Threats and Alliances in the Middle East is an analysis of how ideational and material forces shape threat perception and alliance choices in international relationships. It examines divergent threat perceptions and alliance choices of two Arab states, Saudi Arabia and Syria, during three wars in the region: the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the 2006 Lebanon War, and the 2009 Gaza War. Using these comparative cases studies, the book advances our understanding of why, and the conditions under which, identity plays a predominant role in shaping threat perceptions in some cases while material power is predominant in others. In doing so, the book provides insights about the role of identity and material power in shaping alliance patterns in the Middle East. The book makes clear that identities may play a predominant role in threat perception if state identities lack flexibility and malleability and the relative power distribution presents leaders with multiple policy options. When identity is flexible and the relative power distributions constraints leaders' choices, material power is likely to dominate threat perception. The book has significant implications for international relations theory and engages in important debates about the role identity, religion, and power in shaping state behaviour.

Introduction : debating threat perception -- Why and when states perceive threats : a theoretical framework -- The Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) -- The 2006 Lebanon War -- The 2009 Gaza War -- Conclusion.