The Role of Settlements in the Occupied Territories and US-Israel
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University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2017 Can We Settle This: The Role of Settlements in the Occupied Territories and U.S.-Israel Relations, 1967-1981 Ben-Ephraim, Shaiel Ben-Ephraim, S. (2017). Can We Settle This: The Role of Settlements in the Occupied Territories and U.S.-Israel Relations, 1967-1981 (Unpublished doctoral thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25204 http://hdl.handle.net/11023/4075 doctoral thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Can We Settle This: The Role of Settlements in the Occupied Territories and U.S.-Israel Relations, 1967-1981 by Shaiel Ben-Ephraim A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY CENTRE FOR MILITARY, SECURITY AND STRATEGIC STUDIES CALGARY, ALBERTA SEPTEMBER, 2017 © Shaiel Ben-Ephraim 2017 Abstract This dissertation examines the role of settlements in U.S.-Israeli relations. It asks when and how U.S. policy influences the likelihood of Israel substantially moderating its settlement policy? In addition, it explains when the U.S. took an interest in resolving the issue as well as when and why Israel is responsive to U.S. pressure. The dissertation is the first analysis of the topic based on primary documents. It is also a first cut at explaining Israeli settlement policy as part of a strategic interaction, rather than as a phenomenon determined by domestic Israeli factors. The project utilizes an analytical framework based on Powell and Lake’s strategic choice approach. The framework is used to situate the case of settlements in U.S.-Israeli relations in the literature on bargaining, mediation and compliance. The empirical analysis focuses on the 1967- 1981 period. In the first empirical chapter, the formative policy of the Johnson administration is analyzed alongside the Israeli policy of trickery and obfuscation designed to protect its nascent settlement enterprise. It continues with a look at the Nixon administration up to the 1973 War focusing on the Meir governments efforts to openly promote “defensible borders” and the gradual U.S. acceptance of that conception. The third empirical chapter focuses on the changes wrought by the war in the estimation of the role of settlements during Rabin’s first tenure and the late Nixon and Ford years. The final empirical chapter analyzes the Israeli decision to evacuate the settlements in Sinai as part of the peace agreement with Egypt as well as the failure of the autonomy talks. The thrust of the argument is that despite possessing greater resources and influence, the U.S. was unable to alter settlement policy within the context of bilateral negotiations. Rather the ii outcome was dependent on the existence of a willing Arab interlocuter turning U.S. conflict resolution from bilateral bargaining to genuine mediation. Once this occurred, successful mediation depended on U.S. motivation to mobilize its resources and establish credibility. Mediation succeeded when the U.S was biased against the Israeli territorial position and had a genuine strategic interest in promoting Israeli withdrawal. iii Preface This thesis is original, unpublished, independent work by the author, Shaiel Ben-Ephraim. iv Table of Contents Abstract ...............................................................................................................................ii Preface……………………………………………………………………………………..iv Table of Contents .................................................................................................................v Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………..vi List of Acronyms………………………………………………………………………….ix List of Tables .......................................................................................................................x Introduction………………………………………………………………………………...1 Chapter One - Analytical Framework .................................................................................22 Chapter Two - From Kids to Goats: The Johnson Years, 1967-1968……………………..60 Chapter Three: Sharpening the Sickle: The Nixon years, 1969-1973.................................122 Chapter Four: Illegal Actions: the late Nixon and Ford Years 1973-1976..........................206 Chapter Five: Therefore, they Shouldn’t Exist: The Carter Years, 1977-1981....................290 Chapter Six: Conclusion ......................................................................................................381 Bibliography .........................................................................................................................409 v Acknowledgements You always hear that academic is cutthroat and political. What no one tells you is how much collegiality, fellowship, support and assistance one gets from colleagues and mentors along the way. Without the support of my advisors David Tal and Terry Terriff, there is no way I could have completed this work. Dr. Terriff taught me how to write concisely and to the point and to never lose sight of the research question. Dr. Tal taught me how to write history which focuses on the interaction between actors and which does not get bogged down in details but rather to shape the narrative and form a coherent thesis. Both read chapters swiftly, answered emails within hours (sometimes minutes), wrote countless recommendations and always provided guidance while allowing me to find my own voice. Dr. John Ferris was officially a member of my committee but acted as a third advisor, offering valuable insight, reading all my side project articles and incessantly writing recommendations. I was also deeply lucky to have Dr. Jeremy Pressman one of my mentors and inspirations on the committee and Dr. Rob Heubert from whom I have learned a great deal as an instructor and researcher as well. I am also highly indebted to Dr. Jewel Spangler for serving on my committee and asking the most poignant and informative questions imaginable during my defense. This amazing committee made the defense an enjoyable and (surprisingly) fun two hours that just flew by. There are many other faculty members who have provided feedback and valuable assistance. From the Hebrew University in Jerusalem I am indebted to Dr. Korina Kagan, Dr. Dan Miodownik and Dr. Oren Barak who helped with earlier parts of the project. I cannot neglect to mention the late great Dr. Yaa’cov Bar-Siman Tov who serves as a model for the combination of historical research applied within a theoretical framework, which I have vi attempted to emulate. In addition, I have received valuable feedback from John Mearsheimer, Oded Haklai, Ehud Eiran, Peter Krause, Lorenzo Veracini, Elie Podeh, Or Honig, Alan Bloomfield, Boaz Atzili, Nadav Shelef, Manus Midlarsky, Natan Aridan, Jonathan Rynhold, Ariel Zellman and my dear friend Ziv Rubinovitz. I also want to thank the Association for Israel Studies which awarded me the Kimmerling prize for a version of the first chapter as well as the editorial staff of Diplomatic History which will soon publish it. Finally, I wish to thank the Y & S Center for Israel Studies at UCLA, particularly Dr. Steven Spiegel and Dr. Yoram Cohen, for providing me with the opportunity to take the next step in my academic career as a postdoctoral fellow. One cannot research primary documents without assistance from archival staff members. It has been far too long since I conducted my archival research and I no longer remember individual names. However, the staff at the US National Archives in Maryland, the Israeli State Archives in Jerusalem, the Johnson Library in Texas, the Nixon Library in California, the Carter Library in Georgia, the Yad Tabenkin archives in Ramat Efal, the Beit Berl archives near Kfar Saba and the Jabotinsky archives in Tel Aviv were all incredibly helpful. I must single out the Ford Library in Michigan which not only provided personal attention but also helped fund my research. I also with to thank those who provided financial support for this project including CMSS, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Office of the Chancellor, the Mount Royal University Faculty Development Committee, the Canadian Defense and Foreign Affairs Institute, the Kahanoff Israel Studies fund, the Association for Israel Studies, the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa and the International Studies Association. Yes, those research trips don’t pay for themselves! vii The University of Calgary provided a wonderful network of support over these (far too many) years. The staff at the Centre for Military, Security and Strategic Studies has been amazing. Trisha Henschel and Donna Donna Keene-Ochosky have both been life savers in many a crisis. I have also made wonderful friends at the university that I hope will last a life time, particularly Tushna, Brice, Keith, Jeremy, Matt, Tim, Saira, Mike, Maria, David, Milos, Ruth, Juliette, Katie, Anastasia, Alex, Kim, Harris, Braden, Sam, Danny, Steffen and Vincent come to mind. But there have been so many wonderful students over the years and I am indebted to many of them and I apologize for not