Towards distant frontiers: The course of Israeli diplomacy

Conventional historical wisdom accords Israeli diplomacy a secondary or even marginal place in securing Israel's national interests. This article argues that despite the dominance of military considerations and some apparent lacunae, Israeli diplomacy has scored some remarkable successes. The article examines the principles of Israeli foreign policy, the domestic and conceptual sources nourishing it, and the problems of international orientation. Israel is accepted, for the first time, as an integral part of the international community, but the prospects for constructing new diplomatic strategies or of finding a proper regional role remain obscure.