Saudi Arabian-Israeli Strategic Narrative Alignment Against Iran

Year 2021, , 479 - 503, 31.12.2021

İsmail Akdoğan

https://doi.org/10.33201/iranian.960702

Cited By: 1

Abstract

This study deals with the strategic narrative that Saudi Arabian and Israeli political elites construct towards Iran in the post-Nuclear Deal period (2015-2020). The main purpose of the study is to determine whether the governments of the two countries have an alliance in the strategic narrative they forge on Iran and if there is, to determine which themes are produced in this course. In the study process, qualitative research method is applied, survey, collection and analysis of data are conducted with qualitative content analysis technique. Speeches delivered by political elites from both countries at multilateral international meetings are surveyed as a primary source. The data, obtained from the surveyed sources, are classified in the categories created within the scope of the research. In studies that deal with the construction of strategic narratives in international politics, there are three different levels of analysis: issue narrative, system narrative and identity narrative. In addition to its focus on identity narrative, this paper examines the alliance relationship in the strategic narrative produced by two different countries against a shared threatening country. In this article, it was observed that both the Saudi Arabian and Israeli governments tried to use the strategic narrative as a tool in foreign policy to balance Iran in the Middle East. It has been concluded that there is a great similarity in the construction of meaning and themes in the strategic narratives built on Iran and that Iran is portrayed to the international community with extremely negative definitions and attributions.

Keywords

Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel, Strategic Narrative, Alignment

İran’a Yönelik Suudi Arabistan-İsrail Stratejik Anlatı İttifakı

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Nükleer Anlaşma sonrası dönemde (2015-2020) Suudi Arabistan ve İsrail siyasi elitlerinin İran’a yönelik inşa ettikleri stratejik anlatıyı ele almaktadır. Çalışmanın temel amacı, iki ülke yönetimlerinin İran hakkında ürettikleri stratejik anlatıda bir ittifakının olup olmadığını tespit etmek, eğer var ise bu kapsamda hangi temaların üretildiğini saptamaktır. Çalışma sürecinde nitel araştırma yöntemine başvurulmakta, verilerin taranması, toplanması ve tahlili nitel içerik analizi tekniğiyle yapılmaktadır. Her iki ülkeden siyasi seçkinlerin çok taraflı uluslararası toplantılarda yaptıkları konuşma metinleri, çalışma sürecinde birincil kaynaklar olarak taranmaktadır. Taranan kaynaklardan elde edilen veriler, araştırma kapsamında oluşturulan kategoriler esas alınarak sınıflandırılmaktadır. Uluslararası politikada stratejik anlatı inşasını konu edinen çalışmalarda olay anlatısı, sistem anlatısı ve kimlik anlatısı olmak üzere üç farklı düzeyde inceleme yapılmaktadır. Bu çalışma ise yalnızca kimlik anlatısını merkeze almasının yanında, iki farklı ülkenin ortak tehdit olarak gördüğü bir ülkeye karşı ürettiği stratejik anlatıda ittifak ilişkisini incelemektedir. Araştırma sürecinde, hem Suudi Arabistan hem de İsrail yönetiminin İran’ı Orta Doğu’da dengelemek amacıyla stratejik anlatıyı dış politikada bir araç olarak kullanmaya çalıştığı gözlemlendi. İran’a yönelik inşa edilen stratejik anlatılar arasında anlam ve tema üretimi bakımından büyük bir benzerliğin bulunduğu ve İran’ın son derece olumsuz tanımlama ve nitelemelerle uluslararası topluma sunulduğu sonucuna ulaşıldı. 

Keywords

Suudi Arabistan, İran, İsrail, Stratejik Anlatı, İttifak

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