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The Nexus between Israeli Politics and Foreign Policy: The Trump Effect
Abstract by Dr. Ilan Peleg On Session 040  (Israel in the Trump Era)

On Friday, November 16 at 11:00 am

2018 Annual Meeting

Abstract
The election of Donald J. Trump to the US presidency caught the Israeli public and leadership by surprise. Yet, the reaction of most Israelis, and particularly active politicians, has been rather enthusiastic and atypical in terms of the otherwise negative reaction to the Trump victory in most other countries. This paper will describe this Israeli reaction in some detail—dwelling on the entire spectrum of Israeli politics—and then try to explain its most important characteristics. In particular, the paper will dwell on the triumphalist acceptance of Trump by the Israeli Right, including the current Israeli government. The proposition that the overall Trump policy in the Middle East validates the approach of the Israeli Right will be examined, dwelling on such issues as an Israeli- Palestinian agreement and the Iranian deal. Potential disagreements between the Netanyahu government and the Trump administration will also be examined. But, above all, the paper will focus on the ideological nature of contemporary Israel's politics and its foreign politic in the Trump era.
Discipline
International Relations/Affairs
Geographic Area
Israel
Sub Area
None