Series Introduction
Israel–Asia Relations: New Trends, Old Challenges?
Much of the scholarship on Israel’s foreign policy focuses on its relations with countries in the West or with its Arab neighbours; the significant rapprochement between Israel and countries in Asia has been largely neglected. There have been many indicators in the past decade pointing to these burgeoning ties – from China’s involvement in Israel’s infrastructure (in particular, Haifa port), the rise of Israel–India economic and security cooperation, and the expanding trade between Israel andIndonesia to the recent establishment of a new quadrilateral forum, the “I2U2”,comprising India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Against the backdrop of these burgeoning relationships, the Middle East Institute at NUS convened a two–day workshop in February 2023 gathering together scholars from across the world – including Israel, China, the United States, Turkey,Indonesia, France and Singapore – to explore the depth of Israel’s partnerships across Asia. Japan the seminar delved into the political and economic drivers of these relationships as well as their scope (and limitations). Particularly, it discussed the evolution of Israel’s policy towards China, India and Japan. It also looked into lesser known areas, such as Israel–Azerbaijan relations and the development ofHolocaust studies in China. Altogether, the seminar shed light on a research topic –Israel’s Asia policy.
Some of the questions driving the project include:
- How does Israel think of its Asia policy?
- Does Israel have an Indo-Pacific strategy?
- Seen from Asian powers, what is the added value provided by a partnership with a small Middle Eastern state like Israel?
- Does the survival strategy of Israel inform – if not influence – the policies of small states in Asia?
- Do the Abraham Accords signed by Israel with several Arab states (i.e., the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco) constitute a major factor in reshaping the relations between Israel and Asian states?
- Are there limitations to Israel’s Asia rapprochement?
- How much is the Palestinian issue framing Asian policy discussions on Israel?
Against that backdrop, submission topics include, but need be confined to:
- The History of Israel-Asian Relations: Jewish Cultural Presence in Asia; Asian Reactions to Israel-Arab Conflicts;
- The Geopolitics of Israel-Asian Relations: Israel and the US-China Competition; Israel & Asian Experiences of Counterterrorism; Israel’s Military Cooperation in Asia; I2U2 and the role of Israel in Asia-Middle East regional arrangements;
- The Economics of Israel’s Ties to Asia: Israel’s Start-up Model and its Inspiration in Asia; Israel’s Arms Trade in Asia; Israel’s Port Development & China’s Belt & Road Initiative.
Contributions can either be designed as case studies (e.g. Israel-Indonesia relations; Israel-South Korea relations) or thematic contributions (e.g. Asian lessons on Israel’s missile defence experience; the role of the Jewish diaspora in shaping Asian views of Israel..).
We are inviting interested persons to submit proposals (not more than 250 words) clearly outlining their main arguments, in either prose or point form, or both. These should reach us by 1 October 2022. These should be sent to meibox1@nus.edu.sg, with the subject field clearly labelled “Israel-Asia Relations”.
For more information regarding submission requirements, please refer to the guidelines. If you have further queries, please email the series editor:
Dr. Jean-Loup Samaan
meijcbs@nus.edu.sg
