The Middle East — I: The Arabs and The West

Abstract

Next to Europe, the Middle East, a traditional goal of Russian expansion, is the area most vitally important to the West (though, as is hardly surprising considering its position on another land mass, the United States has been slow to recognise this fact.) Yet it is an area most difficult for the Western powers to deal with. As they have no territory of their own in this region — apart from bases on Cyprus, of limited value strategically — the Western powers are dependent upon the goodwill of the Middle East peoples, comprising mainly the Arabs. Being pathetically backward and inefficient, the Arab states could put up no real resistance to aggression by themselves and would therefore, in their own interests, be well advised to accept Western offers of co-operation with them for the defence of the area. Yet, with the exception for a time of Iraq, they have not been prepared to co-operate. One major obstacle has been the upsurge of nationalism in this region, which has made the Arabs morbidly suspicious of Western connections; another the intractable problem of Israel. No satisfactory Middle East policy will be possible for the West until the problem of Israel’s future is permanently settled; but even then the extremely difficult problem of achieving satisfactory relations with Arab nationalism will still have to be dealt with.