Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 12-6-2013 The American Politics of a Jewish Judea and Samaria Rebekah Israel Florida International University, [email protected] DOI: 10.25148/etd.FI13120616 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Part of the American Politics Commons, International Relations Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Israel, Rebekah, "The American Politics of a Jewish Judea and Samaria" (2013). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 999. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/999 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida THE AMERICAN POLITICS OF A JEWISH JUDEA AND SAMARIA A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in POLITICAL SCIENCE by Rebekah Israel 2013 To: Dean Kenneth G. Furton College of Arts and Sciences This dissertation, written by Rebekah Israel, and entitled The American Politics of a Jewish Judea and Samaria, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. We have read this dissertation and recommend that it be approved. _______________________________________ John F. Stack _______________________________________ Nicol C. Rae _______________________________________ Nathan Katz _______________________________________ Richard S. Olson, Major Professor Date of Defense: November 14, 2013 The dissertation of Rebekah Israel is approved. _______________________________________ Dean Kenneth G. Furton College of Arts and Sciences _______________________________________ Dean Lakshmi N. Reddi University Graduate School Florida International University, 2013 ii © Copyright 2013 by Rebekah Israel All rights reserved. iii DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my husband, Ben Israel, who has been an unfailing source of support, strength, wisdom and love. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend my thanks to Florida International University: in particular I thank Phillip Bolton for his help with the ETD production, Beatriz Sigler for her cheerful advice on health insurance, and the writing center, always useful when needed. I am also thankful to every one of my professors for my PhD education leading to this study. I am grateful for the helping hands and hearts along the way: to Teresa Grullon for her kindness; and to Dr. Sarah Poggione for her patience. There are some among the faculty whose offices I visited for consultation and advice quite often and I offer my thanks to them: Dr. Ronald Cox, Dr. Clement Fatovic, and Dr. Paul Kowert. I am grateful for the assistance of committee members Dr. John F. Stack, Dr. Nicol C. Rae, and Dr. Nathan Katz. Their participation ensured that the work would reach a proper level of academic excellence. I extend a special thanks to my committee chair and advisor, Dr. Richard S. Olson. His perfectionism was evident and welcome, and from the beginning of our collaboration, he allowed the pursuit of a provocative topic and its exploration. I am always ready to acknowledge my husband, Ben Israel, and children, Rachel and Arie Israel, ever my shining loves and lights. Finally, I thank God for making me into a better person. v ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION AMERICAN POLITICS OF A JEWISH JUDEA AND SAMARIA by Rebekah Israel Florida International University, 2013 Miami, Florida Professor Richard S. Olson, Major Professor This dissertation poses a set of six questions about one of the Israel Lobby’s particular components, a Potential Christian Jewish coalition (PCJc) within American politics that advocates for Israeli sovereignty over “Judea and Samaria” (“the West Bank”). The study addresses: the profiles of the individuals of the PCJc; its policy positions, the issues that have divided it, and what has prevented, and continues to prevent, the coalition from being absorbed into one or more of the more formally organized components of the Israel Lobby; the resources and methods this coalition has used to attempt to influence U.S. policy on (a) the Middle East, and (b) the Arab-Israeli conflict in particular; the successes or failures of this coalition’s advocacy and why it has not organized; and what this case reveals about interest group politics and social movements in the United States. This dissertation follows the descriptive-analytic case-study tradition that comprises a detailed analysis of a specific interest group and one policy issue, which conforms to my interest in the potential Christian Jewish coalition that supports a Jewish Judea and Samaria. I have employed participant observation, interviewing, content analysis and documentary research. vi The findings suggest: The PCJc consists of Christian Zionists and mostly Jews of the center religious denominations. Orthodox Jewish traditions of separation from Christians inhibit like-minded Christians and Jews from organizing. The PCJc opposes an Arab state in Judea and Samaria, and is not absorbed into more formally organized interest groups that support that policy. The PCJc’s resources consist of support and funding from conservatives. Methods include use of education, debates and media. Members of the PCJc are successful because they persist in their support for a Jewish Judea and Samaria and meet through other organizations around Judeo-Christian values. The PCJc is deterred from advocacy and organization by a mobilization of bias from a subgovernment in Washington, D.C. comprising Congress, the Executive branch and lobby organizations. The study’s results raise questions about interest group politics in America and the degree to which the U.S. political system is pluralistic, suggesting that executive power constrains the agenda to “safe” positions it favors. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 Literature Review .......................................................................................................... 10 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 39 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 58 II. PALESTINE, JUDEA AND SAMARIA ..................................................................... 59 Palestine ........................................................................................................................ 59 Judea and Samaria ......................................................................................................... 63 International Law of the Land of Israel ......................................................................... 67 III. THE PROFILES OF THE POTENTIAL CHRISTIAN JEWISH COALITION ....... 72 The Histories of Judaism and Christianity .................................................................... 72 The Profiles of the PCJc ................................................................................................ 89 IV. THE POLICY POSITIONS OF THE POTENTIAL CHRISTIAN JEWISH COALITION ................................................................................................................... 135 History of Support for a Jewish Judea and Samaria .................................................... 137 Outside of Formal Organizations ................................................................................ 153 The Policy Positions of the PCJc ................................................................................ 154 V. THE RESOURCES AND METHODS OF THE POTENTIAL CHRISTIAN JEWISH COALITION ................................................................................................................... 164 United States Foreign Policy in the Middle East ........................................................ 164 United States-Israel Relations ..................................................................................... 166 U.S. Policy on Judea and Samaria ............................................................................... 176 The Resources and Methods of the PCJc .................................................................... 183 VI. THE SUCCESSES OR FAILURES OF THE POTENTIAL CHRISTIAN JEWISH COALITION ................................................................................................................... 192 Success of the Israel Lobby ......................................................................................... 192 Success of the Arab Lobby .......................................................................................... 195 The Successes or Failures of the PCJc ........................................................................ 196 Obstacles to an Organized Christian Jewish Coalition ............................................... 209 Worldwide and Israeli Movements for a Jewish Judea and Samaria .......................... 224 VII. CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 227 REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................