From supporting actor to ‘whipping the P5 + 1’: Assessing material and ideational influences on Israeli Policy toward the Iranian nuclear program (1996–2015)

Abstract

Though Israel has an established doctrine of using overt force to prevent regional adversaries from attaining nuclear capabilities, it has not been applied in the case of Iran. Saving overt strikes, however, Israel’s approach to the Iranian nuclear program has changed a number of times, fluctuating between a forward-leaning aggressive stance and a less prominent role in support of international efforts. This article systematically addresses the ideational factors underlying Israel’s changing strategies, focusing on the interplay between two competing schools of thought in Israeli security strategy and highlighting insights from interviews with high-level officials and recently published memoirs.