Politics And Foreign Relations Of The Arab-Israeli Conflict - Essay Example

Politics And Foreign Relations Of The Arab-Israeli Conflict Introduction Middle East has often been viewed as a region of unrest. From the very ancient times to the modern, religious and political conflicts have been disquieting the public as well as private life of majority of the Middle East countries. Wars for oil, especially the indulgence of the European powers with an eye on the oil wealth of these countries, are the other issues that obliterated their wealth and vitality. Regarding majority of the conflicts during the past decades in the Middle East, one can see Israel standing on one side and Arabs on the other. One of the prominent reasons for Israeli-Arab conflict is racism— the religious conflict between the Jews and the Muslims. Zionism was another issue that paved the way for religious conflict in Middle East. Zionism is an international movement aiming at the reestablishment of a Jewish homeland in the country of Israel. As Israel is the historical land of the Jews, the Zionist movement goes on to support it since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Certain aspects, especially the religious tradition links the Jews to the land of Israel. In spite of being a national movement, Zionism had to fight hard for its existence when the United Nations general assembly branded it as a form of racism. Judaism, like Zionism, has also caused for the so called conflicts in Middle East. The Arabs and Western nations regarded Judaism as a form of racism and they opposed the concept— Israel, the land of Jews. One can find a parallel to it in the origin of the Pan-Arab movement in Palestine, the land belonging to Muslims. The present conflicts between Palestine and Israel are mainly focused on religious issues and cross-border terrorism. Nowadays, Israel is regarded as a threat to international peace and security. Many regard Israel as the chief contriver of majority of the conflicts in the Middle East region. The researcher is of the view that Israel is a threat to world peace as it has not officially admitted having nuclear weapons and has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This prevents the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the threat of atomic weapons of that country. This is another source of grievance among the Arab countries who protest against this injustice. The study is conducted on the grounds that Israel as a nation can pose threat to international peace and security, and that it is the chief contriver of the conflicts on Middle East region. Rabinovich & Reinharz, in their seminal book Israel in the Middle East: documents and readings on society, politics, and foreign relations, pre-1948 to the present offer a detailed documentation of the history of the origin, growth and development of Israel as a dominant power in the Middle East. The authors argue that Israel’s history can be demarcated by its wars and for them “these wars are turning points not only in Israel’s foreign policy but also in the country’s internal development” ( Rabinovich & Reinharz 1). Ever since the rise of Zionism (Jewish national movement) in the late 1947, there were conflicts between the Jews and the Arabs in Israel which later spread to the whole of Middle East. The Arab-Israeli war which ended with the Sinai Campaign of 1956, in fact, paved the way for the establishment of the State of Israel as an influential nation in the Middle East. Even though Israel could improve its economic condition and standard of living after the Sinai campaign, the recession of 1965-67 adversely affected the economic stability of the nation. Gradually, one could also find a gradual shift of Israel from an ally of the Soviet Union to that of the United States. The international isolation that haunted Israel came to an end with the French-Israeli alliance in 1955. However, the alliance with the Western powers damaged Israel’s relationship with the Soviet Union and the Third World countries. Similarly, the nation’s attempts to engage in semi-alliances with other non-Arab, anti-Soviet states such as Iran, Turkey and Ethiopia also enhanced the intensity of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is also to be born in mind that the Camp David Accords of 1978, a bilateral treaty between Israel and an Arab country, Egypt was initiated by the United States. According to the authors, the major issues that culminated in Arab-Israeli conflict and the international conflict in the region in the mid 1960s were “the waters of the Jordan, the re-emergence of an autonomous Palestinian national movement, border clashes with Syria, and conflicts between moderate and radical Arab states and their respective superpower patrons. This culminated in the crisis of May 1967 and the next month in the Six-Day War” ( Rabinovich & Reinharz 2-3). It is also to be noted that the war had immense impact on the domestic and external history of Israel as the nation could capture territories from Syria, Jordan, and Egypt and as the authors observe, “the Israeli government sought to use its military victory and control of former Arab territories to achieve settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict” ( Rabinovich & Reinharz 3). Similarly, the authors also purport that Israel’s wars against Lebanon and Palestine has also resulted in unrest among the Middle Eastern nations and that it has adversely affected international peace and security too. The book has great implications for any study on Israel and the Middle East. As the book offers a detailed account of how the Arab-Israeli and Palestine- Arab conflict originated and dominated in the Middle East, it offers great insights to the current research. Similarly, the text emphasizes beyond any doubt that the Arab-Israel conflict has been the contributing factor that led to Israel’s wars and conflict with its neighboring nations. The authors throw light on the various religious, social, and political factors that created unrest and lack of peace in the Middle East. One can also find traces of factors that led to the involvement of Super powers such as the Soviet Union and the United States of America in the Middle East politics in the book. The peace treaty signed between Israel and Egypt can be considered as a milestone in the Middle East politics. Quandt’s book The Middle East: ten years after Camp David clearly demonstrates the political and international uprisings in the Middle East after the Camp David Accords in which Israel played a pivotal role. It is also worthwhile to consider Quandt’s argument that super world powers such as the United States and the Soviet Union have utilized Israel as a playground to establish their dominion in the Middle Eastern region. The book is significant for the current research as it emphasizes that the unresolved question of Palestinian representation has very often been employed by the pro-Israeli lobby to exert political pressure in the Middle East. With the introduction of the Camp David Accords, the Arab-Israeli conflict assumed new dimensions and by the 1980s, as pointed out by the researcher, “the Arab-Israeli conflict had been transformed into a regional problem with two main dimensions: an Israeli-Palestinian communal struggle, fought primarily within the area of the historic mandate of Palestine west of the Jordan River; and a military confrontation, for the moment quiescent, between the Israeli and Syrian military establishments, with Lebanon as a testing ground between these two regional rivals” (Quandt 358). As a result, the Palestine-Israeli conflict turned out to be a serious issue that invited global attention to the Middle East. In this respect, it is essential to have an understanding regarding the Soviet Union’s policies towards the Middle East politics and the Arab-Israeli conflict. As Quandt rightly puts it, “sharp conflict, periodically escalating to crisis level, has existed in the Middle East for several decades, causing military and political concern in the Soviet Union, Soviet security is adversely affected” (Quandt 387). It is because of this U.S.-Soviet confrontation that the United States has deeply been involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict and the author purports that “the United states strives to minimize the role of the Soviet Union in regional affairs and perhaps even to oust it from the Middle East” (Quandt 387). The book offers great assistance to the research as it clearly shows that there was a shift from Arab-Israeli conflict to Israeli-Palestinian communal struggle in the Middle East after the Camp David Accords and it also pinpoints at the role played by both the United States of America and the Soviet Union in molding the Middle East politics in favor of their ulterior motives. The rise of Israel: a history of a revolutionary state by Jonathan Adelman illustrates how Israel rose to be an influential and powerful power in the Middle East. For Adelman, ‘Israel remains one of the most controversial countries in the world’ as the global world including “Arab nationalist, Third World, Western Leftist and even religious scholars and leaders have been particularly vexed by the success of Israel, which stands out against the failures of pan-Arabism. Arab nationalism, Third World Socialism, Communism and Islamic fundamentalism and their foreign patrons (Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union)” (Adelman 15). There are scholars and researchers who consider Israel as ‘a foreign colonial imperialist enterprise’ that has been sponsored and promoted by Europe and the United States. There are also researchers who argue that the pro-Israel lobby has exerted influence on the American foreign policy too. Adelman, citing many instances, purports that the “Western sympathies for several decades were clearly on the side of the Jews, with their democracy and Western orientation, rather than the Arabs, with their autocracies and Islamic orientation” (Adelman p. 19). The author also pinpoints the large amount of foreign aid offered to Israel by the United States. The United States has also offered military, political and diplomatic assistance to Israel with a view to dominate the Middle East. The book is of importance as it reveals the United States’ involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict and the text also shows that the western powers supported Israel rather than the Islam Arab nations. The United States and the Middle East is a comprehensive text that deals with the policy priorities of United States over the Middle East. The American Assembly observes that “the Middle East should not become an arena of armed great power conflict” as it can lead to a major war among world nations (American Assembly p.2). The assembly also exhorts the United States to gain international cooperation to ensure peace in the Middle East and to keep the region away from the threat of nuclear weapons. The American Assembly holds that “the United States should reiterate its determination that there shall be no armed aggression within the Middle East. It should reaffirm its opposition to change of existing frontiers by force and seek multilateral support for that position” (American Assembly 3). It is therefore essential that United States also maintains strong international relations with Arab nations such as Turkey and Iran and also there should be efforts to prevent any sorts of conflicts between Israel and its neighboring states. Alan M. Dershowitz in his book The case for Israel makes a clear assessment about Israel, as the chief contriver of majority of the conflicts in the Middle East region. The author begins his book by unveiling these accusations. For the author, “The Jewish nation of Israel stands accused in the dock of international justice. The charges include being a criminal state, the prime violator of human rights, the mirror image of Nazism and the most intransigent barrier to peace in the Middle East” (Dershowitz 1). The writer poles apart from the general way of regarding Israel as the cause of central problems in the Middle East. The author does not support every Israel policy or action but exhorts that Israel, like other nations, have the “basic right to exist, to protect its citizens from terrorism, and to defend its boarders from hostile enemies” (Dershowitz 1). A critical analysis of the book reveals that the author is trying to review the conflict on a humanitarian level. For him, the book is an attempt from his part to present a realist picture of the conflicts in Middle East. The author regards Israel as a multiethnic democracy which can aptly be compared to the United States. It provides better living conditions for Jews, Muslims and Christians when weighing against other Arab nations of the Middle East. Author accuses the critics who single out Israel by ignoring the injustices occurring in other nations, and adds that such criticisms cross the line from fair to foul. An overview of the book reveals the seamy side of criticisms though the author does not support all the policies of Israel. Attempts have been made to alleviate the tension and conflict in the Middle East region. As previously mentioned, the main conflict in Middle East was between Israel and Arab nations. The chance of diplomatic conflict was probably vested on the United States because of the U.S.-Israeli relationship. The American-led peace process which began in mid-1970s had a decisive role in assuring negotiated peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors. They had resolved to decrease the ratio of conflict through a step-by-step process, as such; they studied the root cause of the issue. They were aware of the fact that it is better to study how the issue should be resolved rather than what should be done. William B. Quandt in his book, “Peace process: American diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli conflict since 1967” evaluates the Arab-Israeli conflict and peace processes. Quandt presents Israeli and Arabian perspectives of the conflicts. The author is of the opinion that most of the Israelis felt certain that the Arabs would not provide reassuring answers to the questions raised by the Israelis and as such there is little prospect for successful negotiations. “From the Arab perspective, the conflict also seemed intractable, but the interest of the existing regimes and the interests of the Palestinians, who had lost most from the creation of Israel, were by no means identical” (Quandt 2). Quandt’s book throws light to the real conflict in the Middle East and the peace processes under the leadership of the United States. The author also finds out that not all the Arabian countries were in a conflict with Israel but countries like Jordan and Lebanon maintained under-the-table contacts with Israel. They followed the policy, “No war, no peace” (Quandt 2). The initiatives from the part of the United States to control the conflicts in the Middle East are crystal clear when observing the U.S. denial of selling arms to Israel. It has been observed that this action of the United States will, to an extent, prevent the arm race in the Middle East region. Bard makes it clear in his book, “The complete idiot's guide to Middle East conflict” (Bard 190). Under the subtitle, “Hawks fly east”, Bard narrates the reasons for denying weapons to Israel. One of the prominent reasons for denying the weapons was that the country, Israel was strong enough to defend itself without U.S. arms. Moreover, Israel had the access of weapons from other sources which were sufficient to satisfy their needs. If U.S. sells weapons to Israel, it will make Arabs to approach Russia or China for weapons. Above all, The United States do not want to risk a Middle East confrontation with the Soviet Union and alienate the Arabs. This book enables us to have a clear picture about the American mediation in Israel-Arab conflict. The Palestinian issue: The middle-east, of which Israel is now a part, has been an area of conflict for many decades. As a result, a lot of literature by way of books, articles and electronic media has devoted a lot of attention to the issue. The major players in this conflict are Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iran and Iraq. The conflict is also fuelled by the fact that the region is home to the three major religions of the world namely Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The emergence of Israel as an independent nation state and its political and religious conflict is one of the major concerns that affect the region in particular. It is also of concern to other middle-eastern nations, Jews and Muslims in other parts of the world, and to a large extent Europe and North America. The Zionist movement, propounded by Theodor Herzl in 1896 first raised the idea of a Jewish homeland for followers of the religion. The article titled ‘Zionism – definition and history’ provides detailed and relevant information about the movement and the concept of Zionism. It is interesting to note from the article that the Jewish establishment was not supportive of a Jewish nation in the Middle-East. It appears that, as a displaced community, Jewish leaders were happy to maintain status quo in whichever nation their followers had settled. But eventually, the movemement gathered momentum after oppression and the holocaust during the Second World War (Zionism). The article apparently provides an unbiased view of the whole movement taking into account various political, religious and historical motives. Its supporters identified a piece of land in the middle-east region which they believed was the Promised Land of the Jews. After an initial trickle, the movement became a mass exodus of Jews from Europe, USA, and other parts of the world immigrating to this new place to settle and make it their permanent home. The primarily nomadic and original Arab inhabitants of the state found themselves displaced of their traveling lands and the resulting conflict has yet to come to a peaceful conclusion. A long process of diplomatic and armed (and terror) tactics has been going on over the years for a permanent settlement of the issue of a permanent Palestinian homeland as officially recognized by Israel. The political reason behind choosing the region for the Jewish motherland was the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. This resulted in the formation several independent nations of which one major nation was Turkey, apart from Israel. The area identified as Palestine remained without official recognition as a nation state and it eventually came under British control. The government then promulgated the Balfour Declaration in 1917, which called for the establishing a new nation for the Jewish people (History of Israel). The article then goes on to state that the declaration had made conflicting promises to both the Jews and the Arabs. It is apparent here that the Balfour Declaration was done without in-depth study of the actual situation. The article even suggests that the move was politically motivated rather than based on a genuine consideration for providing a homeland for the Jewish people. This naturally resulted in protests from the original inhabitants of the area who found their land being occupied by immigrant Jewish people from across the world. The protests grew in strength as they (original inhabitants) began to organize themselves to form a separate state of their own. As mentioned earlier unresolved conflicts remain to this day. It is to be noted that there are moderates and hardliners on both sides. There are a group of Palestinians who argue that the whole area including the current nation of Israel be handed over to them, while other argue that a part of the land along with autonomy, recognition, and self-rule would be satisfactory. The same two outlooks exist in Israel also where the hardliners state that there should not exist a state called Palestine. The moderates feel that a part of the land should be seen and recognized as the nation of Palestine. According to some scholars, one of the primary reasons of conflict was that the way of life that had been going on for centuries in the region had been threatened by the exodus. “The emergence of the Zionist movement in the late nineteenth century coincided with the rise of nationalism in the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Form the outset the Arabs of Palestine viewed Zionism as a territorial colonist movement which threatened their national existence” (Kayyali). It can be argued that this perception of threat to their civilization was one of the primary reasons of the conflict. The author states that since there was no official nations state, opposition came from different communities of the original inhabitants. But over the years, religious and political factors have become a part of the issue making the situation all the more complicated. Kayyali apparently provides a history of Palestine starting from 1881 and ending in 1939. But on the whole, it appears that his sympathies are with the local inhabitants, and does not take into consideration, the Jewish perspective on Israel as a homeland. Hence, other views and writings on this issue is taken into consideration here. There is also another argument regarding the creation of Israel through the support of Western nations. Many feel that the creation of Israel was a political and religious move to remove Jews from the Western society. According to the Balfour Declaration, “His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country” (The Balfour Declaration). The article strongly states that the exodus movement was initiated by the British without considering the needs, culture, and aspirations of the local inhabitants. The argument is that the words home and not nation or state is used in the declaration. In other words, the Western powers who initiated and supported the exodus did not think of the new land as a nation state. It also specifically states that the rights of the original inhabitants be kept intact. In other words, the political and religious ramifications were not taken into consideration, for example, the objections of the local population affected. It was as if that the primary purpose was to see that Jews (or at least a majority of them) leave the West for the new ‘national home’. As mentioned earlier, the resistance was by local communities, but over the years, they became more organized and the movement took a nationalistic stature. It resulted in a sense of urgency and cooperation across all communities living in the region. The end of the Second World War saw the establishment of the United Nations Special Commission on Palestine (UNSCOP), which proposed two independent states, Palestine and Israel. It stated that Jerusalem, a city which is holy for all three religions be ruled under an international administration. The proposal was not acceptable to the Palestinians. By this time the Arab countries had established itself in the middle-east and formed the Arab League in 1945. This organized entity was growing in power and gave full support to Palestinians with open hostility towards Israel. In its Declaration on the Invasion of Palestine, it states that “The Pact of the League of Arab States declared that Palestine has been an independent country since its separation from the Ottoman Empire, but the manifestations of this independence have been suppressed due to reasons which were out of the control of its inhabitants. The establishment of the United Nations shortly afterwards was an event about which the Arabs had the greatest hopes. Their belief in the ideals on which that organization was based made them participate in its establishment and membership” (Arab League Declaration on the Invasion of Palestine). Here also, the views expressed are more attuned towards the plight and aspirations of Arabs rather than the immigrants of the new state of Israel. This statement indicates that the rest of the Arab nations in the Middle-East had recognized the need for an independent nation state of Palestine. In effect, Israel has become isolated in regional politics and policies and has support of some Western nations only. But even so, the country managed to become a strong economic and military power. In 1967, the Palestine Liberation Organization was formed and published an official charter containing thirty articles was published. Article 20 states that the anything regarding the formation of a Jewish homeland as mentioned in the Balfour Declaration was null and void. The article further denies any historical association of Jews with the territory of Palestine is “incompatible with the facts of history and the true conception of what constitutes statehood” (The Palestinian National Charter). The article further goes on to explain that Judaism is a religion and not a nation. Hence Jews are citizens of the nations in which they currently reside and do not have a right to form a nation occupied by the original inhabitants of Palestine. It is commendable that an Israeli government organization has provided public access to a charter that is hostile to the existence of the nation in the Middle-East. Other articles indicate the animosity towards Western nations and term its attitude as colonialist, aggressive and fascist in nature. The whole movement is an attempt to curtail the power of rising Arab nations in the region. A major attempt at peace, stability and official recognition of boundaries between the two countries was made through the Annapolis Peace Initiative in 2007. Thought both nations agreed in principle to a two nation theory as propounded by the Initiative, Israeli fears regarding some of the conditions further stalled the proceedings to bring about a permanent solution to the problem. What is saddening is that Arab nations were willing to accept Israel as a nation if its government acceded to the terms mentioned in the peace initiative. It appears that Israel rejected the 1967 border and also the proposal that refugees who owned lands or was part of Israel be allowed to return home (Palestinians lose at Annapolis Peace Conference). It was felt that a huge influx of the original Muslim inhabitants into Israel would change the population balance in their favor thereby creating further issues in the future regarding control of governance in a democratic setup. The Palestine Israeli standoff can only be solved by a resolute undertaking by both parties without taking into consideration political and regional issues. It needs strong political and leadership on the part of both Israel and Palestine to solve the issue. It appears that a mutual agreement would be acceptable to the Arab world if Israel recognizes Palestine and allow the region the present occupied territory. This would also apparently appease other Arab nations in the Middle-East and would foster an era of peace in an otherwise volatile region influenced by the oil economy, terrorism, and conflicting social interests between Western and Islamic societies. But the stalemate continues resulting in further hostilities among Arab nations other nation states with regard to the attitude taken by Israel. The Arab-Israeli conflict: The Israeli Palestine conflict, as mentioned earlier grew into a political and regional war or issue that involved European and Arab nations. It also brought into conflict religious and social matters into the issue. The apparently unsolvable issues has resulted in a stalemate which could be solved as per the following statement- “The Arab-Israeli conflict was unsolvable as long as it was set in existential terms--requiring either Israel's destruction or the Palestinian Arabs' exile and political nonexistence. Only when both sides perceived that neither could be eliminated did they become ready for an outcome giving each a national framework, a two-state solution in which Israel and Palestine partition the land and live in peace. The conflict's apparent endlessness, incurring high costs with no prospect for absolute victory, finally made success at the bargaining table seem both plausible and desirable” (Rubin). The author correctly suggests that the only apparent solution is to find a way to live in harmony without taking into consideration past history with regard to religion and ownership of the land. It can be argued that Jews were one of the original inhabitants of the Middle-East. It can also be argued that, Arabs and nomads have been living in Palestine for centuries. But a strong nation state (recognized or otherwise) has already been established by Israel. This has been acknowledged by other nations based upon considerations that Israel formulates a lasting policy on Palestine. As mentioned before there are many political and historical reasons for the formation of Israel. The Zionist movement felt that the region is the Promised Land for Jews. The persecution in the West added fuel to the need for a homeland. There are arguments that certain Western nations encouraged this so that the Jewish community would migrate to this new nation or homeland. But this exodus has resulted in various issues with regard to the original inhabitants of the region. Once seen as a threat to culture and livelihood, the issue has become a political, social, and economic issue with regard to the existence and development of Israel as a nation state in the Middle-East. The stalemate continues with Palestine and other Arab states on one side and Israel and its Western supports on the other. When Israel came into existence in 1948, there was widespread condemnation by Palestine Arabs and other Muslim nations to evict the settlers. But it has come to such a stage that Israel is now seen as permanent presence in the region by most of its former detractors. The tables have now turned and the pressure is now on Israel to recognize and demarcate Palestine as a country. Even the Palestinian National Authority and the PLA only want a nation status alongside Israel based on the 1967 occupation status. Mounting pressure from many quarters is now against Israel to provide a lasting solution to the issue. On the whole, literature published on the Palestine-Israel-Arab conflict is seen and being more sympathetic towards the plight of the local inhabitants due to the creation of the new nation state of Israel. While these concerns are apparently genuine, it is felt that more literature providing the views of the citizens of Israel be also published in order to justify their creation and occupation of a new nation. But, in any instance, review of literature shows that a lasting solution can only be achieved through political, social, and economic policies that is acceptable to all the stakeholders concerned. Works Cited Adelman, Jonathan R. The rise of Israel: a history of a revolutionary state. Illustrated Edition: Routledge, 2008. Print. American Assembly. The United States and the Middle East. Volume 11 of A Spectrum book / The American Assembly series. Ed. Georgiana G. Stevens. The American Assembly, 1964. Print. “Arab League Declaration on the Invasion of Palestine” 1948. Jewish Virtual Library. 13 September 2010, Bard G. M. The complete idiot's guide to Middle East conflict. Illustrated edition, Alpha Books. 2005. Print. Dershowitz M.A. The case for Israel. illustrated edition, John Wiley and Sons. 2003. Print. “History of Israel”2010. Stand for Israel. 13 September 2010, “Kayyali” n.d. Palestine: a modern history. 12 September 2010, Read More