POLITICAL QUARTERLY

POLITICAL QUARTERLY

ISRAEL’S STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE AND SECURITY THREAT ASSESSMENT OF THE MIDDLE EAST

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Saideh Lotfian
Assocaite Professor; Department of Political Sciences, University of Tehran, Iran
10.22059/jpq.2017.60780
Abstract
The main objective of this study is to identify Israel’s security threats (especially the military threat posed by its nuclear weapons program), to assess the impact of these threats on regional security environment of the Middle East, and to recommend the formulation of strategies for coping with these threats. The main research questions are as follows: 1. What is the strategic vision and the principles of Israel's national security policies? 2. What are the characteristics of Israel's main security threats for the Middle East and in particular for the Islamic Republic of Iran? 3. What defense policies should the regional states formulate in order to eliminate these threats? The main conclusion is that Israel’s security policies pose threats to the Middle East, but Netanyahu’s government will not achieve its strategic goals due to reasons such as accumulative economic vulnerabilities caused by militarization, dependence on extra-regional powers, internal  socio-economic and political conflicts, augmented political role and activities of armed terrorist groups in the region, and ultimately the demise of unpopular and authoritarian governments in the Middle East. At a time when the Middle Eastern balance of power is changing in favor of governments, leaders and people who support freedom, democracy and socio-economic justice, inefficient policies of the advocates of militarism, aggression and warmongering will not succeed.
Keywords
arms race
Balance of power
defense policymaking
deterrence
Islamic Republic of Iran
Israel
Middle East
Security threats
threat assessments

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POLITICAL QUARTERLY
Volume 47, Issue 1
Spring 2017
Pages 179-200

  • Receive Date 11 July 2016
  • Revise Date 05 March 2017
  • Accept Date 22 October 2016