Studies about Israeli foreign policy continue to grow: Amnon Aran makes an authoritative contribution with a survey of the topic in the post–Cold War era (with a short epilogue on the second Benjamin Netanyahu era). Israeli Foreign Policy since the End of the Cold War is comprehensive for its account of this period, and significant for its detailed illustration of the interplay between domestic politics and foreign policymaking. It will be essential reading for all interested in Israel's foreign policy. For experts, this is an indispensable, richly sourced reference; for a broader audience, Aran presents a wealth of information to go beyond the simplistic accounts of Israel and navigate a complex foreign policy system.

According to Aran's argument, there are three dominant perspectives in this era that dominated and (via their respective agents) contested with each other over the making and practice of Israel's foreign policy: entrenchment, engagement, and unilateralism. The first two, Aran associates with Likud and Labor, respectively; the third “stance,” as Aran calls them, is one that multiple individuals shared, most notably, Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, and Ehud Olmert. While the book is foremost an inquiry into the contestation that takes place among these three perspectives, Aran also explores the evolution of Israel&#