Part II - Max Khalil
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Dec 6, 2023
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Uploaded by EarlRose2297
Max Khalil
October 21, 2023
INST 1100
Part II – Question 2
“War is not a new phenomenon. What would liberalism and realism say about the factors
creating the current war between Israel and Hamas and what would these approaches say
about how the war should be conducted? “
The Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza strip is an escalated, complex and an ongoing crisis.
Hamas sparked a warfare with Israel when they decided to attack Israeli lands which they faced
a late military response that included air striking parts of Gaza Strip. To comprehend this
conflict, we can view it through two lenses of international relations theories: realism and
liberalism.
Realism, a dominant theory and a school of thought in international relations, provides
us an overview of the Israel Hamas conflict with a realist scope. Realists argue that states act in
their self-interest to be able to survive and maximize their powers. In the context of Israel-
Hamas conflict, the causes can be traced back to the realist principle of security dilemma.
where a state can attempt to enhance its security which in return can threaten the security of
other states. After the attack of Hamas on Israel's land and civilians, Israel perceived the attack
as a security threat which in return, sparked the state to respond violently.
In addition, from a realist perspective, a war involves many strategies with objectives
advancing national interest and maintain power. Thus, as realists tend to support the use of
coercion to secure national interests. Israel may practice hard power as mentioned in part one
to protect its security and territorial sovereignty. To remain on the scope of how realists would
conduct the war between Israel and Hamas, would be similar with the current situation in the
ongoing conflict in terms of being less concerned about international legal constraints while
putting the focus on achieving concrete outcomes and meeting objectives. They will most likely
not disregard international laws, but they will prioritize strategic interests over legal norms and
protocols. This is a place of concerns for some as it can further escalate the conflict and
complicate it.
On the other hand, the alternative dominant theory and the other school of thought in
international relations is liberalism. Liberalist would look at factors creating the current situation
differently. They would think that it isn't just simply Hamas's terrorist beliefs that made Hamas
attack Israel, but it is the controversial structure of governance and freedom of movement that
may have led to a rise of the Palestinians and Hamas to attempt in freeing themselves from
Israel's border, air and water control. They might argue that addressing these governance issues
could help reduce tensions and potentially lead to a more peaceful outcome. However, many
others may argue that Hamas's actions are acts of violent and they would advocate for
diplomatic negotiations to achieve political change.
Liberal strategies of conducting the war would generally support diplomacy and
negotiations as means to resolve conflicts. This would look like initiatives of peace talks and
exploring two-states solutions. They would also conserve human rights and international laws as
rules that must be abide to. In the context of Israel - Hamas conflict, there would be an
emphasize on excluding civilians from the war as a way to protect human rights.
To conclude, With the complexity of the ongoing crisis discussed in this essay, viewing it
in two international relations lenses can provide us an overview in how the situation could be
different if certain decisions would take place. The path to a peaceful outcome in the Gaza strips
remains an issue but it is worth exploring for more than a single international theory in hopes of
finding peace in the region.
Bibliography
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Antunes, Sandrina, and Isabel Camisão. “Introducing Realism in International Relations Theory.”
E, August 5, 2018. https://www.e-ir.info/2018/02/27/introducing-realism-in-international-
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Bell, Duncan. “Realism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, September 5, 2023.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/realism-political-and-social-science.
Meiser, Jeffrey W. “Introducing Liberalism in International Relations Theory.” E, August 5, 2018.
https://www.e-ir.info/2018/02/18/introducing-liberalism-in-international-relations-
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Sands, Leo. “Why Are Israel and Hamas at War? A Basic Explainer.” The Washington Post,
October 19, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/17/israel-hamas-
war-reason-explained-gaza/#.
Wivel, Anders. “Security Dilemma.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed October 21, 2023.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/security-dilemma.