ethnonational politics. Applying the ethnonational framework helped me to better understand the behavior of the Jewish state. It was against this background that I discovered a dearth of literature in this realm of international relations that reflected either neglect or misinterpretation of the national dimension in understanding foreign policy.

Ethnonationalism is an important variable in foreign policy behavior. It is an integral part of the modern nation-state, and is related to the modernization process and modern understandings of the right of self-determination. But most important, ethnonationalism is not congruent with the state and sometimes even contradicts the interests of the state.

At the time I completed this book, the Likud was defeated at the polls and Labor returned to power. It is too early to predict whether the June 23, 1992 election marked a turning point in Israeli politics. But whatever direction Israeli foreign policy takes in the future, students of international politics, in general, and Israeli foreign policy, in particular, must learn not to confuse or ignore the unique role of both the state and the nation in foreign policy. Each has its own rationale and origins, and each must be weighed in political analysis.

Many people have contributed directly or indirectly to the evolution of this book. Out of a long list, I would like to specifically mention those who had the patience and forbearance to read the manuscript and make valuable suggestions. I would like to thank my colleagues Daniel J. Elazar and Stuart Cohen for their comments on the manuscript. Bernard Susser read the theoretical chapter and made helpful comments. Ben Mollov edited large portions of the manuscript and made valuable suggestions. The Jerusalem Center provided the intellectual as well as the esthetic environment for writing this book. My special thanks to its Director General, Zvi R. Marom, for his firm support of this project. I would also like to thank Mark Ami-El and Andrea Arbel of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs for their technical assistance in preparing this book for publication. Finally, my wife Channa and my daughters, as usual, made many adjustments to allow me to complete this project and I thank them all for their patience.

Shmuel Sandler

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