In this master’s thesis, I analyse the process of desecuritization of Israel in Arab discourse through the case of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The analysis centers on how the desecuritization process changes with the emergence of disruptive processes that challenge established patterns of state behavior in the region. The thesis is grounded in a constructivist theoretical framework and the concepts of “securitization,” which frames something as a security threat, and “desecuritization,” which deconstructs security issues. Using Hansen’s four forms of desecuritization – silencing, change through stabilization, rearticulation, and replacement – I analyze Saudi discourse on Israel at two critical junctures: the signing of the Abraham Accords (September 2020) and the outbreak of the war in Gaza (October 2023). The findings show that the desecuritization process evolves alongside new security patterns that emerge in the region. In the Saudi case, the four forms of desecuritization remained present while simultaneously adapting in line with the changes brought first by the Abraham Accords and later by the war in Gaza. The forms of replacement and change through stabilization lost salience, whereas rearticulation and silencing became more prominent, as they better fit the new discursive and security conditions. Despite intense changes in the security environment, the case study did not reveal resecuritization. This demonstrates that desecuritization is a non-linear and durable process within Arab political rhetoric on Israel, indicating the possibility of continued normalization despite significant security shocks.
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