Editor’s Summary: Turkey supported the Arab-Israeli peace process for many reasons. But as Syria�s northern neighbor, engaged in more than one dispute with that country, Turkish leaders worried that a Syria-Israel peace agreement might shift the power balance against Turkey. There was concern that the removal of a Syria-Israel conflict might make Damascus more confident in […]
Israel’s National Security Doctrine: An Introductory Overview
Editor’s Summary: Throughout its history, Israel has faced acute challenges to its national security. Despite this condition, it has never officially articulated all the elements of its national security doctrine. Yet Israel’s response to these challenges has not been haphazard. A set of basic security concepts has informed the state’s conduct with respect to low-intensity […]
“Normalization” and “Anti-Normalization” in Jordan: The Public Debate
Editor’s Summary: The Jordan-Israel peace treaty, signed in October 1994, was accompanied on both sides by high hopes of warm relations between the peoples of the two countries. A wide range of factors, however, led to a deterioration in any public support for the peace agreement on the Jordanian side. These included: the limits of […]
The Intifada: Revealing the Chasm
Editor’s Summary: The outbreak of a new Palestinian uprising (intifada) in September 2000 is analyzed by examining Palestinian perceptions and activities. This article discusses the causes of this development, analyzes Palestinian strategy, and talks of differing Palestinian and Israeli views on the course of the peace process. It also discusses the standpoints of leaders and of […]
State-Society Relations and Prospects for Democracy in Iran
Editor’s Summary: The author suggests that the very changes brought about by the 20-year-old Islamic republic has so changed the country’s people and structures as to undermine the rule of conservative forces. A new generation yearns for a free, more normal existence. The state’s poor performance on a wide range of issues increases the pressure […]
Transformation of the Iranian Political System: Towards a New Model?
Editor’s Summary: The author analyzes the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, its changing balance of power, debates, and wider meaning. He suggests that this comprises an ongoing experiment in the attempt of Muslims to find some system which combines tradition and religion with stability and material success. The emerging situation is one in which […]