1. What distinguishing feature has changed in Israeli and U.S. security policy?
 2. What has changed in the grand strategy for US and Israel in the twenty-first century
 3. How has the strategic policy for Israel changed towards the Arab states and how has it changed
for the USA towards Israel?
 4. Why is the low-grade conflict acceptable within security policy? Use examples in your answer.
 5. What explains the circumstances that allowed Iran to no longer be allied with Israel, yet have
Israel have an alliance of Saudi Arabia, other Gulf states, and Egypt against Iran. What does this
prove in the context of national security?
 6. Robert Jervis outlines two contending explanations for international conflict: a "spiral"
model, and a "deterrence" model. The spiral model posits that conflicts arise from belligerent
policies that unintentionally provoke hostility from others. In this view conflict is a
self-fulfilling prophecy--states convert others into enemies by treating them as enemies. The
deterrence model contends that conflicts arise from failure to stand firm early against aggressors.
In this view, wars develop when status quo powers encourage aggressors to demand more by appeasing
them. In the spiral view, conflicts could be avoided by appeasing adversaries; in the deterrence,
view conflicts could be avoided by tougher policies. Which model best explains the major wars and
conflicts of the United States and Israel in the 21st century?
 7. Discuss the effects of the nuclear revolution on U.S. national security interests and policies.
Specifically: Has the nuclear revolution made the U.S. and Israel more or less secure?
 8. How important is political ideology to the creation and alternation of national security
strategy?