Graduation Year
2010
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Granting Department
Government and International Affairs
Major Professor
Mark Amen, Ph.D.
Co-Major Professor
Michael Solomon, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Abdelwahab Hechiche, Ph.D.
Keywords
Israel, Road Map, Unilateralism, United States, Christian Zionists
Abstract
This research explores the role of the Christian Zionist Lobby in shaping U.S. policy towards Israel. It is posited that the Christian Zionist Lobby, due to their eschatological goals, diverge from the interests of the larger Israel Lobby described by Mearsheimer and Walt. To test this hypothesis an exploratory case study is implemented to explain why the U.S. shifted its policy from supporting the Road Map to backing Israeli unilateralism. As the results of this study show, the Christian Zionists did actively oppose the Road Map and may have influenced American policy making. However, it would be a mistake to characterize the Gaza pullout as the most desirable policy alternative for the Christian Zionist Lobby. This study concludes that when comparing the lobbying efforts against the Road Map and Israeli unilateralism, the Christian Zionists actively opposed the former policy while the evidence in support of the latter policy remained inconclusive.
Scholar Commons Citation
Grzegorzewski, Mark G., "The Christian Zionist Lobby and U.S.-Israel Policy" (2010). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/3671
