The road to Israeli-Spanish rapprochement

This essay provides an analysis of Israeli-Spanish relations from the establishment of the state of Israel to the present. Its main argument is that these relations constituted an anomaly in Israel's foreign policy, the main objective of which was to strengthen ties with the countries of Wester...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Israel affairs 2004, Vol.10 (1-2), p.177-202
Main Author: Abadi, Jacob
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bilateral relations
Diplomacy
Foreign affairs
Foreign Policy
International Relations
Israel
Rapprochement
Regional studies
Spain
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This essay provides an analysis of Israeli-Spanish relations from the establishment of the state of Israel to the present. Its main argument is that these relations constituted an anomaly in Israel's foreign policy, the main objective of which was to strengthen ties with the countries of Western Europe. Israel's approach to Spain was determined by both emotional and practical considerations. Successive Israeli governments avoided rapprochement with Spain not only because of its association with Nazi Germany but also in order to avoid criticism from the opposition parties. Yet, despite the absence of full diplomatic relations the two countries maintained close contacts in many fields. Spain sought to improve relations with Israel in order to demonstrate willingness to turn its back on its fascist past, to play a greater role in Middle Eastern affairs, and to improve its ties with the US. However, rapprochement with Israel would not have been possible without the demise of Franco's autocratic regime.
ISSN:1353-7121
1743-9086
DOI:10.1080/13537120412331321421