy spheres and serves as an essential historical context for the domestic political scene during these pivotal decades. The book demonstrates how foreign policy is shaped by domestic factors, which are represented as three concentric circles of decision-makers, the security network and Israeli national identity. Told from this perspective, Amnon Aran highlights the contributions of the central individuals, societal actors, domestic institutions, and political parties that have informed and shaped Israeli foreign policy decisions, implementation, and outcomes. Aran demonstrates that Israel has pursued three foreign policy stances since the end of the Cold War -- entrenchment, engagement and unilateralism -- and explains why."-- Provided by publisher "The end of the Cold War ushered in a new period in Israeli foreign policy, situating it in an unprecedented strong strategic position. The collapse of the Soviet Union, which had supported Israel's Arab foes, ended the bipolar world order and established the United States (US), Israel's closest ally, as the world's sole superpower. Shortly, thereafter, in the 1990-1991 Gulf War, a US-led coalition expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait, exposed deep divisions within the Arab world, and weakened the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which supported the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, during the conflict. These dramatic international shifts were coupled with changes within Israel. The successful restructuring of the Israeli economy via the 1985 Economic Emergency Stability Plan (EESP), and arrival of close to a million immigrants from the former USSR, greatly increased Israel's state capacity to seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges generated by the end of the Cold War"-- Provided by publisher "This is the first study of Israeli foreign policy towards the Middle East and selected world powers including China, India, the European Union and the United States since the end of the Cold War. It provides an integrated account of these foreign policy spheres and serves as an essential historical context for the domestic political scene during these pivotal decades. The book demonstrates how foreign policy is shaped by domestic factors, which are represented as three concentric circles of decision-makers, the security network and Israeli national identity. Told from this perspective, Amnon Aran highlights the contributions of the central individuals, societal actors, domestic institutions, and political parties that have informed and shaped Israeli foreign policy decisions, implementation, and outcomes. Aran demonstrates that Israel has pursued three foreign policy stances since the end of the Cold War - entrenchment, engagement and unilateralism - and explains why."-- Site Web de l'éditeur The first study of Israeli foreign policy towards the Middle East and selected world powers, including China, India, the European Union and the US since the end of the Cold War to the present, providing essential historical context for the domestic political scene during these pivotal decades.