Behind the Arab Spring: Political Issues Reflected in the International Order Recognition of Palestinians

What does the Arab Revolution, or the uprisings in Arab countries in the early part of 2011, mean for Palestinians? We provide an empirical answer to this research question by examining the fluctuating international systemInternational system as a mental construction. This study aims to develop a new method with which to grasp the mental construction of the theoretical foundation of constructivismConstructivism. Our research team developed a method to illustrate ordinary people’s perceptions of international relations in the Middle East. It is called the Political Mental MapPolitical mental map, and it relies on survey data on subjects’ perceptions of the contributions that their own government, other Arab countries, and the major powers have made toward political stability in the Middle East. This study attempts to address the deterioration in how Palestinians regard the Middle Eastern regional systemMiddle Eastern regional system based on their responses to our questions. The analysis indicates that, for Palestinians, the Arab Revolution does not provide an opportunity to redress the imbalance between national identity and national territory. The Arab uprisings meant regional disorder and brought chaos to the Arab world from the viewpoint of Palestinians. The Political Mental Map of Palestinians suggests a sense of depression among them, in spite of the promise of reconciliation between FatahFatah and HamasHamas.