| Abstract [eng] |
The aim of this Master‘s thesis is to analyze the United Arab Emirates’ foreign policy change in the context of the normalization of relations with Izrael. The main goal of this study is to provide an answer to the main research question based on a theoretical model explaining foreign policy change. In other words, the empirical goal of this study is to provide a reliable and theory-based explanation for the changes in the United Arab Emirates' foreign policy towards Israel. Assuming that change has taken place, the only question is – what led to the change and of what level is the change? Meanwhile, the theoretical aim of this work is to contribute to the study of foreign policy change, especially to test the applicability of the theoretical model explaining foreign policy change and the ability to explain foreign policy changes in non-Western countries. It is important to emphasize that this work does not seek to analyze the entire foreign policy of the United Arab Emirates, all foreign policy issues, and to determine whether or to what extent, and how it has changed. This would be too ambitious for a master’s thesis, given the scope of such work. Therefore, the object of research of this master's thesis is limited to one specific foreign policy of the United Arab Emirates focused on one goal / problem – foreign policy towards Israel. Also, instead of trying to fully explore and capture the dynamics of the UAE’s relationship with Israel, this study will focus on the change that took place in 2020 when the position of the United Arab Emirates on the normalization of relations with Israel has changed. Also, as already mentioned, changes in foreign policy may be for the better or for the worse, but this work will not aim to assess the consequences of the changes. Thus, this paper will seek to answer the question - what factors led the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations with Israel? This master 's thesis is divided into four parts. The first part will provide an overview of the literature on foreign policy change and previous research on the United Arab Emirates in the context of foreign policy. The second part of the thesis identifies the main concepts used in the work and reveals the theoretical model of foreign policy change used in the analysis, and identifies its main assumptions. Based on the theory used in the study, research hypotheses will be raised. The third part of the work describes the research methodology of this case study. The fourth part, meanwhile, consists of four sections. The purpose of the first two sections is to present the context of the UAE’s foreign policy and relations with Israel, first revealing the features and characteristics of the formulation and implementation of the UAE’s foreign policy. While in the second section an overview of the main developments of the UAE’s foreign policy toward Israel is provided, before the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020. These two sections will provide a historical context, and will indicate what changes have taken place in the UAE’s relations with Israel. Against this background, in the third section of part four, an analysis of the change in the UAE’s foreign policy towards Israel will be conducted, based on the model of foreign policy change described in the theoretical part of the thesis. Following the explanatory logic of the theoretical model and the causal relationship, the aim will be to explain the reasons for the change and the type of change that has taken place. In the last part of the work, the empirical results of the research will be evaluated and the conclusions of the research will be presented. |
