THE IMPACT OF TRANSNATIONAL-INTERNATIONAL ADVOCACY ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENT POLICY IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: AN ANALYSIS OF SHEIKH JARRAH NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE BOOMERANG-SPIRAL MODEL

Abstract

International University of Japan博士（国際関係学）/ Ph.D. in International Relations2023This dissertation investigates the efficacy of international advocacy in driving domestic policy changes. Drawing on the works of Risse et al. and Keck and Sikkink, the study employs the boomerang-spiral model of transnational-international advocacy, which posits a five-stage framework that enables advocacy networks to achieve the desired policy change. The case study for this dissertation is the Israeli settlement policy in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which challenges the boomerang-spiral model. The expected policy change was not realized, despite fulfilling the conditions for transitioning through the model’s phases. Therefore, the research identifies the factors that hinder the progress through the model’s phases to achieve the desired outcome. The study employs a single case study method following the theory-testing approach utilizing multiple data sources and mixed analysis methods, including quantitative and qualitative techniques. The study’s findings reveal that while the advocacy network achieved success by halting specific settlements, a permanent solution was not guaranteed. The Israeli lobby, which supports the settlement policy, and the American foreign policy approach, which balances promoting international norms with regional interests, contributed to this outcome. These findings contribute to our understanding of the constraints of international advocacy in promoting domestic policy change, particularly in cases where powerful interest groups are involvedthesi