At the present, it is beneficial to the countries’ administrations to emphasize their differences, as “the nature of the present international system bolsters the dominant position of nationalists in a given conflict with an opposing political entity, as well as within their own constituency.” Even in classical texts of past interactions between Jews and Muslims, it is difficult “to distinguish where and when a leader is expressing genuine [events] and when he or she is merely using religion to gain political power.” In Palestine in particular, the concept that the “nationalistic elite [needs] to mollify religious sentiments... demonstrates the vitality of religion in domestic politics, which even the secular nature of the international system cannot alter.” The governments of both countries benefit to some extent or another by continuing conflict, but at the same time they need to cater to the religious sentiments of their citizens, as religion plays a large part in domestic
At the present, it is beneficial to the countries’ administrations to emphasize their differences, as “the nature of the present international system bolsters the dominant position of nationalists in a given conflict with an opposing political entity, as well as within their own constituency.” Even in classical texts of past interactions between Jews and Muslims, it is difficult “to distinguish where and when a leader is expressing genuine [events] and when he or she is merely using religion to gain political power.” In Palestine in particular, the concept that the “nationalistic elite [needs] to mollify religious sentiments... demonstrates the vitality of religion in domestic politics, which even the secular nature of the international system cannot alter.” The governments of both countries benefit to some extent or another by continuing conflict, but at the same time they need to cater to the religious sentiments of their citizens, as religion plays a large part in domestic