This thesis examines the role played by the pro-Israel lobby during the Clinton Presidency, a time which could be described as one the most crucial moments in the history of United States involvement of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Overall, this research challenges the idea of an all-powerful or monolithic "Israel Lobby", a concept most famously put forward by Mearsheimer and Walt (2006, 2007). The thesis argues that understanding how it is possible for United States foreign policy to operate in a seemingly consistent pro-Israel direction, requires a consideration of American identity and the various but limited types of structured foreign policy discourse(s) this identity creates. I argue that the visibility of pro-Israel groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) stems from its ability to operate within and utilise existing themes within foreign policy discourse to reproduce, reinforce and amplify representations of subjects and objects and strategic priorities in ways which are compatible with policy preferences.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:675665 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Kiely, Keith Peter |
| Publisher | Queen's University Belfast |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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