The Ideological Dimension of the Arab-Israeli Conflict and Its Impact on Regional Security: An Analytical Case Study of the Gaza War

Abstract

This study seeks to analyze the doctrinal dimensions underlying the Arab–Israeli conflict and to uncover the reasons behind the negative attitudes toward the Palestinian cause at both the Arab and Islamic levels. It also aims to clarify the doctrinal background of Western bias in favor of Israel and to examine the extent to which Israeli political thought relies on myths and claims that have been promoted to convince the world of their validity, thereby transforming religion into a political tool through a selective reading of distorted biblical prophecies. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical and historical approach and finds a correlation between doctrinal factors and international conflicts, as some parties resort to this dimension as a strategic option when no legal basis is available to support their claims. The study further concludes that the Israeli entity represents a settler-colonial political Zionist movement that derives its legitimacy from alleged myths inspired by distorted religious doctrines to justify the usurpation of Palestinian land. The success of the Israeli project has been facilitated by the convergence of colonial interests with Zionist objectives, in addition to Arab and Islamic complacency and a limited perception of the magnitude of the Israeli threat. The study recommends the need to recognize the implications of the Zionist entity’s declaration that Palestine is “a land for the Jews,” as well as its use of policies of genocide and forced displacement against the people of Gaza, and to adopt well-considered steps to confront this project, which seeks to eliminate the Arab presence in Palestine, erase its Islamic and Arab identity, and extinguish any hope of establishing a Palestinian state.