Readers of the blog have submitted a few questions over the years. I’ve attempted to answer a few here. If you have any others or would like to discuss the points further, leave a comment.
Why is peace so allusive between the Israelis and Arabs?
The crucial turning point of all new and old peace initiatives continues to be the status of Jerusalem, a city that has been fought over for centuries and left a scar across the face of the region. It is this battle for this city, a city that is home to three religions, that remains the unmoveable obstacle to all progress. If a solution can be found to the political control of Jerusalem, peace would surely follow. Other crucial issues such as the right of return for Palestinian refugees scattered by numerous Arab-Israeli wars and the status of the Palestinian state are also important stumbling blocks. If these two issues were solved without an agreement on Jerusalem a deal would fail. A deal on Jerusalem without the Palestinian issue questioned would, in my opinion, not lead to a breakdown.
What does America want in the Middle East?
The first answer that usually comes to mind is ‘oil’. Wealth attracts interest. The US saw an opportunity in the ME and took it. Of course this is not the entire truth. As global hegemon, the US seeks to balance other powers against each other. To protect its interests in the ME it sought to protect Kuwait in 1990 while only two years earlier it had been a supporter of the very same regime against Iran. In 2003, it removed Saddam Hussein. This was a strategic blunder on the part of the junior Bush, which has allowed Iran to gain the upper hand in the region. Much work will be required to restore the balance.
Will Israel last?
It needs three things to maintain its position in the region, 1. Internal unity 2. Support of a major power and 3. Technological superiority. It is these three primary elements that have helped it survive against bigger and stronger enemies for sixty years. So far it has all three. It will last, for now.
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