Download Israel’s Foreign Policy under Benjamin Netanyahu

Abstract

The ways in which Prime Ministers of Israel have shaped Israel’s foreign policy have often reflected a fairly balanced combination of political, personal, and national interests. This balance is reflected when Prime Ministers sometimes prefer to challenge the political status-quo and even the stability of their own government, in cases when national interests seem more important than ensuring the continued political support they receive from their political base. Benjamin Netanyahu is an exception. For Mr. Netanyahu, who has served as Prime Minister for some 10 years in a row and a total of 13 years so far, securing his uninterrupted term in office is a top priority that overrides any other interest. This supreme objective guides him in shaping all official policy, including foreign policy, for which he is directly responsible as Prime Minister, Defense Minister, and even Foreign Minister at one point. Mr. Netanyahu often compromises Israel’s long-term position for short-sighted policy that maintain his popularity and political position.

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