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Many scholars in international relations have suggested that the
goal of fostering regional security can be furthered through the
creation of multilateral webs of relationships, called security
structures. These regional security structures are envisioned as a
basis upon which groups of states can form mutually beneficial
long-term relationships. This discourse took on a new importance in
the last 20 years of the 20th century, and especially following new
challenges in international security in recent years. Discussions
on regional security were initiated in the Middle East in 1992, as
part of the Middle East peace process. The collapse of the Oslo
process and other regional developments in the latter half of the
1990s have diminished hopes that the initial gains made in this
direction might further develop, as violence has again become the
primary mode of effecting political changes in the region. On the
backdrop of this somewhat dismal current reality in the Middle East
the rationale for this volume is thatresearch into regional
security structures should nevertheless be pursued. When looking at
the long term process of creating regional security, setbacks are
not unlikely. The articles that make up this collection focus on
the problems that have been encountered, and possible directions
for getting regional efforts back on track.
Middle Eastern politics of the 1990s has been characterised by a
drive towards peace. Indeed, despite the continuation of violence
for much of the decade, the willingness of Palestinian, Israeli and
Syrian leaders to enter into a dialogue has led some to suggest
that we may be witnessing the dawn of a New Middle East. Whether
the current drive for peace is successful or not will depend on the
negotiating process. The ongoing dialogue must agree on several
issues that have led to the collapse of past initiatives such as
regional security, concession of territory and arms control. The
articles in this book discuss the challenges presented by such
problems, they also provide some practical advice on how risks of
failure could be seized. The fluidity of regional politics,
domestic and international, suggests that the issues discussed in
this volume are significant, timely and deserve serious
consideration by scholars and practitioners in and outside of the
region.
Why do reasonable people lead their nations into the tremendously
destructive traps of international conflict? Why do nations then
deepen their involvement and make it harder to escape from these
traps? In Paradoxes of War, originally published in 1990, Zeev Maoz
addresses these and other paradoxical questions about the war
process. Using a unique approach to the study of war, he
demonstrates that wars may often break out because states wish to
prevent them, and continue despite the desperate efforts of the
combatants to end them. Paradoxes of War is organized around the
various stages of war. The first part discusses the causes of war,
the second the management of war, and the third the short- and
long-term implications of war. In each chapter Maoz explores a
different paradox as a contradiction between reasonable
expectations and the outcomes of motivated behaviour based on those
expectations. He documents these paradoxes in twentieth century
wars, including the Korean War, the Six Day War, and the Vietnam
War. Maoz then invokes cognitive and rational choice theories to
explain why these paradoxes arise. Paradoxes of War is essential
reading for students and scholars of international politics, war
and peace studies, international relations theory, and political
science in general.
Why do reasonable people lead their nations into the tremendously
destructive traps of international conflict? Why do nations then
deepen their involvement and make it harder to escape from these
traps? In Paradoxes of War, originally published in 1990, Zeev Maoz
addresses these and other paradoxical questions about the war
process. Using a unique approach to the study of war, he
demonstrates that wars may often break out because states wish to
prevent them, and continue despite the desperate efforts of the
combatants to end them. Paradoxes of War is organized around the
various stages of war. The first part discusses the causes of war,
the second the management of war, and the third the short- and
long-term implications of war. In each chapter Maoz explores a
different paradox as a contradiction between reasonable
expectations and the outcomes of motivated behaviour based on those
expectations. He documents these paradoxes in twentieth century
wars, including the Korean War, the Six Day War, and the Vietnam
War. Maoz then invokes cognitive and rational choice theories to
explain why these paradoxes arise. Paradoxes of War is essential
reading for students and scholars of international politics, war
and peace studies, international relations theory, and political
science in general.
Middle Eastern politics of the 1990s has been characterised by a
drive towards peace. Indeed, despite the continuation of violence
for much of the decade, the willingness of Palestinian, Israeli and
Syrian leaders to enter into a dialogue has led some to suggest
that we may be witnessing the dawn of a New Middle East. Whether
the current drive for peace is successful or not will depend on the
negotiating process. The ongoing dialogue must agree on several
issues that have led to the collapse of past initiatives such as
regional security, concession of territory and arms control. The
articles in this book discuss the challenges presented by such
problems, they also provide some practical advice on how risks of
failure could be seized. The fluidity of regional politics,
domestic and international, suggests that the issues discussed in
this volume are significant, timely and deserve serious
consideration by scholars and practitioners in and outside of the
region.
Many scholars in international relations have suggested that the
goal of fostering regional security can be furthered through the
creation of multilateral webs of relationships, called security
structures. These regional security structures are envisioned as a
basis upon which groups of states can form mutually beneficial
long-term relationships. This discourse took on a new importance in
the last 20 years of the 20th century, and especially following new
challenges in international security in recent years. Discussions
on regional security were initiated in the Middle East in 1992, as
part of the Middle East peace process. The collapse of the Oslo
process and other regional developments in the latter half of the
1990s have diminished hopes that the initial gains made in this
direction might further develop, as violence has again become the
primary mode of effecting political changes in the region. On the
backdrop of this somewhat dismal current reality in the Middle East
the rationale for this volume is that research into regional
security structures should nevertheless be pursued. When looking at
the long term process of creating regional security, setbacks are
not unlikely. been encountered, and possible directions for getting
regional efforts back on track.
The effect of religious factors on politics has been a key issue
since the end of the Cold War and the subsequent rise of religious
terrorism. However, the systematic investigations of these topics
have focused primarily on the effects of religion on domestic and
international conflict. Scriptures, Shrines, Scapegoats, and World
Politics offers a comprehensive evaluation of the role of religion
in international relations, broadening the scope of investigation
to such topics as the relationship between religion and
cooperation, religion and conflict, and the relationship between
religion and the quality of life. Religion is often manipulated by
political elites to advance their principal goal of political
survival. Zeev Maoz and Errol A. Henderson find that no specific
religion is either consistently more bellicose or consistently more
cooperative than other religions. However, religious similarity
between states tends to reduce the propensity of conflict and
increase the opportunity for security cooperation. The authors find
a significant relationship between secularism and human security.
Maoz views the evolution of international relations over the last
two centuries as a set of interacting, cooperative and conflicting
networks of states. The networks that emerged are the result of
national choice processes about forming or breaking ties with other
states. States are constantly concerned with their security and
survival in an anarchic world. Their security concerns stem from
their external environment and their past conflicts. Because many
of them cannot ensure their security by their own power, they need
allies to balance against a hostile international environment. The
alliance choices made by states define the structure of security
cooperation networks and spill over into other cooperative
networks, including trade and institutions. Maoz tests his theory
by applying social networks analysis (SNA) methods to international
relations. He offers a novel perspective as a system of
interrelated networks that co-evolve and interact with one another.
National Choices and International Processes brings together the
various conflicting approaches to the study of foreign policy
decision-making under a single theoretical framework. Initially
examining decision processes within states, Zeev Maoz continues by
exploring the relationship between the creation of national choices
and their outcomes, the interactions between states and the manner
in which international processes evolve over time. This he calls
the 'bottom up' approach which is contrasted in his last chapter
with the 'top down' approach of systems analysis. Although the
focus of this study is on theoretical construction, Maoz provides a
thorough analysis of the literature on foreign policy
decision-making and international bargaining. His arguments are
supported both by separate chapters of mathematical analysis and by
numerous historical examples, often from the Middle East - an area
where the author has particular expertise. National Choices and
International Processes is the culmination of many years work. It
will be of interest to students and specialists in foreign policy
and international relations theory.
Multiple Paths to Knowledge in International Relations provides a
uniquely valuable view of current approaches and findings in
conflict studies. This volume showcases work informed by four
powerful research tools: rational choice theory and game theory;
simulation, experimentation, and artificial intelligence;
quantitative studies; and case studies. Each research method is
introduced and evaluated for its specific potential, including both
strengths and weaknesses. Throughout, the notable contributors
clearly explain how they choose, frame, and go about answering
questions. While expanding our knowledge of particular conflicts,
from the Crimean War to the Vietnam War to ongoing
Palestinian-Israeli instability, Multiple Paths also furthers our
understanding of how to conduct research in international
relations.
National Choices and International Processes brings together the
various conflicting approaches to the study of foreign policy
decision-making under a single theoretical framework. Initially
examining decision processes within states, Zeev Maoz continues by
exploring the relationship between the creation of national choices
and their outcomes, the interactions between states and the manner
in which international processes evolve over time. This he calls
the 'bottom up' approach which is contrasted in his last chapter
with the 'top down' approach of systems analysis. Although the
focus of this study is on theoretical construction, Maoz provides a
thorough analysis of the literature on foreign policy
decision-making and international bargaining. His arguments are
supported both by separate chapters of mathematical analysis and by
numerous historical examples, often from the Middle East - an area
where the author has particular expertise. National Choices and
International Processes is the culmination of many years work. It
will be of interest to students and specialists in foreign policy
and international relations theory.
The effect of religious factors on politics has been a key issue
since the end of the Cold War and the subsequent rise of religious
terrorism. However, the systematic investigations of these topics
have focused primarily on the effects of religion on domestic and
international conflict. Scriptures, Shrines, Scapegoats, and World
Politics offers a comprehensive evaluation of the role of religion
in international relations, broadening the scope of investigation
to such topics as the relationship between religion and
cooperation, religion and conflict, and the relationship between
religion and the quality of life. Religion is often manipulated by
political elites to advance their principal goal of political
survival. Zeev Maoz and Errol A. Henderson find that no specific
religion is either consistently more bellicose or consistently more
cooperative than other religions. However, religious similarity
between states tends to reduce the propensity of conflict and
increase the opportunity for security cooperation. The authors find
a significant relationship between secularism and human security.
Most of the wars in which Israel has been involved were the result
of Israeli aggression, flawed decision making, and conflict
management strategies, or were otherwise avoidable. According to
esteemed scholar and policy analyst Zeev Maoz, Israel's war
experience is a story of folly, recklessness, and self-made traps.
None of the wars - with the possible exception of the 1948 War of
Independence - were what Israelis call wars of necessity. They were
all wars of choice or folly. ""Defending the Holy Land"" is a
comprehensive and critical analysis of Israel's national security
and foreign policy from the inception of the state of Israel to the
present. In these pages, Maoz argues that Israel's national
security policy rested on a trigger-happy approach to the use of
force combined with a hesitant and reactive peace diplomacy. This
combination was facilitated by the domination of the security
establishment over the foreign policy apparatus, resulting in
unnecessary or aggressive wars and missed opportunities for peace.
Ultimately, ""Defending the Holy Land"" calls for a fundamental
reassessment of Israel's security doctrine and for a major reform
in the foreign policy and national security establishments.
Explains the origins and dynamics of enduring rivalries between
countries
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