Strategic Stability in the Middle East in Relations to the Origins of Israel and Arab Conflict

Peace in the Middle East is threatened by a range of destabilizing influences: the divide between autocratic rulers and their citizens in the struggle for political primacy or legitimacy; the challenge of finding an appropriate Islamic response to globalization; and sectarian division, between Sunni and Shi’i beliefs particularly. Moreover, the possibility of nuclear armed Iran raises the prospect of a fundamental change in the regional balance of power, and the Arab‐Israeli dispute remains as intractable as ever. Yet despite this diverse range of issues, it is the Middle East Peace Process that continues to focus international attention on the Palestine Question. When put in context, however, this single focus may be counterproductive since Middle East stability is not solely dependent on resolution of the Palestine Question.