Israeli-palestinian Relations From a Gendered Geopolitical Perspective

Abstract

The subject of this study is the relevance of gender to the currently conflictual nature of Israeli-Palestinian relations in the geopolitical context of the Middle East. After reviewing the literature to begin assessing the significance of gender as compared to additional relevant factors such as international law, religion, prominent individuals and other actors in international relations, as well as the interplay between gender and these other factors, primary data obtained from a questionnaire is introduced. Results from the questionnaire reinforce findings from the literature: that women in general do, despite also being influenced by those gender conceptions influencing the thoughts and behaviour of men, comprehend the world in less dogmatic and pessimistic manner as regards the desirability and possibility of achieving lasting peace through compromise The study concludes that Israeli-Palestinian relations would benefit from more women in decision-making positions on both sides, not least due to the tendency of the most masculine individuals, more often men than women for reasons of both socialization and hormonally induced differences, to experience compromise as shameful submissiveness, and that both parties would therefore be well advised to implement policies in this sense. It also recommends that further research be undertaken on afar larger scale in order to confirm these finding amongst diverse sections of the Israeli and Palestinian populations, the confirmation of which would make the urgency of facilitating the accession of more women to positions of influence in this region all the more evident.