Threats and Alliances in the Middle East

Examines Saudi and Syrian policies during three pivotal wars, to understand how identity and power influence state behaviour in the Middle East.

Examining Saudi and Syrian policies during three pivotal wars, the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), the 2006 Lebanon War, and the 2009 Gaza War, May Darwich analyses the forces that shape threat perceptions and alliance choices in the Middle East, debating the role of identity and power in influencing state behaviour in the Middle East and beyond.Examining differing perceptions of threats and the subsequent alliance choices of two Arab states, Saudi Arabia and Syria, during three pivotal wars in the region: the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), the Lebanon War (2006), and the Gaza War (2009), May Darwich analyses how ideational and material forces influence leaders' perceptions in the Middle East, and their broader international relationships. Using these comparative cases studies, Darwich advances our understanding of why, and the conditions under which, identity can play a predominant role in shaping the perception of threat in some cases, whilst material power is predominant in others. By engaging in significant debates about the role identity and material power in shaping state behaviour in the Middle East, this study has significant implications for international relations theory and beyond.