The Arab‐Israeli security dilemma and the peace process

Abstract

For the past five decades, the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region, which is embedded in the Middle East, has been characterized by a high level of conflict. In addition to the conflict in the Arab-Israeli zone, this region also includes those in the Persian Gulf, Lebanon, confrontations between Turkey and Syria, and Egypt and Libya, as well as numerous internal disputes. These areas of conflict are not independent, but overlap, extending the level arid radius of violence and threat of war. Many factors have caused and contributed to these conflicts, including ancient ethno-national-religious conflicts, the remnants of Western colonialism and the problems of state-building, the impact of the Cold War, internal power struggles, and conflicting economic interests. The relative role of these factors has varied over time, with some becoming less salient while others have grown in importance. In the past two decades, the nature of the region and the conflicts have changed significantly. The Arab-Israeli relationship may be evolving into a mixed-sum game, in which the major states involved gradually seek to pursue common interests, particularly with respect to the prevention of war and terrorism, and cooperate in economic endeavors, water resource development, and environmental issues. In contrast, the fundamentalist Islamic regime in Iran and the effort to export its radical ideology have contributed to increased internal conflict and extended the range of terrorism. Domestic political, social, and economic instabilities have contributed to this process.