The Middle East Riddle: A Study of the Middle East Peace Process and Israeli-Arab Relations in Changing Times
Photo by Benjamin Rascoe on Unsplash
The Middle East Riddle: A Study of the Middle East Peace Process and Israeli-Arab Relations in Changing Times
By Luis Fleischman
Fleischman makes a compelling argument that an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement requires the cooperation of Arab states. He also argues for Jordanian-West Bank and Egypt- Gaza federations.
Hatred of Israel, Fleischman contends, is so ingrained among Palestinians that no bilateral agreement is possible. On the other side, he criticizes Israeli settlement policy on the West Bank, presenting it, too, as another obstacle to peace, but less so than Palestinian hostility.
Changes in Arabic-speaking countries, especially the “Arab Spring” uprisings have meant a turn inwards and less concern with confronting Israel, as shown by the Abraham accords, which the author hopes can be a precursor to an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement facilitated by the Arab states. However, he never actually explains how the Arab states might accomplish this but assumes it as a given.
While Middle East Riddle contains much of value, depending on Jordan and Egypt to resume their old roles is problematic. Would Jordan’s King Abdullah II want to federate with the West Bank? A highly problematic history presumably accounts for his showing no inclination whatsoever to return to the 1948-67 era. Likewise, Egypt’s Abdel Fatah Sisi came to power in 2013 via a military coup that ousted the Muslim Brotherhood regime; but a federation with Gaza would legitimize Hamas. In addition, Hamas has smuggled arms to the ISIS subsidiary fighting the Egyptian government in the Sinai Peninsula.
In sum, while Fleischman makes good points, his suggestion to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through federations between Jordan and the West Bank and Egypt and Gaza appears unrealistic.
.
About Luis Fleischman
About the Author
Luis Fleischman
CO-FOUNDER, CONTRIBUTOR AND BOARD MEMBER
Luis Fleischman, Ph.D is a professor of Sociology at Palm Beach State College. He served as Vice-President of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, and as a Latin America expert at the Washington DC –Menges Hemispheric Project (Center for Security Policy)
Related Articles
How Donald Trump Can Win A War Against the Drug Cartels
In late January, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Trump’s America First policy pays close attention to the Western Hemisphere. Rubio claimed that previous administrations have overlooked Latin America, and he pledged things would be different from now on.
Israel- Syria: 9 Points about the Situation
The fall of the Assad regime, which was the downfall of a political ideology- Ba’athism, and a minority community -the Alawis, can be somewhat connected to the overall fallout from the events of 7 October and their aftermath. Indeed, the timing of the events in Syria was greatly influenced by the smashing [though not final] defeat inflicted by Israel on Hizballah directly and indirectly on Iran. The Sunni opposition in Syria timed its final assault on the regime, which was in the making for many months, to the weakness of Iran, whose support to the Assad regime was crucial.
America, Embrace Your Inner Empire
As Donald Trump takes the oath of office and prepares to begin his second term as President of the United States, America stands at a pivotal crossroads in its history. The nation must decide whether to continue its post-World War II tradition of cautious global leadership under the pretense of partnership and cooperation or to openly embrace its role as the dominant force shaping the destiny of the world.
The Center is a gathering of scholars, experts and community stakeholders, that engage in research and dialogue in an effort to create practical policy recommendations and solutions to current local, national, and international challenges.
EXPLORE THE CENTER
FOCUS AREAS
©2025 The Palm Beach Center for Democracy and Policy Research. All Rights Reserved