Book Description

Israel has had an unusual experience as both a recipient of foreign aid and as a donor country. Although it is small in area and population, it has developed the political, economic, and military capacities of a middle-range power. It has thus been able to offer expertise to others while it has continued to develop at a rapid pace. In terms of location and ethnic background of the majority of the population, Israel belongs to Asia and therefore is an integral part of the Third World of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Israel's economic, cultural, and political interactions with the Third World are the focal points of this volume. The articles reflect the evolution of Israel's position in the Third World, the range of its programs and activities, and the problems and constraints of its international relations. Many of the contributors are Israelis who have been personally connected with diplomatic, economic, or technical assistance activities. In addition to this practical treatment, Israeli and American scholars have tried to offer a more detached and objective view of the situation. The contributors indicate the contrasting conditions that have affected interchanges with Asian, African, and Latin American states. These views outline the possibilities and limitations of a small or middle-range power engaged in a persistent regional conflict to interact normally with other developing countries and share the benefits of its own development experiences. Contributors: Moshe Alpan, Shimeon Amir, Ehud Avriel, Joel Barromi, Michael Brecher, Michael Curtis, Samuel Decalo, Ephraim Dubek, Akiva Eger, Jacques Fomerand. Eli Ginzberg, Susan Aurelia Gitelson, Irving Louis Horowitz, Eliyahu Kanovsky, Edy Kaufman, Ran Kochan, Mordechai E. Kreinin, Netanel Lorch, Meron Medzini, Benjamin Rivlin, Dan Segre, Yoram Shapira, Yaacov Shimoni.