Why is Israel\u2019s former ally Iran now perceived as the country\u2019s greatest threat?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To observers of the Iran-Israel conflict, its vitriolic rhetoric might suggest an ancient hatred between Jews and Muslims\u2013a biblical feud dating back hundreds, or thousands, of years. But this rivalry is a far more modern development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this authoritative study, Jonathan G. Leslie examines the origins of the conflict. Drawing on extensive archival and open-source research, he concludes that\u2013despite the animosity surrounding the Iran-Israel relationship\u2013the twenty-first century\u2019s hostilities are not inevitable consequences of these nations\u2019 history, nor of contemporary political events. The intensification of tensions has been largely the product of one nation\u2019s efforts, with Israel viewing Iran as a far greater danger than Iran does Israel. Using a novel theoretical approach considering the power of narrative within historical context, Leslie outlines how Israel\u2019s leaders successfully reimagined their erstwhile ally Iran as an existential threat. Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took this further, employing populist strategies in an attempt to rewrite history, depict Iran as a global menace, and recruit allies against the JCPOA nuclear deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fear and Insecurity<\/em> provides important new insights into the history of the Iran-Israel conflict, and offers fresh prospects for defusing the tensions threatening both global and regional security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reviews<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018A compelling analysis of the construction of the Israeli narrative on Iran.\u2019 \u2014 International Affairs<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Leslie\u2019s study underscores the essential irrationality of Israeli foreign policy as well as the towering influence of Netanyahu, who must now be accounted one of the most significant\u2014and pernicious\u2014figures in Israel\u2019s political history.\u2019 \u2014 Washington Report on Middle East Affairs<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Leslie convincingly demonstrates that words have consequences and that these can be profound\u2026 [his] focus on the power of discourse, which he skillfully dissects, is a most refreshing perspective.\u2019 \u2014 Informed Comment<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018This is the authoritative account of Israeli-Iranian relations. Everyone remotely interested in this pivotal region needs to read this book and to recommend it further.\u2019 \u2014 Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, author of What is Iran?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Fear and Insecurity<\/em> offers a formidable thesis revolving around the enduring power of the Iran threat narrative, a perception that has long been manipulated by populist leaders in Israel. This is a timely addition and a great contribution to explain the lingering\u2013albeit constructed\u2013tensions in Israeli-Iranian relations.\u2019 \u2014 Mahmood Monshipouri, author of In the Shadow of Mistrust: The Geopolitics and Diplomacy of US\u2013Iran Relations<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018An original contribution to the scholarly literature on the topic, Leslie excellently explains how the art of enemy-making has succeeded in creating today\u2019s animosity in the Iran-Israel conflict.\u2019 \u2014 Nader Entessar, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice, University of South Alabama<\/p>\n\n\n\n Author(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jonathan G. Leslie is a consultant and adjunct professor at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University, Washington, DC. He received his PhD from SOAS University of London, and holds degrees from Princeton University and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n December 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n 9781787388123<\/p>\n\n\n\n 312pp<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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