Benjamin Netanyahu approved plan to double Israeli population in occupied Golan Heights after night of strikes that came despite Syria rebel leader’s pledge of peace
The way the Brits and French carved up the region was done to deliberately create nations with inner conflicts, easily exploitable.
That was true of US and western foreign policy more generally in the past. The idea being that if the Middle East is divided they wouldn’t be a threat to Europe and the rest of the world.
Things are somewhat different now. The US wants to have its cake and eat it too. The current Biden administration realize if the Middle East is destabilized for too long someone like ISIS will takeover and be a problem for everyone. That’s why they are trying to get Israel and Saudi Arabia to agree to a defense pact. The US is fine with a united Middle East, because from an economic perspective, these foreign wars are bad for business. The US wants what amounts to a second NATO to keep things running smoothly.
My point is that a united Middle East is a useful arrangement for the region and world regardless if the US or any other foreign power has a stake in it. In fact, better if it doesn’t. An independent Middle East can interface with the rest of the world militarily and economically as a block. This will ensure mutual defense as well as economic protections for workers for the people living in the region. Without any pressure to take part in exploitive, debt saddling, deals like China’s Belt and Road initiative or expansionist wars like Russia’s war in Ukraine.
If the Middle East unites around ideas like self-determination for member countries, then they will be no more of a threatening superpower than Europe is now. And they will be able to stop the ambitions of hostile nations like Russia and Israel.
That was true of US and western foreign policy more generally in the past. The idea being that if the Middle East is divided they wouldn’t be a threat to Europe and the rest of the world.
Things are somewhat different now. The US wants to have its cake and eat it too. The current Biden administration realize if the Middle East is destabilized for too long someone like ISIS will takeover and be a problem for everyone. That’s why they are trying to get Israel and Saudi Arabia to agree to a defense pact. The US is fine with a united Middle East, because from an economic perspective, these foreign wars are bad for business. The US wants what amounts to a second NATO to keep things running smoothly.
My point is that a united Middle East is a useful arrangement for the region and world regardless if the US or any other foreign power has a stake in it. In fact, better if it doesn’t. An independent Middle East can interface with the rest of the world militarily and economically as a block. This will ensure mutual defense as well as economic protections for workers for the people living in the region. Without any pressure to take part in exploitive, debt saddling, deals like China’s Belt and Road initiative or expansionist wars like Russia’s war in Ukraine.
If the Middle East unites around ideas like self-determination for member countries, then they will be no more of a threatening superpower than Europe is now. And they will be able to stop the ambitions of hostile nations like Russia and Israel.