Description
Book SynopsisAs states find themselves in conflicts with nonstate actors, they often target other states that harbor or aid these challenging opponents. Wendy Pearlman and Boaz Atzili investigate this strategy, which they term
triadic coercion: why states pursue it and the conditions under which it succeeds, across seventy years of Israeli history.
Trade ReviewThis seminal work will prove invaluable to area specialists and to those interested in international and comparative politics generally. Highly recommended. * Choice *
An important contribution to the literature on counterterrorism. * Perspectives on Terrorism *
Both policy makers and scholars talk a lot about deterring state sponsors of terrorism, but until now we have lacked a serious study of the topic. With theoretical sophistication and careful empirical research, Pearlman and Atzili show that this approach can work, but paradoxically only if the host regime being targeted is strong. This is a major contribution to understanding an important topic. -- Robert Jervis, Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Politics, Columbia University
Two accomplished political scientists tackle an issue that has received little attention in the literature: dealing with nonstate actors by targeting their hosts. They find that Israel tends to adopt this strategy far more than Turkey and India, despite its mixed results, particularly when regimes of targeted states are weak. They persuasively attribute this to 'strategic culture' which often trumps sound decisions. A thoughtful and informative contribution. -- Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development, University of Maryland
Triadic Coercion will serve as a milestone in international relations theory and especially in the realms of deterrence and coercion theories. Pearlman and Atzili's book makes a significant contribution to the literature on asymmetrical conflicts and counterinsurgencies and to literature on the conflicts between Israel and its neighbors. -- Ami Pedahzur, University of Texas at Austin
A valuable scholarly contribution. . . . It would be wise for policy makers and analysts to pick up a copy of
Triadic Coercion to learn what conditions are necessary for deterring state-sponsored terrorism, and what are self-defeating. -- Hari Prasad * South Asian Voices *
It offers the most sophisticated analysis of triadic coercion to date, going above and beyond the one-dimensional approaches that have traditionally characterized Israeli policy. -- Rob Geist Pinfold * Israel Studies Review *
A foundational work on coercion and nonstate actors on which related studies will build for a long time to come. -- Peter Krause * Journal of Palestine Studies *
The book is impressive: it offers a sustained and fascinating argument on a major topic. * ID: International Dialogue *
Exceptionally interesting, informative, and well-crafted. * H-Diplo *
A significant and multifaceted accomplishment. A must-read for scholars of the Israeli-Arab Conflict, it innovatively blends realist and constructivist approaches. * Mediterranean Politics *
Table of ContentsMap of Israel and the Surrounding Region
Preface and Acknowledgments
1. Understanding Triadic Coercion
2. Israel’s Use of Triadic Coercion: Sources and Historical Evolution
3. Egypt Since 1949: Triadic Coercion from Raids to Peace
4. Syria Since 1949: Triadic Coercion from Coups to Revolution
5. Israel and the Palestinian Authority Since 1993: Strategic Culture in Asymmetric Conflict
6. Lebanon Before and Since 1965: Strategic Culture at War
7. Triadic Coercion Beyond the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
