| The story of Israeli-Iranian relations has puzzled many students of international politics because of its seeming defiance of conventional wisdom. Given the major differences between Iran and Israel in size, population, religion, and historic traditions, how does one explain Israeli-Iranian relations since 1948? The veil of secrecy surrounding Israeli-Iranian relations and the lack of declassified documents have made the task of examining relations between the two states arduous. The purpose of this study is to trace the principal trends in the emergence of the Tehran-Tel Aviv connection and to identify the main factors leading to both continuity and change in Israeli-Iranian relations. The two factors that account for the continuity in Israeli-Iranian relations are Israel's concern for the safety of Iran's Jewish community and a geopolitical predicament that creates a convergence of interest. Israel and Iran by virtue of their geopolitical position exist dangerously. Hence, Israeli-Iranian relations are a function of their wish not to incur the danger of losing their Jewish and Persian existence. In other words, each needs the other as a balance against potential and actual enemies. The most important factor leading to change in Israel's relations with Iran has been the nature of the regime in Tehran. Secularists have welcomed ties to the Jewish state, while Shiite fundamentalists have opposed cultivation of closer ties to Israel. This situation implies that, in the future, Israeli-Iranian relations will remain a mixture of tactical cooperation over issues pertaining to the survival of Jewish and Iranian statehood tempered by ideologically motivated disagreements. |
