ABSTRACT
This chapter orients the reader to the main theoretical claims of the book and their application to the Israeli case. The argument presented throughout this book is that securitization was used as a tool to resolve Israel’s ontological insecurity through the conceptualization of legitimacy as a national security asset and the securitization of the delegitimization movement as a national security threat. The first section of this chapter introduces the reader to securitization theory. In Israel, securitization of the Jewish identity was used by Zionists as a means of legitimizing their national claims. The chapter discusses the meaning of ontological security and how it impacts the state’s behavior. In the Israeli case, ontological security of Jews was resolved through the securitization of the Jewish identity of the state. The meaning of legitimacy in the securitization process is further explored, and how delegitimization may be securitized, as was the case with Israel’s response to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). By highlighting the tension between domestic audience acceptance of securitization strategies and external audience rejection, the model of the securitization dilemma, which is introduced in this chapter and guides the analysis in this book, can bring into focus and conceptually clarify how securitization can be successful and increase insecurity at the same time.
