Alliansformation - relationen mellan Israel och USA
USIsraelAlliancesIdentityNationalismPolitical and administrative sciencesStatsvetenskapFörvaltningskunskapLaw and Political Science
The special relationship between Israel and the US has been subject to questioning, and good many theories have tried to explain why it is so strong. The most common explanation is rooted in the school of realism, where strategy and national interest decide who one's ally is. This essay aspires to examine another possible reason for allianceformation; identity. Several books, which make for the theoretical backbone of this study, have been written on the subject of sharing beliefs, identifying with others and the consequences of this. The question being asked is whether Israel and the US actually share beliefs and, if so, which ones. The countries are being compared through two factors central to their national identity; nationalism and civilisation. The conclusion is that identity does matter in allianceformation, and has mattered in this particular alliance. However, it seems as though identity has played a more important role for one country than the other, and that is the US. Israel, being a less established country, can't afford to think about anything but security, and is therefore driven by realism.