Surviving the Storm: Regime Consolidation, Identity & Egypt’s Foreign Policy

• In Event: Meaning, Identity, and Claim-Making in Palestine and Israel

Abstract

A lively debate exists regarding the relationship between foreign policy and national identity. While many scholars have argued that national identity has shaped states’ approach to the international system, others have claimed that elites strive to inculcate their populations with versions of national identity that fit their policy objectives. In this paper, we argue that the question of whether identity shapes foreign policy or vice versa can be explained in part on the degree of authoritarian consolidation. To test this hypothesis, we focus on Egypt’s relationship with Israel and the Palestinians. We argue that national identity has influenced Egypt’s approach during periods of regime vulnerability. However, during periods in which authoritarianism was more deeply entrenched, the regime strove to shape national identity to suit the government’s foreign policy. In addition to examining historical examples, we explore how return to authoritarianism after the post-Arab Spring interregnum has displayed this trend, with special attention paid to the ways the Sisi regime has responded to the conflict in Gaza which began in October 2023. This comparison of cases within the Egyptian example contributes to the debate on national identity and foreign policy by exploring the influence of regime consolidation and legitimacy on this dynamic.

Authors

• Victoria Gilbert, Wofford College

• Peter Griffith