The Decline of the Arab-Israeli Conflict: Middle East Politics & the Quest for Regional Order
Book Details
Author(s)Avraham Sela
PublisherState University of New York Press
ISBN / ASIN0791435385
ISBN-139780791435380
AvailabilityUsually ships in 24 hours
Sales Rank2,556,757
MarketplaceUnited States 🇺🇸
Description
Addresses the inter-Arab dimension of Middle East politics and its impact on the Palestinian conflict.
This historical study of international Middle East politics in regional perspective presents a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between inter-Arab politics and the conflict with Israel--the two key issues which have shaped the Middle East contemporary history (and made it simultaneously tumultuous and a focus of international affairs).
The Decline of the Arab-Israeli Conflict addresses the changing political behavior of the regional Arab system in the Palestine conflict, from total enmity to negotiated peace with Israel. This change is explained as a reflection of state formation process and constant thrust of ruling elites to disengage from compelling supra-state commitments stemming from Pan-Arab nationalist ideology and Islamic political culture.
The book scrutinizes the role of Arab summit conferences which, since 1964, became the main collective Arab institution for decision making on common core issues--foremost of which was the conflict with Israel. The summits' main role was to legitimize incremental departure from the overburdening Palestine conflict whose powerful collective symbolism threatened states' autonomy. Summits' consensus sanctioned shifts from hitherto established collective Arab norms toward Israel as well as on inter-Arab relations, in accordance with core actors' interests. The summits offer a view to the Arab regional system's evolution as a negotiated inter-state order based on mutual recognition of sovereign states as opposed to compulsive collectivism in the name of Pan-Arabism. They were, in fact, a manipulation of the regional Arab system by primary participants' coalitions through employment of financial, ideological, and political trade-offs to resolve inter-Arab differences and reach a consensus on redefined collective goals.
“Unlike other studies … this book accentuates the shifting powers from the Arab League to Arab summitry as an instrument of regional dialogue … This is the best book yet written on inter-Arab alignments, the historical drift of Arab summitry, the fading of Pan-Arabism since the 1967 war, and the evolution toward Middle East peace.†— American Historical Review
“…an excellent book … meticulously detailed and documented…†— SHOFAR
"This is an extremely complete account of the public record of the diplomatic history of the Arab world with regard to Israel and inter-Arab conflict. It's meticulous in its presentation of the available record regarding the historical drift of Arab summitry." -- Ellis Goldberg, University of Washington
This historical study of international Middle East politics in regional perspective presents a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between inter-Arab politics and the conflict with Israel--the two key issues which have shaped the Middle East contemporary history (and made it simultaneously tumultuous and a focus of international affairs).
The Decline of the Arab-Israeli Conflict addresses the changing political behavior of the regional Arab system in the Palestine conflict, from total enmity to negotiated peace with Israel. This change is explained as a reflection of state formation process and constant thrust of ruling elites to disengage from compelling supra-state commitments stemming from Pan-Arab nationalist ideology and Islamic political culture.
The book scrutinizes the role of Arab summit conferences which, since 1964, became the main collective Arab institution for decision making on common core issues--foremost of which was the conflict with Israel. The summits' main role was to legitimize incremental departure from the overburdening Palestine conflict whose powerful collective symbolism threatened states' autonomy. Summits' consensus sanctioned shifts from hitherto established collective Arab norms toward Israel as well as on inter-Arab relations, in accordance with core actors' interests. The summits offer a view to the Arab regional system's evolution as a negotiated inter-state order based on mutual recognition of sovereign states as opposed to compulsive collectivism in the name of Pan-Arabism. They were, in fact, a manipulation of the regional Arab system by primary participants' coalitions through employment of financial, ideological, and political trade-offs to resolve inter-Arab differences and reach a consensus on redefined collective goals.
“Unlike other studies … this book accentuates the shifting powers from the Arab League to Arab summitry as an instrument of regional dialogue … This is the best book yet written on inter-Arab alignments, the historical drift of Arab summitry, the fading of Pan-Arabism since the 1967 war, and the evolution toward Middle East peace.†— American Historical Review
“…an excellent book … meticulously detailed and documented…†— SHOFAR
"This is an extremely complete account of the public record of the diplomatic history of the Arab world with regard to Israel and inter-Arab conflict. It's meticulous in its presentation of the available record regarding the historical drift of Arab summitry." -- Ellis Goldberg, University of Washington
