United Mid-Eastern States?
A New Approach to Bring Peace and Prosperity to the Middle East
To most observers in the United States, the idea of a United
Middle-Eastern States must seem dangerous, undesirable and unworkable. Upon reflection
however, it could be seen as timely and useful, not only for those in living in
the Middle East, but also for those in America and the rest of the world as
well. Among other things, it could help solve the intractable Israeli-Palestinian
problem, discourage extremist Jihadism, eliminate terrorism and, in general, reduce
world tension. Although this idea could be desirable in theory it is
practically impossible, to achieve in practice. But, it is certainly worth a
try.
With the rise of borderless communications and the effects
of the Arab Spring, uniting the Arabs under a single banner is now more feasible.
Israel should welcome a peaceful association with the surrounding Arab world in
a new and united union and become a more acceptable member of the Middle East
Society of Nations.
Throughout modern times, the Arabs always constituted a
one nation. It was divided only recently into a number of states by the Western
powers following the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire to ensure their
hegemony over the Middle East and its oil resources. There is more to unite the
Arabs than separates them. In addition to shared hopes and dreams, the Arabs share
a common language, a common culture and a common religion. Present-day Arab states
and Israel have more in common than those states that presently comprise the
European Union for example. The borders separating them are nothing but lines
drawn in the sand with no real significance. At several times in the past, both
Turkey and Iran together with the present Arab states and what is now Israel
constituted a single nation. So, a union will not be something totally new. It
should not be the re-incarnation of the Ottoman or the Persian Empires, it
would be a new Democratic union where the constituent states share equally in
the control and administration of the entire body.
On a practical level, for this to happen, several changes need
to occur:
A more unified Political System: The Arab Spring has
opened the door. Most observers believe that it is only a matter of time before
the existing Arab monarchies and undemocratic regimes are replaced by more
democratic and truly representative administrations. With that in mind, the existing
monarchies and autocratic leaders may find it feasible to accommodate more
democracy now rather than risk their violent overthrow in the near future. Within
the framework of a United Mid-Eastern States, the kings and dictators of today
could institute, voluntarily, reforms that would allow their populations to
elect representatives to the new order and commit to comply with the new structure. This should not be
difficult; examples of enlightened monarchies already exist in some parts of the
Arab world.
Centralized Administration: This new Union would
function through a centralized administration. Representatives to the central governing body need be selected
based on population numbers. Other factors, to be determined in time, should
also be included to allow for proper and fair representation of all the people
that comprise the new United Mid-Eastern States.
Unified Political and Economic Interests: A
representative body of the participating states would be responsible for
maintaining and redistributing common wealth and determining foreign
policy in ways that favor the common interests of the constituent States. A
completely unified system with relative freedoms for the individual states,
similar to that in the United States of America, would be ideal.
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