Dominant Power and Its Bandwagoning Effect on Justice in the Middle East
Keywords:
Bandwagoning, Dominant power, Justice, Middle East
Abstract
This research contributes to complementing the study of realism in international relations through bandwagoning by analyzing interdependence in the alliance of Muslim countries in the Middle East. The United States, as a dominant power, always takes part in the political map in the Middle East, which is considered strategic, by offering political, military, and economic assistance. The response of countries in the Middle East varies, depending on their national agendas and diplomatic relations. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, several Muslim countries in the Middle East lost the value of impartial justice and depended on the interests of allies with the United States. The principle of independent justice has become blurred, leading to bias in the actions of Muslim countries that tend to support the United States. This research uses the concept of bandwagoning popularized by Kenneth Waltz in Theory of International Politics. This alliance contributes to the value of justice to follow the dominant power rather than uphold justice in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The method used in this research is qualitative, with a descriptive approach based on secondary data collection. The analysis in this research compares several specific phenomena in the Middle East region, focusing on Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and Bahrain. This study uses national interest mapping to show that the interdependence of Muslim countries choosing to ally with the United States influences political actions and decisions without regard to the principle of impartial justice.
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Pinto, M. D. C. (1999). Some U.S. concerns regarding Islamist and Middle Eastern terrorism. Terrorism and Political Violence, 11(3), 72–96.
Pollack, J. (2002). Saudi Arabia and the United States, 1931–2002. Middle East Review of International Affairs, 6(3), 77–102.
Rashed, D. (2019). Geography, resources, and the geopolitics of Middle East conflicts. In L. Fawcett (Ed.), Regional security in the Middle East (pp. 131–150). Routledge.
Reich, B., & Powers, S. (2012). The United States and Israel. In M. E. Smith (Ed.), The contemporary Middle East (pp. 99–119). Routledge.
Roth, A. I. (2009). Reassurance: A strategic basis of U.S. support for Israel. International Studies Perspectives, 10(4), 378–393.
Spektor, M., & Fasolin, G. (2018). Bandwagoning for survival: Political leaders and international alignments. SSRN. Retrieved from https://ssrn.com/abstract=3265876
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Yeung, M. (2016). Balancing versus bandwagoning: The strategic dilemma of Australia's China policy. Lingnan University Department of Political Science.
Zanotti, J., & Sharp, J. M. (2023). Israel and Hamas 2023 conflict in brief: Overview, U.S. policy, and options for Congress. Congressional Research Service.
Ahmed, W., Sheikh, A., & Rasool, S. W. (n.d.). Navigating the Israel-Palestine conflict: Historical roots, current dynamics, and pathways to peace.
Ahren, R. (2020, October 18). ‘From friend to family’: Israel and Bahrain establish diplomatic relations. Retrieved from https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-bahrain-sign-historic-agreement-formally-establishing-diplomatic-ties/
Aljazeera. (2023, October 9). Israel-Gaza war in maps and charts: Live tracker. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker
Aras, B., & Kardaş, Ş. (2021). Geopolitics of the new Middle East: Perspectives from inside and outside. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, 23(3), 397–402. https://doi.org/10.1080/19448953.2021.1908310
Barrucho, L. (2024, June 28). Mengapa Timur Tengah penting bagi Amerika Serikat. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/indonesia/articles/cj7dk81v30ko
Blanchard, C. M. (2016). Saudi Arabia: Background and US relations (Vol. 22). Congressional Research Service.
Buckley, M. (2012). Justice in context: Assessing contextualism as an approach to justice. Ethics & Global Politics, 5(2), 72. https://doi.org/10.3402/egp.v5i2.15541
Campbell, J. C. (1972). The Soviet Union and the United States in the Middle East. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 401(1), 95–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/000271627240100109
Cristol, J. (2018). United States foreign policy in the Middle East after the Cold War. In R. Brauchler (Ed.), Conflict and diplomacy in the Middle East (pp. 126–135). Springer.
Embassy of Egypt. (n.d.). Egypt-US relations. Retrieved from https://egyptembassy.net/egypt-us-relations/
Farouk, Y. (2019). The Middle East strategic alliance has a long way to go. Carnegie Articles. Retrieved from https://carnegieendowment.org
Ferrari, G. (2018). Plato: The Republic. Cambridge University Press.
Gerring, J. (2017). Qualitative methods. Annual Review of Political Science, 20(1), 15–36. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-092415-024158
Grafov, D. B. (2021). The influence of Qatari-Israeli and Qatari-American relations on Qatar's Arab policy. Vostok: Afro-Aziatskie Obshchestva: Istoriia i Sovremennost, 4, 107–117.
Henderson, S. (2023, October 24). Qatar’s relations with Washington and Israel are being tested. Retrieved from https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/qatars-relations-washington-and-israel-are-being-tested
Historian. (n.d.). A guide to United States history of recognition, diplomatic, and consular relations, by country since 1776: Bahrain. Retrieved from https://history.state.gov/countries/bahrain
Historian. (n.d.). A guide to United States history of recognition, diplomatic, and consular relations, by country since 1776: Egypt. Retrieved from https://history.state.gov/countries/egypt
Historian. (n.d.). A guide to United States history of recognition, diplomatic, and consular relations, by country since 1776: Qatar. Retrieved from https://history.state.gov/countries/qatar
Hudson, M. C. (2016). The United States in the Middle East. In L. Fawcett (Ed.), International relations of the Middle East (pp. 356–373). Oxford University Press.
Irina, & Andrei. (2018). Corporate and country image: A bilateral relationship. Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Business Excellence, 12(1), 48–58.
Johnston, M. P. (2014). Secondary data analysis: A method of which the time has come. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 3(3), 619–626.
Juneau, T. (2014). U.S. power in the Middle East: Not declining. Middle East Policy, 21(2), 40–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/mepo.12072
Kaplan, L. (2006). Alliance. In J. W. Young & M. P. Leffler (Eds.), Palgrave advances in Cold War history (pp. 111–129). Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Katzman, K. (2013). Bahrain: Reform, security, and U.S. policy. Congressional Research Service.
Keohane, R. O., & Nye, J. S. (2012). Power and interdependence. Pearson Education.
Khan, M. (2015). United States foreign policy in the Middle East: A case study of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Kilchevsky, A., Cason, J., & Wandschneider, K. (2007). Peace and economic interdependence in the Middle East. World Economy, 30(4), 647–664.
Lammers, J., Norton, M. I., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2022). Disentangling the factors behind shifting voting intentions: The bandwagon effect reflects heuristic processing, while the underdog effect reflects fairness concerns. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 2(10), 677–696.
Le Monde. (2023, November 12). At Riyadh summit, Arab and Muslim leaders slam Israel but can't agree on response. Retrieved from https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/11/11/at-riyadh-summit-arab-and-muslim-leaders-slam-israel-but-can-t-agree-on-response_6247317_4.html
Levick, L., & Schulz, C. (2020). Soft balancing, binding, or bandwagoning? Understanding institutional responses to power disparities in the Americas. Canadian Journal of Political Science, 53(3), 526–547.
Middle East Monitor. (2024, May 5). Bahraini-based resistance group claims responsibility for drone attack on Israeli port. Retrieved from https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240505-bahraini-based-resistance-group-claims-responsibility-for-drone-attack-on-israel-port/
Miglietta, J. P. (2002). American alliance policy in the Middle East, 1945–1992: Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Lexington Books.
Miller, B. (2004). The international system and regional balance in the Middle East. In T. V. Paul, J. J. Wirtz, & M. Fortmann (Eds.), Balance of power: Theory and practice in the 21st century (pp. 239–266). Stanford University Press.
Mock, S., Obeidi, A., & Zeleznikow, J. (2014). A brief outline of the Israel–Palestinian conflict. Group Decision and Negotiation, 23(6), 1245–1262.
OEC. (2024). United States / Bahrain. Retrieved from https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-country/usa/partner/bhr
OEC. (2024). United States / Egypt. Retrieved from https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-country/usa/partner/egy
OEC. (2024). United States / Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-country/usa/partner/sau
OEC. (2024). United States / Qatar. Retrieved from https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-country/usa/partner/qat
Saiia. (n.d.). A strategic alliance global order: Diplomacy in a time of flux. Retrieved from https://saiia.org.za/research/a-strategic-alliance-global-order-diplomacy-in-a-time-of-flux/
Pinto, M. D. C. (1999). Some U.S. concerns regarding Islamist and Middle Eastern terrorism. Terrorism and Political Violence, 11(3), 72–96.
Pollack, J. (2002). Saudi Arabia and the United States, 1931–2002. Middle East Review of International Affairs, 6(3), 77–102.
Rashed, D. (2019). Geography, resources, and the geopolitics of Middle East conflicts. In L. Fawcett (Ed.), Regional security in the Middle East (pp. 131–150). Routledge.
Reich, B., & Powers, S. (2012). The United States and Israel. In M. E. Smith (Ed.), The contemporary Middle East (pp. 99–119). Routledge.
Roth, A. I. (2009). Reassurance: A strategic basis of U.S. support for Israel. International Studies Perspectives, 10(4), 378–393.
Spektor, M., & Fasolin, G. (2018). Bandwagoning for survival: Political leaders and international alignments. SSRN. Retrieved from https://ssrn.com/abstract=3265876
Sharp, J. M. (2011). Egypt: Background and U.S. relations. DIANE Publishing.
U.S. Department of State. (2023, November 1). U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia. Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-saudi-arabia/
U.S. Department of State. (2024, March 5). The U.S.–Qatar strategic partnership. Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/the-u-s-qatar-strategic-partnership/
Usher, S. (2023, October 17). Why Egypt remains reluctant to open Rafah crossing to Gaza. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67133675
Yeung, M. (2016). Balancing versus bandwagoning: The strategic dilemma of Australia's China policy. Lingnan University Department of Political Science.
Zanotti, J., & Sharp, J. M. (2023). Israel and Hamas 2023 conflict in brief: Overview, U.S. policy, and options for Congress. Congressional Research Service.
Published
2025-01-01
How to Cite
Radiatie, N., Iskandar, W., Dasadwiastaning, V., & Morley, P. (2025). Dominant Power and Its Bandwagoning Effect on Justice in the Middle East. Jurnal Kajian Peradaban Islam, 8(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47076/jkpis.v8i1.320
Section
Islamic Politics, Law, and Governance
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