Ed. by R.O. Freedman. Colorado: Westview Press, 2012. 304 p.*
The history of the American-Israeli alliance dates back more than six decades, but the interest of the scientific community in this tandem, the stages of its development and the mechanisms of interaction still does not fade. There are a number of reasons for this. On the one hand, the US-Israel alliance remains a key factor influencing the development of the situation in the Middle East. U.S. support reduces Israel's vulnerability to a hostile environment, providing military and political cover for Israel and helping to strengthen its position as one of the regional centers of power. On the other hand, many decisions that are strategically important for US Middle East policy are made in Washington with Israel's interests in mind, and not a single US presidential election is held without playing the "Israeli card". At the same time, some experts point out that close cooperation with Israel is one of the reasons for the increase in anti-American sentiment throughout the Arab world1.
The beginning of the twenty-first century opened a new chapter in the study of the American-Israeli alliance, its history, and various spheres of interaction, including the Middle East settlement. One of the most striking events was the publication of the book "The Israeli Lobby and US Foreign Policy" by J. Mearsheimer and S. Walt (2007). This work, which argues that close cooperation with Israel is a threat to the national interests of the United States, caused a wide response both in the United States and around the world.
The desire to challenge the conclusions of J. Mearsheimer and S. Walt predetermined the activation of representatives of the "traditionalist" wing in historiography, who positively assess the American-Israeli dialogue and emphasize the success of this partnership in all areas, starting with trade and ending with education. Among them, a peer-reviewed collective monograph attracts interest.
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