Identity and the Politics of Threat: The Case of Jordan and Israel

Dr. Hassan A. Barari Dr. Amir S. Al Qarallah

Abstract

Abstrac

This paper examines how the constructivist concept of identity informs the conception of threat in both Jordan and Israel. Unlike neorealism, which gives no attention to the explanatory power of identity and considers it as exogenously given, constructivism argues that identity is a social construct that can inform the interests pursued by strategic actors. This paper examines the ways in which cultural, historical, religious and tribal evolutions have created a collective identity with two components: exclusion of the “other” and siege mentality. This study’s core argument is that this approach provides the best basis for the construction of threat in both Jordan and Israel. While the geostrategic location of both countries constrains their room for maneuverability, the fact remains that variables related to neorealism cannot adequately account for threat perceptions in both countries.