Publication details
National Identity, Duality, and Special Relations with the State of Israel
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| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Israel and the United States of America have had foreign relations for the past six decades. Beginning in the 1960s, the term “special relations” was first employed referring to the US-Israeli relationship. Over the decades, this relationship has intensified and been reconfirmed with each change of respective government. However, this special relationship has been tested on the issue of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The reason, in part, is due to Israel’s unique national identity: a nation like others (kechol ha goyim) and a nation that dwells apart (am levadad Yishkon), but also from the personal leadership style and commitment of American presidents and Israeli prime ministers; the announcement by President George W. Bush in 2002 of American support of the Two-State solution and Prime Minister Sharon’s support being the best example. While this example may be utilized to highlight U.S.-Israeli relations, several inter-connected questions are posed. How has national identity influenced the duality of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians? In shaping Israeli political discourse, how is this identity uniquely Israeli? And how did this duality affect the special relations between the U.S. and Israeli during the George W. Bush and Ariel Sharon governments? This research concentrates on the special relations between the Bush and Sharon governments in an effort to answer the questions posed above. |