Middle east politics and international relations: crisis zone

Historical Context -- The formation of the state of Israel -- The Arab-Israeli wars -- Palestinian politics : The failure of the 'peace-process' -- Pan-Arabism and Islamism -- The Iranian Revolution and pan-Shi'ism -- Playground of the Superpower -- The US-led War on Terror -- The Arab Uprisings -- The Syrian War -- The Islamic State -- Iran-US Relations and the Nuclear Deal -- Shifting geopolitics in the Middle East.

Cover -- Endorsements -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- List of maps -- List of boxes -- 1. Historical context -- Chapter outline -- The colonial period -- Conclusion -- 2. The formation of the State of Israel -- The road to statehood -- Zionism during the Second World War -- Al-Nakba/Israeli War of Independence -- Conclusion -- 3. The Arab-Israeli wars -- The Six-Day War, 1967 -- The Yom Kippur/Ramadan War, 1973 -- The Lebanese War, 1982 -- Fighting Hizbullah, 2006 -- Conclusion -- 4. Palestinian politics -- The failure of the 'peace process' -- Background -- The first Intifada (1987) -- Hamas -- The peace process -- Palestinian political rupture, Gaza and the security wall -- Hamas and Israel -- Hamas and the Arab Spring -- The Palestinian Authority, the United Nations and the bid for statehood -- Netanyahu and Trump: the death of the peace process -- Two states or one? -- Conclusion -- 5. Pan-Arabism and Islamism -- Pan-Arabism spreads across the region -- The founding of political Islam -- Islamist political parties -- Conclusion -- 6. The Iranian Revolution and pan-Shi'ism -- The Iranian Revolution -- The Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) -- Exporting the revolution: the establishment of Hizbullah -- Conclusion -- 7. Playground of the superpowers -- The Suez War -- Dictators and despots -- The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan -- Regional reactions -- The role of the United States -- Regional and global implications of the Afghan conflict -- Conclusion -- 8. The US-led War on Terror -- Afghanistan: US responses to 9/11 -- US occupation and the Taliban insurgency -- Prospects for peace -- Iraq: the road to war -- US occupation, Sunni insurgency and Shia militia -- Conclusion -- 9. The Arab uprisings -- Causes and the 'contagion' effect -- Egypt, Mubarak and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Historical Context -- The formation of the state of Israel -- The Arab-Israeli wars -- Palestinian politics : The failure of the 'peace-process' -- Pan-Arabism and Islamism -- The Iranian Revolution and pan-Shi'ism -- Playground of the Superpower -- The US-led War on Terror -- The Arab Uprisings -- The Syrian War -- The Islamic State -- Iran-US Relations and the Nuclear Deal -- Shifting geopolitics in the Middle East.

Continuing civil wars and humanitarian crises, coupled with a changing geopolitical dynamic, highlighted by increased Russian and Chinese presence in the Middle East, call for new thinking. What happens in the Middle East hasmajor global repercussions. This second edition of the ground-breaking textbook Middle East Politics and International Relations: Crisis Zone provides a comprehensive overview of contemporary Middle East politics. The book traces the roots of recent events across the region's modern history, enabling readers to appreciate both the significance of such events and the importance of history in influencing their outcomes. Structured chronologically, with updated stand-alone chapters containing history, context and contemporary analyses, this edition examines a series of interconnected themes and issues, including external intervention, political manifestations of Islam, the role of political authority, nationalism, self-determination and human rights. The book provides a valuable teaching tool, both in its content and structure. Students will gain a deeper understanding of a changed Middle East and the evolving role of states and non-state actors in the region.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- List of figures -- List of boxes -- Acknowledgements -- 1. Introduction -- The colonial background -- Chapter outline -- The colonial period -- Collapse of the old order -- The Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916) and the Balfour Declaration (1917) -- The King-Crane Commission and the Mandates -- Conclusion -- 2. The formation of the State of Israel -- Introduction -- The road to statehood -- Zionism during the Second World War -- Al-Nakba/Israeli War of Independence -- Conclusion -- 3. The Arab-Israeli wars -- Introduction -- The Six-Day War, 1967 -- The Yom Kippur/Ramadan War, 1973 -- The Lebanese War, 1982 -- Fighting Hezbollah, 2006 -- Conclusion -- 4. Palestinian politics: The failure of the 'peace process' -- Introduction -- Background -- The first Intifada (1987) -- HAMAS -- The peace process -- Palestinian political rupture, Gaza and the security wall -- HAMAS and Israel -- HAMAS and the Arab Spring -- The Palestinian Authority, the United Nations and the bid for statehood -- Two states or one? -- Conclusion -- 5. Ideologies and supra-state identities -- Introduction -- Pan-Arabism spreads across the region -- The founding of political Islam -- The degeneration of political Islam into Islamic terrorism (al-Qaeda and ISIS) -- Conclusion -- 6. The Iranian Revolution and pan-Shi'ism -- Introduction -- The Iranian Revolution -- Vilayat-e faqih and the rise of Shi'ism -- The Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) -- Exporting the revolution: the establishment of Hezbollah -- Conclusion -- 7. Playground of the superpowers -- Introduction -- The Suez War -- Dictators and despots -- The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan -- Reasons for the Soviet decision to invade -- Regional reactions -- The role of the United States -- Regional and global implications of the Afghan conflict -- Conclusion.

chapter 1 Introduction -- chapter 2 The formation of the State of Israel -- chapter 3 The Arab-Israeli wars -- chapter 4 Palestinian politics: The failure of the 'peace process' -- chapter 5 Ideologies and supra-state identities -- chapter 6 The Iranian Revolution and pan-Shi'ism -- chapter 7 Playground of the superpowers -- chapter 8 The US-led War on Terror -- chapter 9 The Arab uprisings -- chapter 10 The Syrian War and the rise of the Islamic State -- chapter 11 Iran emerging from isolation -- chapter 12 Conclusion.

The Middle East has been defined by political crises for the last 100 years. In the political halls of power, the media, popular culture and the educational institutions of Western countries, the term the 'Middle East' conjures a confused imagery of religion, resources, foreign interference and politics that can be hard to untangle. This book provides a detailed contextualized exploration of the forces, internal and external, that have shaped today's Middle East. Each chapter acts as a stand-alone reading that includes history, context and contemporary implications in a chronological order.