Israel is entering a new era in its relationship with its Middle Eastern neighbors and the
             international community. The forces shaping these new relationships are far more significant
             then the often-overstated ideological differences between the two major political blocs in Israeli
             politics: the center-left Labor and the right-wing Likud. One factor that transcends domestic
             Israeli politics is the role Israel plays in the post-Cold War international system dominated by the
             United States, which treats Israel as its key ally in a region seen as crucial for American interests.
             Yet changes within Israel itself, among the Palestinians and elsewhere in the Middle East have
             also placed the Israelis at a crossroad in the development of their foreign policy goals and the
             options available to them (Breger 1).
             Due in part to an electoral system based on proportional representation, Israeli foreign
             policy is driven more by public opinion than is the foreign policy of many countries. In addition,
             unlike the US , with its strong sense of security made possible by wide oceans and friendly
             neighbors, the Israeli public never enjoyed the luxury of placing foreign policy issues low on its
             scale of political concerns. As a result, public opinion can be a decisive factor in foreign policy
             options available to the government. At the same time, it would be a mistake to put forward a
             naively pluralistic model of foreign policy in Israel, in part due to the fact that Israeli public
             opinion, like public opinion elsewhere, is subject to manipulation by those in power.
             The overriding sentiment among the Israeli public regarding its foreign relations is that
             of fear. While the actual threat to Israel's survival posed by its Arab neighbors has been and
             continues to be exaggerated, there is no question that there have indeed been powerful forces in
             the Middle East which have sought the destruction of the Je...