UNITED STATES-ISRAELI RELATIONS AND SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, 2008-2015

ABSTRACT

The historical ties between the United States and Israel is a crucial factor in determining the United States Middle East policy. The policy thrust of successive American leaders in the Middle East has been to preserve the state of Israel and help it to maintain military and economic advantage over her neighbors. However, the relationship between the present American Administration and her Israel counterpart has been strained over disagreements on the best strategy to adopt in confronting the challenges facing Israel in the region. Therefore, this study explored the American-Israeli relations as it affects the overall security in the Middle East between 2008 and 2015 in the context of the following questions: (1). Is the strained relationship between United States and Israeli Governments the cause of the instability in the Middle East? (2). Is the Obama administration’s Middle East policy undermining the security of Israel? The data from this study was collected largely from secondary sources.  Qualitative/descriptive method of data analysis was used. The paper argued that the myriad of crisis that engulfed the Middle East from 2008-2015 can be attributed to the strained relationship between the United States and Israel. The study recommended that parliament in both countries should work closely to resolve areas of differences between the two countries in the overall interest of Israel in particular and Middle East in general.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page – – – – – – – – – – i
Approval page – – – – – – – – – ii
Dedication – – – – – – – – – – iii
Acknowledgment – – – – – – – – – iv
Table of Contents – – – – – – – – – v
Abstract – – – – – – – – – – vii
CHPATER ONE: Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study – – – – – – – 1
1.2 Statement of the Problems – – – – – – – 4
1.3 Objectives of the Study – – – – – – – – 8
1.4 Significance of the Study – – – – – – – 8
CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review
2.1 American-Israeli Relation and Security in the Middle East- – – – 10
2.2 Obama Administration’s Middle East Policy and Security of Israel – – 19
2.3 Summary of the Gap in the Literature – — – – – – 31
CHAPTER THREE: Research Methodology
3.1 Theoretical Framework – – – – – – – – 33
3.2 Hypotheses – – – – – – – – – 36
3.3 Research Design – – – – – – – – – 36
3.4 Methods of Data Collection – – – – – – – 37
3.5 Methods of Data Analysis – – – – – – – 39
3.6 Logical Data Framework – – – – – – – – 41
CHAPTER FOUR: United States-Israeli Relations and Instability in the Middle East
4.1 Diplomatic Relations and Human Security in the Middle East – – – 45
4.1.1 United States-Israeli Relations: Historical Analysis – – – – 48
4.2 Israeli Settlement Expansion and Attacks by Terror Organizations – – 56
4.3 Peace Process and Israeli-Palestinian Relations – – – – – 64
4.3.1 List of Middle East Peace Proposals – – – – – – 68
CHAPTER FIVE: Obama Administration’s Middle East Policy and the
Security of Israel
5.1 United States Nuclear Agreement with Iran and Threat to Wipe
out the State of Israel – – – – – – – – 79
5.2 United States Military Assistances to Israel and Israel Wars in
the Middle East – — – – – – – – – 92
5.3 United States Inaction in Syria and the Rise of ISIS in the Middle East – – 106
CHAPTER SIX: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations
6.1 Summary – – – – – – – – – – 113
6.2 Conclusion – – – – – – – – – 113
6.3 Recommendations – – – – – – – – 115
Bibliography – – – – – – – – – – 117