Israel’s Periphery Doctrine: Prospects for Defining and Studying a Foreign Policy Practice
Israel’s Periphery Doctrine: Prospects for Defining and Studying a Foreign Policy Practice

Summary/Abstract: Israeli 2010s foreign policy is marked by development of ties – in a wide range of spheres of cooperation – with various countries in Israel’s neighbourhood and beyond. This policy is often compared to, and seen as, a continuation of the “periphery doctrine”, launched in the late 1950s. While some experts contest mere appropriateness of the term “periphery doctrine” in analyses of contemporary phenomena, others argue for broadening of the scope of its understanding. This article discusses several authors’ stances on the main contentious issues regarding application of the term, highlighting contradictions between them and drawing conclusions on the analytical consequences of their choices. Moreover, it overviews the two existing attempts of applying international relations’ theoretical approaches in studying the phenomenon and reflects on other possibly applicable explanatory frameworks. As a result, this work suggests that the issue is comprehensively approached through Copenhagen school methodology. The “periphery doctrine” seems to still be a relevant instrument for analyses of Israeli foreign relations, though the term must be used cautiously and with apt methodological rigour.

• Details
• Contents