American Domination in the Palestine-israeli Conflict: an Analysis of Peace to Prosperity Through Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines the reproduction and limits of US domination in the Middle East through the Peace to Prosperity proposal introduced by the Trump administration on January 28, 2020. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice, particularly the concepts of field, habitus, capital, and symbolic power, the article analyses how American domination was constructed through the proposal’s formulation and promotion, how Palestinian actors contested it, and how these interactions revealed the limits of American influence. The research this article is based on employs a qualitative case-study approach based on document analysis of American policy documents, official statements, Palestinian responses, and regional and international institutional positions. The findings demonstrate that the United States mobilized its structural advantages, political and diplomatic resources, strategic networks, and symbolic narratives of peace, security, and prosperity to establish the proposal as a prominent diplomatic agenda. Nevertheless, Palestinian rejection and critical responses from regional and international actors exposed the limitations of converting material and diplomatic superiority into symbolic recognition and political acceptance. The article argues that American domination is reproduced through the interaction of structure, capital, networks, and discourse, but remains relational and contested. The ability to set a diplomatic agenda does not automatically generate legitimacy, consent, or implementation.
Institution: Universitas Gadjah Mada
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7225564742