Israeli Conflict Research Articles

The Power Struggle Between the Johnson Administration and the Kremlin Over a Solution to the Arab–Israeli Conflict in the Aftermath of the June 1967 Six Day War

The 5–10 June 1967 Six Day War between Israel and Arab countries presented a new challenge for the competing U.S. and Soviet Union. Moscow, disturbed by the harm to its prestige and standing in the world following the humiliated defeat of its two main clients in the Middle East—Egypt and Syria—was determined to abolish Israel's territorial gains as quickly as possible. In contrast, President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration considered Israel’s striking victory an American triumph as well and believed that Israeli withdrawal from the territories captured from the Arab countries prior to their recognizing Israel's right to exist in the Middle East would be interpreted as American surrender to Soviet pressure and could harm the United States’ stature around the globe. The Arab–Israeli conflict thus became a test case of the two superpowers’ determination and capability in safeguarding the interests of their respective Middle East clients. Still, both powers had a common interest in preventing further escalation between the Arabs and Israel, fearing that it risked dragging them into direct collision.

Zionism and Identity Crisis: Ethnic Conflict between Israelis and Palestinians

The Palestine issue is attributed to be the most complicated problem in the region of the Middle East. However, few researchers analyze the problem through the lens of ethnic conflict. This research paper investigates that the use of Zionism as a metaphor for colonialism and its role in fostering an ethnic conflict between Israeli and Palestinians. Qualitative content analysis is used to analyze secondary data on ethnic conflict in present Israel. In addition to that bargaining model of war is used to identify the underlying issues of the ethnic conflict. The findings reveal that Zionism and identity contribute to accelerating the ethnic conflict between Israeli and Palestinians. Despite international interventions and signing many peace agreements, the problem remains unresolved due to a trust deficit between both ethnicities.

Concessions for Concession’s Sake: Injustice, Indignation, and the Construction of Intractable Conflict in Israel–Palestine

In intractable conflicts, what factors lead populations to accept negotiated outcomes? To examine these issues, we conduct a survey experiment on a representative sample of the Jewish Israeli population and a companion experiment on a representative sample of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. We find that holding the negotiated settlement outcome constant, approval of the settlement is strongly influenced by whether it is framed as a negotiating defeat for one side—if and only if respondents are primed to be indignant—and that these effects are strongly mediated by perceptions of the fairness of the settlement outcome. Moral indignation produces a desire for concessions for concession’s sake. Such conflicts over political framing violate assumptions of the rationalist literature on conflict processes and suggest important new directions for conflict theorizing.

Mapping of Solar Energy Potential in the West Bank, Palestine Using Geographic Information Systems

Palestine currently suffers a serious shortage in crucial energy supplies. Nearly 90% of electricity needs come directly from Israel, or through Palestinian electricity distribution companies. This situation puts the Palestinian population under continuous pressure, mainly due to the current unstable political situation in the region. The Palestinians have started to explore local alternatives to reduce the impact of Israeli control of this vital sector. Palestine receives about 3,000 hours of sunshine every year, making up an average of 8.2 hours daily, which makes it suitable for investing in solar energy. In this research land-use/land-cover data and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) are used in a GIS environment while employing land-use/land-cover criteria and topography to produce a site suitability map for harnessing solar energy. The results of the study show that the eastern and southern parts of the West Bank are the most suitable areas for this purpose. The study also finds that the suitable areas for solar energy investment remain under full control of the Israeli Authorities. These areas are categorized as “Area C” according to the Oslo Interim Agreement signed by Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). This means that the Palestinians need to obtain permission from Israel to work in these areas. Putting an end to the Palestinian- Israeli conflict according to the United Nations resolutions may remove the imposed restrictions to invest efficiently in the solar energy sector.

From the River to the Sea: Water Conflict and International Law in Israel and Palestine

This paper revisits the question of water conflict between Israel and Palestine in light of a political shift towards a one-state reality, with a focus on Palestinian water rights. It reassess the utility of various legal approaches to resolving water resource conflict equitably, and meaningfully articulating water rights, in the context of some form of Israeli annexation of the West Bank. In doing so, it seeks to move scholarship on water conflict between Israel and Palestine forward from predominant assumptions of a two-state solution and re-focus discussion on how international law can be most effectively used should some form of annexation occur.

Debates On State Identity In The Palestinian- Israeli Conflict:, Clash Of Political And Religious Paradigms

Debates On State Identity In The Palestinian- Israeli Conflict:, Clash Of Political And Religious Paradigms

The Boy Who Plugs a Dike with His Finger: UN Mediation in the Gaza–Israel Conflict 2015–2019

The Boy Who Plugs a Dike with His Finger: UN Mediation in the Gaza–Israel Conflict 2015–2019

The Boy Who Plugs a Dike with His Finger: UN Mediation in the Gaza–Israel Conflict 2015–2019

The Boy Who Plugs a Dike with His Finger: UN Mediation in the Gaza–Israel Conflict 2015–2019

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PALESTINIAN AND JEWISH PUBLIC OPINIONS: THE CASE OF 2008 GAZA WAR

Industrial revolution has influenced not only the structure of economic life but also that of socio-political life. The consequences regarding socio-political structure were the creation of mass society and then mass communication. These two breakthroughs are followed by the emergence of the concept of public opinion since the masses has become a political force by themselves; hence the people were important components for the politicians to win the elections or to reproduce a new political reality with the support of public opinion. In line with this background, this article examines as the case study the Palestinian - Israeli conflict. The aim of the study is to demonstrate that two camps of the conflict attempt to represent the actions of other in a negative manner, in a disadvantaged position in the media and thus help to create a public opinion unfavorable vis-à-vis each other. To verify this hypothesis, the process after the Gaza War which took place on 27 December 2008 would be analyzed through the comparison of the news appeared on the chosen Palestinian and the Jewish media networks in that period.

Territory: Territorial Issues Concerning the Arab–Israeli Conflict (note by Jean Paul Moinet)

Territory: Territorial Issues Concerning the Arab–Israeli Conflict (note by Jean Paul Moinet)

“The Shape of the Wrath to Come”

This article traces the evolution of James Baldwin’s discourse on the Arab–Israeli conflict as connected to his own evolution as a Black thinker, activist, and author. It creates a nuanced trajectory of the transformation of Baldwin’s thought on the Arab–Israeli conflict and Black and Jewish relations in the U.S. This trajectory is created through the lens of Baldwin’s relationship with some of the major radical Black movements and organizations of the twentieth century: Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, and, finally, the Black Power movement, especially the Black Panther Party. Using Baldwin as an example, the article displays the Arab–Israeli conflict as a terrain Black radicals used to articulate their visions of the nature of Black oppression in the U.S., strategies of resistance, the meaning of Black liberation, and articulations of Black identity. It argues that the study of Baldwin’s transformation from a supporter of the Zionist project of nation-building to an advocate of Palestinian rights and national aspirations reveals much about the ideological transformations of the larger Black liberation movement.

Changes in land use in Jewish and Arab municipalities, 2003-13

ABSTRACT This article compares the amount of land designated for various uses in the Jewish and Arab municipalities in Israel between the years 2003–13. It is generally accepted that the Arab-Jewish conflict in Israel is heavily based on land ownership. This conflict still has implications for the policies and actions of the State of Israel on the one hand, and the attitudes and behaviours of the Arab population on the other. Two main conclusions emerge from this article. The first is that in 2013, the area per capita used for residential living in Arab localities was larger, presumably because of the lack of high-rise buildings. The second conclusion is that the areas designated for economic and public purposes in the Arab sector are much smaller. The Israeli government should therefore allocate additional government land to the Arab local authorities.

Populism and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation: The Barcelona Process 25 years after

ABSTRACT A populist surge in Europe is affecting Euro-Mediterranean cooperation 25 years after the Barcelona Process was launched, reinforcing existing trends of de-Europeanization and renationalization of foreign policies. This article analyses the landscape of political contestation of Mediterranean cooperation in Europe in a new age of populism, focusing on France, Italy and Spain as well as the Visegrad 4 states that have turned from bystanders to veto players in Mediterranean affairs. We find that the ‘thick’ ideologies from which populists are borrowing condition the thrust of their influence. The impact of right-wing populism trumps that of its left-wing counterpart in quantity and quality, while market-liberal populism is in decline and regional populism is mainly an issue only in Spain. Populism has personalized decision-making and shaped political agendas directly and indirectly, most notably on migration. It has whitewashed authoritarian leaders in the southern Mediterranean and fragmented the European Union’s position on key issues such as the Arab–Israeli conflict. National interests and the weight of institutions have, however, formed a counterbalance to the focus on migration emanating from domestic politics. Populism alone cannot be blamed for renationalization trends that have existed before, but it does build on and reinforce them.

The Balfour Declaration as a Pound of Flesh

ABSTRACT The Merchant of Venice has haunted the Arab–Israeli conflict for over a century, its spectre perhaps no more apparent than in the metaphorical afterlife of the Balfour Declaration – reimagined by both Israelis and Palestinians as a pound of flesh. Issued at the height of the First World War as a brief and ambiguous letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour to Lord Rothschild, President of the Zionist Federation, the Balfour Declaration has become a convenient touchstone for strident commentary on the formation of Israel, Zionist impostures, Arab injustice, Palestinian suffering, and the duplicity of the West in adjudicating the Arab–Israeli conflict. Both the Balfour Declaration and the Pound of Flesh had long-lasting and unanticipated consequences. While Zionists viewed the Balfour Declaration as an inchoate legal endorsement of a Jewish state, just as Shylock understood his bond as sanctioning his demand for Antonio's flesh, Arabs viewed it more literally as carving off a Jewish state from the body of Palestine. The Balfour Declaration's legacy, and its various Shakespearean resonances, has been far less as a binding policy document than as effective propaganda for both Israelis and Palestinians in advancing their completing claims.

Localising the Reporting of the 2014 Gaza War by the South African Press

ABSTRACT The longstanding Palestinian–Israeli conflict sees considerable attention worldwide and despite continuing downsizing, prominent international news organisations and agencies continue to maintain bureaus in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This enables news outlets beyond the region, who lack the resources to produce original reporting, to provide their audiences with coverage of this distant conflict. Concerns have been raised about the dependence on such material, however. Using the 2014 Gaza war as a case study, this article examines news production practices in the South African context. The research involved a quantitative content analysis of news output during the war by prominent English print outlets in the country. This was supplemented with interviews with locally based media professionals. Despite relying entirely on international news material, the different outlets employed a variety of innovative strategies to localise the war for their readerships. It is these practices which demonstrate resilience in the face of significant challenges facing the commercial media in the country. The study contributes to enhancing scholarship on news production relating to the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict in non-Western contexts. In addition, it provides important insights with respect to news production in South Africa related to this and other distant political disputes.

‘Land of Creation’: The Position, Brand Owners, and Contributors for Israel's Branding

Abstract The modern and independent State of Israel celebrated the seventieth anniversary of its proclamation of independence in 2018. Besides this landmark anniversary, the remarkable development of Israel's image in the past decade was also a cause for celebration. Nowadays, many people around the world consider Israel as a start-up nation, the stronghold of innovation and risk capital, and the home of outstanding researchers and research organizations – or at least people have this association. In recent years, the ‘industry of peace’, tourism has also undergone significant expansion in the country. This has not always been the case in the past – the change is the result of conscious efforts, which is primarily attributed to the real successes of the economic structure and secondarily to controlled positioning and country branding activity. How could this positive country brand of a ‘start-up nation’ and the ‘land of creation and creativity’ be created? How can it be that many people consider Israel as a country with vibrant, colourful, rich metropolises, the cradle of innovative enterprises, millions of USD in capital investment and world-changing patents instead of a powder keg and the Arab–Israeli conflict? The methodology to analyse the topic is based on an examination of relevant literature and in-depth interviews conducted by the authors in Israel, involving a synthesis of interviews with the important figures of the innovation ecosystem and organizations involved in country branding. The present article aims to describe the branding ecosystem of Israel, introduce its main actors and activities in order to pave the way for future in-depth research.

Inhabiting the land: Thinking theologically about the Palestinian – Israeli conflict. Alain Epp Weaver. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2018.

DialogVolume 59, Issue 1 p. 39-40 BOOK REVIEW Inhabiting the land: Thinking theologically about the Palestinian – Israeli conflict. Alain Epp Weaver. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2018. Martin Otto Zimmann, Martin Otto Zimmann United Lutheran SeminarySearch for more papers by this author Martin Otto Zimmann, Martin Otto Zimmann United Lutheran SeminarySearch for more papers by this author First published: 30 October 2019 https://doi.org/10.1111/dial.12507Citations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume59, Issue1March 2020Pages 39-40 RelatedInformation

Performing Iraqi-Jewish History on the Israeli Stage

The analysis of the following two Israeli plays is the focus of this article:Ghosts in the Cellar(Haifa Theatre, 1983) by Sami Michael, andThe Father's Daughters(Hashahar Theatre, 2015) by Gilit Itzhaki. These plays deal with the Farhud – a pogrom which took place in Iraq in 1941, in which two hundred Iraqi Jews were massacred by an Iraqi nationalist mob. The Farhud has become a traumatic event in the memory of this Jewish community. Using the concept of ‘performing history’ as advanced by Freddie Rokem, I observe how these plays, as theatre of a marginalized group, engage in the production of memory and history as well as in the processing of grief. These plays present the Farhud and correspond with the Zionist narrative in two respects: (1) they present the traumatic historical event of these Middle Eastern Jews in the light of its disappearance in Zionist history, and (2) their performance includes Arab cultural and language elements of Iraqi-Jewish identity, and thus implicitly points out the complex situation of the Arab–Israeli conflict.

The Character of Shylock as a Cultural Mark: Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and Bakathir's The New Shylock

This study aims to depict the image of the Jew by two different authors of various periods of time. Undoubtedly, the Image of the Jew had been discussed and depicted in many plays of famous and prominent authors, especially during The Renaissance Era, such as Christopher Marlowe in his brilliant artistic work The Jew of Malta. In addition to, William Shakespeare’s glorious piece of art The Merchant of Venice which is described by Dr. Mahmoud Shetywi, in his article “The Merchant of Venice in Arabic” as the play that is considered till now as the most prominent Elizabethan comedy that has been studied, performed and adapted by many universal and Arab modern and contemporary authors ; who one of them is the Yemeni author and playwright Ali Ahmed Bakathir with his adaptation of The Merchant of Venice which is called The New Shylock , in which he relates the traditional Elizabethan image of the Jew to the issue of (The Arab – Israeli Conflict). So, this study endeavors to show the genius dramatic techniques, that are used by both authors and the effect of Shakespeare on Bakathier. The New Shylock can be considered an adaptation of The Merchant of Venice with modern modifications and new concepts that serve the purpose of Bakathir. Accordingly, the researchers will rely on the theory of adaptation in excavating the treasures of both texts. Moreover, there are various (psychological, political, social and anthropological) aspects of depth that they tried to convey within their creation of the character of Shylock and what does this character really imply of the essential issues, to criticize and relate them to their own societies and times.

Israel and Zionism in the Eyes of Palestinian Christian Theologians

Christian activism in the Arab–Israeli conflict and theological reflections on the Middle East have evolved around Palestinian liberation theology as a theological–political doctrine that scrutinizes Zionism, the existence of Israel and its policies, developing a biblical hermeneutics that reverses the biblical narrative, in order to portray Israel as a wicked regime that operates in the name of a fallacious primitive god and that uses false interpretations of the scriptures. This article analyzes the theological political–theological views applied to the Arab–Israeli conflict developed by Geries Khoury, Naim Ateek, and Mitri Raheb—three influential authors and activists in different Christians denominations. Besides opposing Zionism and providing arguments for the boycott of Israel, such conceptualizations go far beyond the conflict, providing theological grounds for the denial of Jewish statehood echoing old anti-Jewish accusations.