Crisis Studies of the Islamic World

Crisis Studies of the Islamic World

Economic Intertwinement of Islamic States and Israel: Normalization Beyond the Palestinian Cause

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Seyyed Nasrallah hejazi 1
aboalghasem shahryari 2
fahimhe asgarabadi 3
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar
2 Visiting professor of political science department of Bojnord University
3 Department of Political Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
10.27834/CSIW.2403.1384.1.36.4
Abstract
The Al-Aqsa Storm operation in autumn 2023 and the subsequent Gaza war represent the latest manifestation of the enduring crisis in the Islamic world concerning Palestine. What has drawn attention in the realm of international relations is that, despite the killing of over 45,000 Muslims, no action has been taken by Islamic countries to sever political and economic ties with the Israeli regime. The present research seeks to examine the reasons behind this inaction by Islamic countries, proposing the hypothesis that the level of mutual interdependence formed between some Islamic countries and Israel in economic exchanges has prevented these countries from taking economic measures against Israel. The theoretical framework of this study is intertwined political economy, and the research method is quantitative, utilizing time-series techniques to examine the trade exchanges between Islamic countries and Israel from 1995 to 2021. The findings indicate that, with the exception of the Islamic Republic of Iran, all 56 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have had trade relations with the Israeli regime during this period. After 2006 and the 33-day war, Israel established extensive economic and security entanglements with Islamic countries through bilateral or multilateral agreements. As a result, the majority of Islamic countries, by endorsing the two-state theory, have officially deviated from the cause of Palestine and its historical Islamic lands.
Keywords
Palestine
Israel
political economy
normalization of relations
Islamic countries
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Crisis Studies of the Islamic World
Volume 12, Issue 1 - Serial Number 36
Spring Quarterly
Winter 2025
Pages 83-104