Foreign Policy Making In Israel Domestic Influences

There Are Conflicting Opinions Regarding The Understanding Of A Country'S Foreign Policy. One Viewpoint Which Is Now Commonly Shared By Most Foreign Policy Experts Is That Foreign Policy Is Not An Independent Variable And As Such Is Conditioned By Several Factors. Among The Multiple Determinants Of Foreign Policy, The Domestic Factors Are Considered To Be Especially Important. While It Is Universally Accepted That A State'S External Behavior Is, Definitely, Conditioned By The International Environment, It Is Equally True That The Goals, Contents And Conduct Of That Behaviour Are Also To A Significant Extent Shaped By The Domestic Context Out Of Which It Arises.;;;The Book Seeks To Explore The Relationship Between Domestic And Foreign Politics In Israel, With Special Reference To The Middle East Peace Process. ;;;;;;;Rs 750;Us$ 35;

This book provides the reader with a balanced understanding of both the dynamism and the complexity of Israeli politics. It is devoted to Israel's domestic politics which includes right-wing and left-wing parties, Israel's main interest-group parties, Israeli security and foreign policy issues.

Does America’s pro-Israel lobby wield inappropriate control over US foreign policy? This book has created a storm of controversy by bringing out into the open America’s relationship with the Israel lobby: a loose coalition of individuals and organizations that actively work to shape foreign policy in a way that is profoundly damaging both to the United States and Israel itself. Israel is an important, valued American ally, yet Mearsheimer and Walt show that, by encouraging unconditional US financial and diplomatic support for Israel and promoting the use of its power to remake the Middle East, the lobby has jeopardized America’s and Israel’s long-term security and put other countries – including Britain – at risk.

Advancing the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians is of great interest to the United States. To this aim, an understanding of the main factors involved in Israel's foreign policy making is needed. This thesis shows that internal pressures are most significant and assesses the influence of domestic access points to Israel's Palestinian policy. For a complete and current analysis of Israel's policy making process, three areas are discussed. First are the fundamentals that make up Israel's political system, such as the Knesset, political parties, the ruling coalition, and Prime Minister. Second is the role of the Israeli Defense Forces and the balance in civilian-military relations. Third is the mixture of players that color Israel's societal landscape, including subcultures, interest groups, and public opinion. The key finding is a combined ranking of the most important domestic forces driving Israel's Palestinian policy formation in all three areas.

Describes how the remarkable level of material and diplomatic support that the United States provides to Israel is due to the influence of the Israel lobby, which has a far-reaching impact on America's foreign policy decisions throughout the Middle East.

"This Handbook provides a comprehensive account of contemporary Israeli diplomacy and analyses the changing dynamics of Israel's bilateral relations with other states and the international community over the past seventy-five years. Research into Israeli foreign policy has been largely sidelined by debates over security, domestic politics and the Israel-Palestine conflict. This Handbook addresses the gap in the literature. Comprising 31 essays written by leading scholars of Israel, the handbook explicates how domestic, societal and economic interests, together with changing Israeli narratives of identity and location, shape and impact Israeli foreign policy. It illustrates how those factors have influenced foreign policy choices and the instruments - economic cooperation, arms sales, military training, and intelligence sharing - that Israel has utilized in order to promote its interests and build relationships with countries and actors throughout the world. Ultimately, the Handbook refutes Kissinger's famous dictum that Israel has no foreign policy, and instead follows the whims of its domestic politics. By contrast, this Handbook highlights the rich, diverse and changing tapestry of Israel's foreign relations. Written in an accessible style, the book is designed for students taking courses in Israel studies and Middle Eastern studies, as well as a general readership interested in Israeli affairs"--