Is Israel Still A State that “Dwells Alone” in Its Foreign Relations?

Abstract

The Jewish people have experienced a history of persecution, restrictions, expulsions, and pogroms. All these accumulated to shape the worldview of the Jews and caused them to see the world as two parts, the Jewish and non-Jewish. The Jews believed that they are a people “who dwells alone”, they should be dependent only on other Jews, and they should be self-reliant. This frame of mind has inevitably affected the policy makers’ decisions while conducting Israel’s foreign relations. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to examine the worldview of the Jewish people and the policymakers to understand how this belief has shaped the foreign policy of Israel and to scrutinize whether the thought of "no friends" is still a valid argument for Israel.