#12: Seeking Peace Through Deterrence, Defense, and Diplomacy, 1979-2021

Building the Impossible Dream: The History of Zionism

Since the Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement of 1979, there have been two geostrategic earthquakes with long-term significance for the Middle East: the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Against the background of these developments, Israel has sought to attain security and peace through consistent efforts in four areas: acting decisively to prevent those countries committed to its destruction from developing weapons of mass destruction; seeking an accommodation with the Palestinian national movement on the basis of partitioning the area included in Mandatory Palestine; pursuing peace agreements with the four states on its borders; and working to bring about normalization and peaceful relations with all the countries in the Middle East. In this episode, Dr. Polisar analyzes the strategic reality in which Israel has functioned during the last four decades and its successes and failures in each of these four areas.