«Israel‘s Security Strategies in the Middle East Region (21st Century)»
Students Name: Shutka Yaryna Vasylivna
Qualification Level: magister
Speciality: International Relations
Institute: Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences
Mode of Study: part
Academic Year: 2023-2024 н.р.
Language of Defence: англійська
Abstract: At the beginning of the second decade of the XXI century, the Middle East remains one of the most dynamic and conflictual geopolitical regions in the world, where the interests of leading international actors intersect and the security strategies of regional players collide. The main source of tension and instability in the Middle East region is the relationship between the State of Israel and neighboring Arab and Muslim countries. The constant threat to the existence of Jerusalem from a significant number of states and terrorist radical groups necessitated the formation and implementation of various security strategies to increase one?s defense capabilities and reduce the military capabilities of one?s adversaries. The research object is the security system of Israel. The research subject is Israel?s modern security strategies in the Middle East region. The research aim is a comprehensive study of the Israeli security system and an analysis of Israel?s security strategies in the Middle East region in the context of modern global and regional challenges (XXI century). The master?s thesis examines Israel?s security system and the state?s security strategies in the Middle East region in the context of modern global and regional challenges (21st century). In the course of the study, it was found that Israel?s security system in its development and formation went through a number of stages – starting with the birth of the Zionist movement and the formation of partisan military organizations to protect Jewish settlements from the Arab population; the declaration of the independence of the state, the outbreak of military conflicts with Arab countries and the development of a policy in the field of national security; and concluding with the implementation of an asymmetric strategy to increase its defense capabilities and reduce the military capabilities of its adversaries and further security dominance in the Middle East region. The work also considered the regulatory and institutional dimension of the formation and implementation of Israel?s security strategies in the Middle East region in the 21st century. Considering the permanent threat from the hostile environment and the unresolved Arab-Israeli conflict, the representatives of the military-political leadership of Jerusalem do not approve official strategic documents in order to preserve opportunities for maneuver and to be able to make quick military and foreign policy decisions that correspond to specific circumstances. Israel also lacks a single center for planning and implementing policies in the field of national security and defense. The decision-making process is improvised and unsystematic. The vectors, mechanisms, means and spheres of implementation of Israel?s security strategies in the Middle East region in the context of modern geopolitical challenges are defined and analyzed. The main threats to Israel?s security today are the Palestinian terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. In order to prevent possible terrorist attacks by radical groups, Jerusalem has formed a strong and effective armed forces and a powerful defense system, and in order to weaken Tehran, it uses an asymmetric strategy, which involves the establishment and normalization of relations with a number of Arab countries in order to change the balance of power in the Middle East region to its benefit. Israel?s strategic security interests, positions and policy regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war (2014-2023) are also considered. Key words: Israel?s security system, national security and defense, Arab-Israeli conflict, security strategies, defense initiatives, Middle East region, Israel Defense Forces. References: 1. Eisenkot G., Siboni G. (2019). Guidelines for Israel’s national security strategy. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 2. Горовенко В., Тютюнник В. (2018). Асиметрична стратегія Ізраїлю в період становлення держави. НІСД. 3. Cohen, R. (2017). Lessons from Israel?s Wars in Gaza. RAND Corporation. https://do i.org/10.7249/rb9975 4. Гбур, З. В. (2021). Принципи роботи армії оборони Ізраїлю та їх імплементація в Україні. Державне управління: удосконалення та розвитку. (с. 1–9). 5. Печерський, А. (2023). 75 років арабо-ізраїльського конфлікту: як розкручувалась спіраль насильства на Близькому Сході. АрміяInform. https://armyinform.com.ua/2023/10/10/75-rokiv-arabo-izrayilskogo-konfliktu- yak-rozkruchuvalas-spiral-nasylstva-na-blyzkomu-shodi/