The Pragmatic Entente - by Sohrab Sobhani & Sohab Sobhani (Hardcover)

About the Book

The Pragmatic Entente is the first comprehensive work on the long standing yet ever changing relationship between Israel and Iran. Sohrab Sobhani draws on the experience and first hand accounts of those individuals involved in Israeli-Iranian relations before and after the 1979 arrival of Khomeini in Tehran. He studies this relationship against the complex background of Middle East politics. Sobhani interviews many former Iranian officials and reveals much new information explaining why Iran and Israel act the way they do and why their interests have converged over the last forty years. The book traces the principle trends in the emergence of the relationship between the two countries and identifies the main factors leading to both continuity and change in their relations. Organized in chronological order, The Pragmatic Entente concludes with a discussion of future Israeli-Iranian relations, examining the reasons why the Tehran-Tel Aviv axis will continue to be an enduring feature of the Middle Eastern power configuration.

The book begins with a discussion of the origins of Israeli-Iranian relations which existed at first in order to aid Iraqi Jews in relocation to Israel. Sobhani goes on to discuss how Iran's religious right used the issue of Israel's recognition by Iran as a political weapon against the central government. Further chapters examine in depth: the Israeli-Iranian alliance against radical Arab states; support of Kurdish rebels inside Iraq; the implications of the 1973 Yom Kippur War; British withdrawal from the Persian Gulf; an Israeli-Iranian plan to develop missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Policymakers as well as students and scholars of Middle Eastern politics will find The Pragmatic Entente stimulating reading.

Book Synopsis

The Pragmatic Entente is the first comprehensive work on the long standing yet ever changing relationship between Israel and Iran. Sohrab Sobhani draws on the experience and first hand accounts of those individuals involved in Israeli-Iranian relations before and after the 1979 arrival of Khomeini in Tehran. He studies this relationship against the complex background of Middle East politics. Sobhani interviews many former Iranian officials and reveals much new information explaining why Iran and Israel act the way they do and why their interests have converged over the last forty years. The book traces the principle trends in the emergence of the relationship between the two countries and identifies the main factors leading to both continuity and change in their relations. Organized in chronological order, The Pragmatic Entente concludes with a discussion of future Israeli-Iranian relations, examining the reasons why the Tehran-Tel Aviv axis will continue to be an enduring feature of the Middle Eastern power configuration.

The book begins with a discussion of the origins of Israeli-Iranian relations which existed at first in order to aid Iraqi Jews in relocation to Israel. Sobhani goes on to discuss how Iran's religious right used the issue of Israel's recognition by Iran as a political weapon against the central government. Further chapters examine in depth: the Israeli-Iranian alliance against radical Arab states; support of Kurdish rebels inside Iraq; the implications of the 1973 Yom Kippur War; British withdrawal from the Persian Gulf; an Israeli-Iranian plan to develop missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Policymakers as well as students and scholars of Middle Eastern politics will find The Pragmatic Entente stimulating reading.

Review Quotes

?. . . It is, on the whole, a thought-provoking study addressing a crucial piece of the Middle East political puzzle. It lays the groundwork for more rigorous research n the complex nature of Israeli-Iranian relations and will benefit students, scholars, and practicioners alike.?-Middle East Journal

?The strength of Sobhani's work is tied to his broad perspective and his objective analysis. A useful introduction provides a brief overview of Israeli-Iranian relations and focuses on the underlying interests of each state pertinent to its relations with the other. He identifies seven elements that affect Israeli demographic considerations; mutual interests in containing Soviet and Sunni Arab hegemony; trade in agriculture, military technology, and oil; Iranian-Arab and Arab-Israeli relations; Israel's special relationship with the United States; and the nature of Iranian leadership. . . on the whole, a thought-provoking study addressing a crucial piece of the Middle East political puzzle. It lays the groundwork for more rigorous research on the complex nature of Israeli-Iranian relations and will benefit students, scholars, and practitioners alike.?-Middle East Journal

." . . It is, on the whole, a thought-provoking study addressing a crucial piece of the Middle East political puzzle. It lays the groundwork for more rigorous research n the complex nature of Israeli-Iranian relations and will benefit students, scholars, and practicioners alike."-Middle East Journal

"The strength of Sobhani's work is tied to his broad perspective and his objective analysis. A useful introduction provides a brief overview of Israeli-Iranian relations and focuses on the underlying interests of each state pertinent to its relations with the other. He identifies seven elements that affect Israeli demographic considerations; mutual interests in containing Soviet and Sunni Arab hegemony; trade in agriculture, military technology, and oil; Iranian-Arab and Arab-Israeli relations; Israel's special relationship with the United States; and the nature of Iranian leadership. . . on the whole, a thought-provoking study addressing a crucial piece of the Middle East political puzzle. It lays the groundwork for more rigorous research on the complex nature of Israeli-Iranian relations and will benefit students, scholars, and practitioners alike."-Middle East Journal

About the Author

SOHRAB SOBHANI is Adjunct Professor of International Relations at Georgetown University.