Religion is an important determinant of foreign policy. It has a psychological impact on policy makers. Religious values and ideologies have an impact on state behavior. American foreign policy has cultural connotations in its interaction with the foreign policies of other states. Foreign policies of West Asian states have a deep-rooted connection with religion and religious ideology. The development of West Asia as a region is historically linked to religious and sectarian factors. West Asia's identity is strongly linked to its religious traditions and beliefs. It is quite natural that religious identity, values and philosophies influence such a region. Conservatism in the region is inseparable from Islamic and Jewish factors. Religion is an important factor in determining the foreign policy of West Asian states. Thus, the influence of religion on states' foreign policies is an area that requires further exploration by the academic circle. West Asia serves as a natural region of analysis in this regard due to its position in international politics and the way it is perceived by the West, especially the US.    more »

After the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 1993, the economic situation in the West Bank (WB) and Gaza Strip (GS) became difficult because of the absence of an efficient economic system and complete reliance on foreign funds. One result of that hardship was the tendency of Palestinian workers, who could not find jobs in the WB, to move to the Israeli Occupying Authority's (IOA) settlements in the WB seeking employment opportunities there. The Palestinian workers in these settlements consist of two types: first, legal workers with Israeli permits to get there, and second, illegal workers smuggled into these Settlements. In 2011, 25,000 Palestinians were working in IOA settlements in the WB; 10,000 of them were smuggled workers. In fact, the IOA was benefitting a lot from both types of workers. The economic, governmental committee of the IOA stated that Palestinian workers were helping both the Israeli economy and Israeli employers. This paper analyzes the economic situation in the WB and the reasons for the unique treatment meted out to the Palestinians by the IOA. Next, it defines the status of the Palestinian legal workers and their rights according to the applied laws, and the violations of these rights by the Israeli employers. Lastly, it analyzes the status of illegal Palestinian workers and their rights according to the applied laws, and the violations of these rights by the Israeli employers.     more »

Many young Muslims all over the world are leaving their families, homes and friends to join the ranks of terrorists. Previously they went to Afghanistan, now they seem to flock to ISIS. Of course, the Near East is closer to Europe and North Africa from where most jihadists hail from. It is a known fact that many youngsters from all over the world are taking part in the fight in the Near East. In this paper, we would like to address a few questions as to who they are, why they decide to leave their homes to fight for ISIS, when they decide to take such a bold step, what happens when they reach their destination and so on. Moreover, apart from trying to explain the reasons for such a move, we would like to suggest other forms of engagement to these young people who are full of life, full of energy as well as full of ideas. If we present some kind of alternatives to the call for jihad, these youngsters may consider these new forms of involvement worth trying. Obviously, we are not certain that they will take up our offer but, considering the damage they cause both in the Near East and in their respective countries, it is worth trying our luck with such pacific alternatives.    more »