Mohammed Turki al - Sudairi
HH Sheikh Nasser al - Mohammad al - Sabah Publication Series
Number 8: November 2013
Advocacy for the state of Israel – in the sense of attempting to favourably shape public and elite perceptions and discou rses about the Jewish state and the nature of its conflict with the Palestinians and the surrounding Arab states – has been, and continues to be, of pivotal concern to both the Israeli government and pro - Israeli organisations operating in the United States and elsewhere. What underlines this advocacy – understood here to unfold through multiple media, academic, and political spaces – is a desire to [1] reinforce political (and cultural) identification and support for Israel and its narrative, and [2] more p ressingly, to contain alternative critical discourses about the state and its role in various Middle Eastern conflicts. Although the US has been the main focus of these advocacy efforts – which is a natural byproduct of its position as a global hegemonic e mpire, the susceptibility of its political system to special interests, and more significantly, due to the presence of a sizable and influential Jewish American community sympathetic to Israeli and Zionist interests – there are signs of a nascent and incre asingly sustained Israeli/Zionist advocacy effort directed at China (amongst other theatres) that, while conditioned by a unique Chinese cultural and political topography, seeks to influence prevailing attitudes and perceptions amongst Chinese scholars and political elite in ways conducive to the preservation and maximisation of Israeli interests over the long - term.
READ MORE.....
