The Role of Domestic Politics in Explaining the Evolution of US Foreign Policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Abstract

The Deal of the Century was the latest attempt by a US president and his administration to solve one of the most protracted conflicts in the world. This thesis examines the evolution of US role in and foreign policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the Reagan administration (1981-1989) until the end of Trump’s presidency (2020) while giving an overview of successive American peace plans to the conflict. The principal focus is to unpack the “Deal of the Century” and examine it in the lens of domestic politics. While realism helps explain certain aspects of US foreign policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – namely that a weakened Arab and Palestinian position, which no longer presents a threat to US national interests, allowed the pursuit of a more advantageous deal to the Israelis than the Palestinians – the pluralist theory helps complement our understanding of the decisions of successive US administrations towards the conflict. The thesis adds to a rich literature on the conflict and the mediator role of the US by delving into the most recent peace plan under the last administration. It also helps to lay the groundwork for an initial analysis of Biden administration’s policies towards the region, Israel and the Palestinians.