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Political Identity and its Impact on the Foreign Policy of the States of the Middle East
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Political Identity and its Impact on the Foreign Policy of the States of the Middle East
Annotation
PII
S086919080009039-9-1
DOI
10.31857/S086919080009039-9
Publication type
Article
Status
Published
Authors
Irina D. Zvyagelskaya 
ORCID: 0000-0002-5937-9997
Occupation: Professor
Affiliation: Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Anastasia Bogacheva
ORCID: 0000-0003-0556-6719
Occupation: Senior Research Assistant
Affiliation: Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Alexey A. Davydov
ORCID: 0000-0002-8899-8746
Occupation: Research Fellow
Affiliation: Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Ibragim Ibragimov
Occupation: Junior Research Fellow
Affiliation: Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Liudmila Samarskaia
Occupation: Junior Research Fellow
Affiliation: Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow
Irina A. Svistunova
Occupation: Senior Researcher, Center for Middle East Studies
Affiliation: Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO)
Address: 23, Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow 117997, Russian Federation
Nikolai Y. Surkov
ORCID: 0000-0001-7185-7990
Occupation: Senior Researcher, Center for Middle East Studies
Affiliation: Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences (IMEMO)
Address: 23, Profsoyuznaya Str., Moscow 117997, Russian Federation
Edition
Issue 2
Pages
55-73
Abstract

At the beginning of the XXI century crisis of statehood and numerous conflicts in the Middle East have resulted in an increase of identities' politicization. Groups that identify themselves by common ethnic, religious and confessional characteristics and formulate political demands on this basis have become more active and politically pronounced.

The use of identities to achieve political goals shows that the existing differences between them are not primary drivers of conflict; they can turn into such drivers only in the process of politicization. Accordingly, attempts to explain the policy of states and non-state actors exclusively through the primordial conflict of identities are unproductive. At the same time, political identity may be used instrumentally by the states in a search for allies and sympathizers.

Middle East States give examples of both the "classical" version of ideological and party affiliation, mainly introduced by the West, and the politicization of local identities. The authors use case-studies (Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Iran) to estimate their correlation within countries, as well as their impact on respective foreign policies.

If in Turkish society political self-identification on an ideological basis prevails, in Syria confessional identities have come to the fore during the conflict. In Lebanon the confessional system still provides the functioning of institutions. In Israel, where religion is the most important element of national identity, there is a symbiosis of secular ideologies and religious discourse. In Iran the revolution has turned Islamic-Shiite identity into a major component of the "official ideology".

The use of the identity factor in foreign policy is situational. Emphasis put on religious or confessional identity can be eagerly embraced by some local actors, but can be perceived as anachronistic and as an obstacle to potential cooperation by international players. Nevertheless, forecasting the development of conflict trends in the region is hardly possible without taking into account the impact of political identity.

Keywords
political identity, Middle East, ideology, multiple identities, modern and traditional factors, foreign policy, conflicts, international relations
Received
31.03.2020
Date of publication
20.04.2020
Number of purchasers
36
Views
3364
Readers community rating
0.0 (0 votes)
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