The preoccupation of the United Nations with Israel: Evidence and theory

Raphael Becker (), Arye Hillman (), Niklas Potrafke and Alexander Schwemmer

The Review of International Organizations, 2015, vol. 10, issue 4, 413-437

Abstract: We compiled data on all United Nations General Assembly resolutions on which voting took place between January 1990 and June 2013 and find a preoccupation with one country: in 65 % of instances in which a country is criticized in a resolution, the country is Israel, with no other country criticized in more than 10 % of resolutions. We use comparative quantitative criteria to confirm that Israel is subject to discrimination. To explain the motives for discrimination, we present a model of behavioral political economy that includes decoy voting, vanity of autocrats, and a Schelling focal point for deflection of criticism. The model includes a role for traditional prejudice. Our conclusions more generally concern political culture in the United Nations. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Keywords: United Nations General Assembly voting; Expressive voting; Decoy voting; Focal point; Logrolling; Discrimination; Prejudice; Political culture; F51; F53; D72; D78 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (26)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11558-014-9207-3

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