Rising Powers and the Arab–Israeli Conflict since 1947

It is truly impressive that Burton mastered knowledge of such a temporal and geographic reach: seven decades of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as domestic and foreign policies of these five BRICS states. * The Journal of Palestine Studies *

Guy Burton’s book is a highly timely and readable account of the rising powers’ policies vis-à-vis the Arab-Israeli conflict. The emergence of regional powers in the post-Cold War global setting has spurred an increasing volume of literature on their Middle Eastern policies. The author situates his work within this trend. His contribution is thus threefold: Burton puts together an assemblage of these states’ policies in one volume, which is a first. He addresses one of the conflict’s literature’s key disadvantages, which is the predominance of the great and super power vantage point. And by detailing both the contributions and shortcomings of the BRICS’ policies, the book serves as an innuendo on the BRICS’ potential to help resolve the world’s most intractable conflict and perhaps other conflicts too.

* Centre for Mediterranean, Middle East & Islamic Studies *
In this relatively slim but fascinating and comprehensive book, Dr. Guy Burton, Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai, offers a succinct account of the foreign policies of India, Brazil, South Africa, China, and the Soviet Union (Russia after 1991) regarding the Arab–Israeli conflict from 1947 to the present. . . . Burton’s book is an excellent read for students of international relations in general, and those interested in the history and evolution of the Arab–Israeli conflict in particular. The author’s historical description is brilliant and pointed, and his (perhaps too) brief analysis that concludes every historical chapter is also very illuminating. It is especially refreshing to learn about BRICS involvement (or relative lack thereof) in managing and resolving the Arab–Israeli conflict, distinguishing itself from the myriad studies dealing with the United States and Europe. I strongly recommend his book as a balanced account of the history of the Arab–Israeli conflict, told from the perspective of middle/rising powers. Burton accomplishes what he set out to do, producing a sophisticated study that is directed at those interested in the evolution of the international system, the role of regional and emerging powers, and the never-ending story of conflict management and failed attempts at peaceful resolution. * Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs *
This fascinating study takes the discussion of the Arab-Israeli conflict to a whole new level, constructing for the first time a picture of how the BRICS as a group of “rising powers” responded to the conflict, viewed the regional and international tensions arising from the conflict in the Middle East, and explored issues of conflict management. Looking back, the USSR was a superpower at the height of the A-I conflict and the “BICS” were barely “emerging” powers. Nevertheless, the reconceptualization of the conflict from the 1940s to the 2000s through a BRICS eyepiece presents us with most interesting insights. Let’s call Guy Burton’s new book a real eye opener. -- Anoush Ehteshami, Durham University
Ignore them at your peril. That is the message of this excellent study of the increasing and changing role of rising powers in international conflicts. That changing role is nowhere more evident than in this look at how rising powers have dealt and deal with the Arab–Israeli conflict. It provides valuable insights in a world of shifting power balances. -- James M. Dorsey, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Guy Burton presents a captivating account of how rising powers have influenced the Arab-Israeli conflict throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Contrary to prevalent explanations of the conflict focusing on the role of great powers and regional actors involved in the conflict, this book offers a fresh reading of the dynamics of a protracted conflict lying at the intersection of regional and international politics. Whereas rising powers are often perceived as spoilers to the international system, Burton argues that rising powers engage in conflict management as a means to advance their status and legitimacy in the international system. -- May Darwich, Durham University