Middle East In The Global Politics - Essay Example

Running head: MIDDLE EAST AND INTERNATIONAL RELATION Middle East and international relation Insert Insert Grade Insert 4 December 2010 Middle East and international relation Introduction There is no apt definition that can be used to define Middle East region, but in simple understanding, this is a region that in size extends across the entire width of northern Africa into the lands of western Asia as far as the Indian subcontinent. As a region, Middle East strategically acts as a connecting link between Africa, Asia and Europe (Ismael p.183). At the same time, Middle East is home to some of the well internationally known waterways such as the Turkish Straits, the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, and the Persian Gulf. Further, this is the region that substantially ‘oils’ the world since large volumes of crude oil, a key source of energy for human global use, are mined in this region (Ismael p.183). As a result of its strategic position and numerous reserves for petroleum resources, Middle East has evolved as one of the most critical regions of contemporary world. In terms of political stability, Middle East has not been lucky as most nations of the region experience unstable political environment, an opportunity that has been exploited by superpower nations as they fight it out to gain advantage in the region (Ismael p.183). Economically, this is a region characterized by poor economic record for almost the previous two centuries. Compared to other western countries, the region’s per capita income is seen to be less than a third of per capita income in most of the advanced nations and life expectancy is almost eight years lesser (Kuran p.1). On overall, major nations of the region are characterized as poor performers economically (Kuran p.1). One theory that still remains disputed for providing reasons for underdevelopment of the region postulate that Islam ‘inhibits’ economic development of the region through its ‘culturally insensitive’ aspects such as “fatalism, personalism, laziness, lack of curiosity, mistrust of science, superstition, conservatism and traditionalism” (Timur p.2). Therefore, the essence of this paper is to look at issues of Middle East as it influences international relations. Issue to dominate the study of Middle East today and Future Israel-Palestine conflict is an issue that cannot be resolved today, tomorrow or the day after. It is a hot issue that both sides backed by their various international allies have approached with particular definite positions hardening every day. The problem originates from events of 29th November 1947 when the United Nations’ General Assembly passed a resolution to partition Palestine into two countries one occupied by Jewish and another occupied by Arab (Karsh p.8). Jerusalem was to remain under International regime with its citizens given right to belong either to the Jewish or Arab states. As Jewish allover, the world poured in joy and got submerged in celebrations as fulfillment of their long-time desire, their counterparts Palestinians saw it as unmitigated disaster that was purely an act of betrayal by the international community (Karsh p.8). As celebrations continued in Tel-Aviv there were fierce and violent demonstrations in Arab capitals and as Jamal al-Hussein, the then Vice-President of the Arab Higher Committee would comment, there were no going to be peace in the region, “we are solidly and permanently determined to fight to the last man against the existence in our country of any Jewish state, no matter how small it is” (Karsh p.8). Other discouraging remarks with regard to peace of the region include one by Palestinian Arab government which prior to the voting noted that, “if such a state is to be established, it can only be established over our dead bodies” (Karsh p.8). Another remark by AHC read that, “the Arabs have taken into their hands the final solution of the Jewish problem and the problem will be solved only in blood and fire” (Karsh p.8). As a result, Arab-Israel relation translated into a fierce and unending conflict that has characterized the peace of region for a long time. The products of that original conflict can be observed in the new modern world being propagated by Iran’s thirst for nuclear weapon development which has defined and regarded Israel as an ‘enemy’ who must be ‘eliminated’, punished and wiped out of the world map possibly by the use of nuclear weapons (Fikentscher and Neuman par.2). Resolution to the crises has been hampered by hardened positions by both sides to the conflict with Arab world seeing it an act of illegitimacy to negotiate with Israel over what is ‘rightful’ Arab country while on the other hand Israel and allies regard the statehood of the country ads a right that cannot be overturned (Fikentscher and Neuman Para.4). One fact that stands out from the Israel-Arab conflict is the fact that, if the number of peace plans were to determine peace in the region, then the problem would have gotten a solution by now. However, the reality of the matter is that even with number of peace plans in the region outnumbering other regions of the world, peace itself has remained elusive in the region. Peace Plans in the region have a historical background as the conflict itself, such plans include: The Alon Plan, Harold H. Saunders Plan, The Barak-Taba-Clinton Compromise Plan, The Quartet Road Map, Arab Peace Initiatives, Geneva Accord, Ayalon-Nusseibeh Plan, Meretz Plan, The Sharon and Olmert disengagement Plan, and recent one by President Obama, Road Map to Peace in the Middle East (Mid East Web p.1). One feature from all these plans is that, on the paper, peace has been propagated, but on ground, peace has been sabotaged, resulting to the failure of the plans to realize its goals. What has come out as an obvious bare truth is the fact that Israel-Arab conflict appear to be unending for now or even in near future due to two major reasons: the hardline positions assumed by both sides and showing little likelihood of surrender where each nation sees the presence of the other as illegitimate and an act of historical injustice (Mid East Web p.1). Second, the problem has further been saturated by outside forces that have expressed their vested interests in the issue limiting chances for any peace agreement to be reached (Mid East Web p.1). As a result Israel-Arab conflict is an issue that remains dominant study issue especially with study of Middle East and International relations of the region. Will Middle East continue to be on USA’ foreign policy agenda? USA involvement in the matters of Middle East did not start recently but has existed for a long time almost paralleling the history of the nation since its inception (Parmar p.201). Presence or interest of USA in Middle East has been associated with missionary works, proxy battles with Soviet Union, interest in contested trade routes, and interest in oil deposits (Parmar p.201). America’s interest in Middle East has been huge and incomparable to any other nation. From protecting its ally Israel, confronting Iran, battling Iraq, chiding Palestine, and silencing Afghanistan, it can be seen that USA involvement in the issues of the region are not in near future to decline or reduce. After the Cold War came to an end the general perception was that USA interest in Middle East would decline in some measures but as post-Cold War events would characterize the nation that assumption was not to be. USA has remained intimately involved in the Middle East issues as it promotes general tendencies to promote and protect the affairs of Israel while at the same time ‘tread cautiously’ not to jeopardize its relation to oil and friendly countries (Dobson and Marsh p.171). In general involvement of USA in the matters of the region in greater propensity has been motivated by the need to protect its allies from dangerous security environment largely emanating from the emerging state-sponsored terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the growing power and influence of Islamic fundamentalism (Dobson and Marsh p.171). Looking and analyzing USA foreign policy towards Middle East one discovers tendencies of consistency that have characterized the policy since the end of Second World War (Amirahmadi p.66). Hooshang Amirahmadi notes that after the end of the cold war Soviet Union influence of the region declined an opportunity USA moved fast and established itself as the strongest and predominant player of the Middle East (Amirahmadi p.66). Further, Hooshang Amirahmadi writes that, after the Gulf War, America emerged from the war as the sole arbiter of the region’s future where almost all sides acknowledged this outcome with anticipated backlash from region’s countries and international community not materializing (Amirahmadi p.66). At the same time, Arab nations became politically reluctant in questioning the military outcome of the war and therefore USA military victory over Iraq “opened political space for USA initiative in relation to regional restructuring, including with regard to the Arab-Israel relationship” (Amirahmadi p.66). The observation here is that USA foreign policy for Middle East was cemented by the outcomes of the war; and since the USA and other western countries lost the war, then possibly the foreign policy towards the region would have changed henceforth. Therefore, from these historical evidences, it becomes clear that USA foreign policy towards Middle East will continue to be on the USA foreign agenda and the context of the policy will be determined by the course of direction of predominant issues of the region: Israel-Arab relation, Iraq issue, Iran issue, Afghanistan issue, and the general issues of the region. European Union involvement in the affairs of Middle East has received some literature space where at the height of Israel-Palestine conflict and the introduction of Oslo Plan, European Union was seen to favor and support the Palestine Authority, a perception that resulted in many analysts describing EU involvement in the affair as ‘hidden war’ against USA and part of the wider strategy by EU to become world’s new superpower (par.1). One of EU parliamentarians, Ilka Schroeder noted that, “EU backing PA goes beyond support for the Palestinian cause and is actually part of a secret agenda to gain power in the world” (Stahl par.6). Schroeder further note that, “for me it is obvious that the Middle East has become one of the most important fields of European military superpower ambition and the primary goal of EU is the internationalization of the Israel-Palestine conflict in order to underline the need for its own mediating role. The longer the conflict continues and the deeper it gets, the more evident is the incapability of the USA to moderate the peace process” (Stahl par.7-8). The observation of Schroeder was that the war in the region was being artificially prolonged in order for extended solution to be found by another part other than USA. As a result, EU had role in extending the conflict so that at the end, it is able to gain a major role (Stahl par.10); this evidence points to the fact and held belief that EU continues to compete against the role of the USA in the region. Do we have reasons to fear or welcome the Middle East future? Stability as a vocabulary for Middle East has eluded many people. It is a region bend on unending political instability spiced up by terrorism actions and Islamic fundamentalism tendencies. Such a picture would make almost experience chilling conviction and optimism that Middle East has the ability to experience stability. But one can ask, what is the basis of USA military actions in the region? Analyzing many rhetorical from USA leaders it is clear that they ‘envision’ Middle East as a region that is able to experience, facilitate and promote democracy. That the military involvement of USA is to bring ‘political sanity’ in the region, eliminate ‘rogue’ leaders and protect the interests of the minority nations from the actions of ‘rogue’ leaders. As a ‘mother’ of democracy and human rights USA interest as it would put it is to see Middle East as a region that enjoys peace while at the same time human rights of all individuals observed. Although these aspects have been questioned by many people if actually they truly represent the wishes of Americans for the region or instead they are just a face-cover for America to continue dominating the region while shamelessly exploit its resources, it is a subject that cannot be answered or explored here. What is important is the fact that genuine peace for Middle East is an aspect that can be appreciated by everyone even though few individuals with economic-vested interest in the region may not celebrate but on overall, it would be important for the world and region. A positive and secure future for Middle East means that there will be no terrorism; hence, Americans will not have to worry a lot. In addition, economic institutions in the region will be viable; hence, Americans entrepreneurs will have a chance to expand into a stabilized region with confidence. Lastly, the world politics, economics, and security issues will have gotten new life, with positive prospects outweighing negative ones. Therefore, Americans as true sons and daughters of democracy, human rights, good governance, peaceful co-existence, and equal opportunity to everyone, have no reason at all to hold pessimistic ideas or hypothesis about the future of Middle East. Conclusion Middle East will remain top agenda for America. The region holds strategic importance to the world’s economic and political aspects that ignoring its affairs or its issues will be risking a lot. Political stability in the region remains paramount issue to be pursued by all parties with good intention for the region. The only advice to America is that as a mediator in the Middle East conflict it has to appear neutral and avoid its pre-agreement and post-agreement siding with one party to the conflict. At the same time both players in the region’s peace matters have to put aside their ambitions for superpower instead attach great importance to the idea of finding permanent political and peace solution to the region. Work Cited Amirahmadi, Hooshang. The United States and the Middle East: a search for new perspectives. NY, SUNY Press. 1993. 06 November 2010. http://books.google.com/books?id=AmSIOJ5ekIoC&pg=PA65&dq=America%27s+foreign+policy+in+the+middle+east&hl=en&ei=Tz79TObvE8nc4Ab7lrDnBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEYQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=America%27s%20foreign%20policy%20in%20the%20middle%20east&f=false Dobson, Alan P. and Marsh, Steve. US foreign policy since 1945. NY, Taylor and Francis. 06 November 2010. http://books.google.com/books?id=MGFxn1VFXfAC&pg=PA164&dq=America%27s+foreign+policy+in+the+middle+east&hl=en&ei=Tz79TObvE8nc4Ab7lrDnBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=America%27s%20foreign%20policy%20in%20the%20middle%20east&f=false Fikentscher, Anneliese and Neumann, Andreas. Does Iran’s President Want Israel Wiped off the Map-Does He Deny the Holocaust? Information Clearing House. 2006. 06 November 2010. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12790.htm Ismael, Tareq. Y. International relations of the contemporary Middle East: a study in world politics. NY, Syracuse University Press. 1986. 06 November 2010. http://books.google.com/books?id=P10a-_APZFIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=middle+east+and+international+relation&hl=en&ei=ChD9TM3vD8Kd4Qbh4ZDIBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=true Karsh, Efraim. The Arab-Israeli conflict: the Palestine War 1948. Osprey Publishing. 2002. 06 November 2010. http://books.google.com/books?id=CcrG6DpRrD0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Arab-+Israeli+Conflict&hl=en&ei=eSP9TPu_O8yJ4gaynYjABw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=true Kuran, Timur. Institutional Roots of Economic Underdevelopment in the Middle East. Duke University. 2010. 06 November 2010. http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:hwLsFzvUHFkJ:econ.duke.edu/uploads/assets/People/Kuran/1279637902-4_Timur_Kuran_MEEA_Speech.pdf+social+and+economic+underdevelopment+in+Middle+East&hl=en&gl=ke&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiUnnWZ_Oj8y5gNNfLEB2wR8PS7PkHcNsxq5hgjq7m_K_ndw1ATOW9_EHJr4BYtyFPyInT6YYJoyQ3GJGpmIuqP-s7iRePIuyBQcnbW5abj34UKB9T5AvwHYZK1uDPXxvKZirE7&sig=AHIEtbSDFOHdawfs2OeQJ8TVduWh3AAm6w Mid East Web. Israel-Palestinian and Arab-Israel Peace Plans. N.d. 06 November 2010. http://www.mideastweb.org/peaceplans.htm Parmar, Inderjeet. New directions in US foreign policy. NY, Taylor and Francis. 2009. 06 November 2010. http://books.google.com/books?id=0VSIy7EznZkC&pg=PA200&dq=America%27s+foreign+policy+in+the+middle+east&hl=en&ei=Tz79TObvE8nc4Ab7lrDnBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=America%27s%20foreign%20policy%20in%20the%20middle%20east&f=false Stahl, Julie. Europe Wants to Rival US as Military Superpower, Says EU Parliamentarian. N.d. 06 November 2010. http://www.crosswalk.com/1238927/ Timur, Kuran. Economic Underdevelopment in the Middle East: The Historical Role of Culture, Institutions, and Religion. Duke University. 2007. 06 November 2010. http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:hG5jLw9ayNsJ:www.afd-mozambique.org/jahia/webdav/site/afd/users/administrateur/public/eudn2007/kuran.pdf+social+and+economic+underdevelopment+in+Middle+East&hl=en&gl=ke&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiVGJ0EhZuq3-HI5xYVFzdj5b4F1vt8SOK_Pt4NirNc-ohS9hW1FVCXOisGelaNl6P34srVt7n6b9zNLzOt1D3h5a5gZy1GkX8do7g2ft1_tnqlMQADFCu5jPIQykGPbXdvccop&sig=AHIEtbSKW0X5dbcfAo6sc32c6a1aZfgC0Q Read More