Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that Israel will have a better chance of achieving genuine security through peace treaties with its neighbors than by continuing to occupy parts of Lebanon and Syria, if the peace treaties lead to extensive economic and other linkages that would create major incentives for maintaining peace with Israel. The improvement in Soviet-Israeli relations, however, was due less to actions by Israel than to Gorbachev's hope of winning support in the United States. The Israeli election of 1992, which restored the Labor party to power, was the second major watershed election in Israeli history. In the area of domestic politics, Likud cultivated the Sephardim and elevated their status in Israeli society, a political move that helped ensure the success of Likud in Israeli elections until 1992.