Middle east and international relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Middle east and international relations - Essay Example On the other hand, Efraim and Karsh comment that the debate regarding Arab nationalism as a model of homogenous states bound by common language, religion and history has â€Å"dominated Middle Eastern political discourse for the most part of this century† (1996). However, they highlight that regardless of the concept of Arab nationalism in academic rhetoric; Arab nationalism has not succeeded in achieving the goal of unifying the â€Å"Arab† nation under a model of pan-Arabism. Moreover, Biersteker and Weber highlight that in terms of Arab nationalism the central issue in Arab states is â€Å"whether Arab nationalism was or was not consistent with state sovereignty and the territorial legacy† (1996, p149). Additionally, Biersteker and Weber refer to the argument that 1967’s turning point led to Arab recognition of state sovereignty, thereby dispelling pan-Arabism and replacing the state versus nation conflict (1996,p.149). In turn, the fragmentation of various ethno-cultural groups within these states has led to a dichotomy between political state identity and national identity. For example, Rinawi refers to the example of Operation Iraqi Freedom as crystallising the distinction between sovereignty and pan Arabism, whereby with â€Å"this event the divide between the pan-Arabic and specific localised Arab agendas became apparent† (2006, p.xxi). This is further evidenced by the growing role and influence of Iran in the area as a result of the destabilisation of Iraq under Operation Iraqi Freedom, which has been of increasing concern to the US and Europe (Potemski, 2007). Accordingly, it is submitted that the central issues relating to the Middle East in context of the contemporary framework of international relations is the complex relationship between nationalism and identity in the Arab states, the terrorism phenomenon and the growing influence of Iran in the area.