Introduction

Summary

The introduction outlines the main argument of the book, its key concepts, analytical framework, methodology, and contributions. It begins by presenting the argument that Israeli foreign policy since the end of the Cold War, has revolved around three stances: entrenchment, unilateralism, and engagement. These foreign policy postures, which are an original contribution of the book, are unpacked and explained. The introduction goes on to describe the analytical framework that informs the book and accounts for Israeli foreign policy, depicted as three concentric circles: the decision-makers, the security network, and the contours imposed on foreign policymaking by national identity. The approach in this book is positioned in relation to the existing literature on Israeli foreign policy. The introduction ends with a note on sources, which outlines the dataset comprising the book, its qualitative methodology, and the approach to debating Israel in academia.