Straight Power Concepts in the Middle East

241 pages

English

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Pluto Press - Gregory Harms

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241 pages

English

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How did the US become a world power? How did it become involved in the Middle East? What is the history and nature of its 'special relationship' with Israel?

Given the increase in tensions in the Middle East, and the United States' involvement in them, news coverage is in abundance. Yet, the reportage and discussion of American foreign policy is often narrow in scope, offering little background or context. And yet, the historical record sharply contrasts with reportage. Guiding the reader through a panoramic sweep of world and American history, we see how the US became a world power, how the Middle East became 'modern' and how Israel became an American 'strategic asset.' Disavowing the rhetoric commonly used by heads of state, press secretaries, news media, and commentators, we see how recent turmoil is closer to business-as-usual.
Acknowledgments

Preface

Part 1: History and context

1. From empire to nation-state: the genesis of modernity’s 500 years

2. The rise of American power: from Columbus to the

Cold War

Part 2: Dominion and supremacy

3. The modern Middle East and Israel: a summary

4. The United States and Israel: the special relationship

from Truman to Reagan

Part 3: Diplomacy and influence

5. The peace process: anatomy of an injustice

6. The Israel lobby: anatomy of a controversy

Conclusion

Select Bibliography

Index

Sujets

International Relations

Political Science

Middle East

Informations

Publié par	Pluto Press
Date de parution	09 avril 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781849645379
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,6250€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

STRAIGHT POWER CONCEPTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Straight Power Concepts in the Middle East

US Foreign Policy, Israel, and World History

Gregory Harms

First published 2010 by Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

Distributed in the United States of America exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

www.plutobooks.com

The right of Gregory Harms to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN ISBN

978 0 7453 2710 5 978 0 7453 2709 9

Hardback Paperback

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data applied for

This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufactur ing processes are expected to conform to the environmental standards of the country of origin.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Designed and produced for Pluto Press by Curran Publishing Services, Norwich

Printed and bound in the European Union by CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and Eastbourne

Acknowledgments Preface

CONTENTS

Part 1 History and context 1 From empire to nationstate: the genesis of modernity’s 500 years The worldsystems framework Land worldempires Ancient Rome: republic, empire Western Europe and the modern interstate system

The rise of American power: from Columbus to the Cold War Independence: “the proper guardians of the public weal” Continental expansion: “our proper dominion” Globalization: “a clear preponderance of interest”

Part 2 Dominion and supremacy 3 The modern Middle East and Israel: a summary From imperial to peripheral The Mandate and the Arab states Palestine and the Jewish state

vii xi

3 3 7 11 15

22 22 27 33

49 51 51 56 62

The United States and Israel: the special relationship from Truman to Reagan 70 Oil and dominoes: the United States enters the Middle East 70 The origin of US–Israeli relations, 1947–56 77 The forging of the special relationship, 1957–67 85 Consolidation: Nixon–Kissinger, 1969–74 95 Diplomacy, crisis, and continuity: Jimmy Carter, 1977–81 102 Formalization: Ronald Reagan, 1981–89 107 Conclusion 116

v i

C ONT E NT S

Part 3 Diplomacy and influence 5 The peace process: anatomy of an injustice Prologue The 1967 phase, 1967–78 Interlude: the Reagan years The Madrid–Oslo phase, 1989–2001 Conclusion: the postTaba phase, 2002–07

The Israel lobby: anatomy of a controversy The lobby The early debate Mearsheimer and Walt The current debate: reaction to Mearsheimer and Walt Evaluation and concluding remarks

Conclusion

Notes Select bibliography Index

119 121 122 126 134 137 150

155 155 159 163 167 172

179

183 209 217

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks are owed to Roger van Zwanenberg for immediately supporting this project, as well as to David Castle and everyone at Pluto Press. Regarding time spent in Israel and the West Bank in late 2005, I owe sincere gratitude to: Dr. Mohammad “Mo” Hishmeh and family, Abdallah Jibreen and family, Ammar Sameeh and family, and friends Peter Muller and Megan Clark. On other legs of the same trip that took me just into 2006, the following individuals and families are owed my thanks and appreciation: in Amman, Jordan: Nabil and Wael Makahleh and family, Hani alRifae and friends (Hotel Farah), Alex Ma’louf, and Devin Murphy. In Cairo and the Sinai Peninsula: Jake Wells, Abed Zant, the Iyad Essa family, and the Windsor Hotel Cairo—a warm and friendly place to hang a weary hat. I am thankful to Walter Opello and Stephen Rosow for their read ing of and suggestions for Chapter 1. Deborah Kisatsky’s detailed and thoughtful evaluation of Chapter 2 strengthened it significantly. David Lesch provided an incisive critique of Chapter 4. I am indebted to Jeremy Pressman for his careful and honest review of Chapter 5. (These scholars did not always agree with my approach and/or particular interpretations and bear no responsibility for the end result of these chapters, only for improving them.) Arthur Goldschmidt, who will also not entirely agree with my analyses and renderings in this book, imparted valuable advice and has been a mentor and a friend. To the usual suspects I owe immense appreciation for their time and dedication: Scott Darley, Steve DeBretto, Mark Eleveld, Todd Ferry, and Michael Slager. Tom Jasper is the key reason this book was started when it was, and without him it simply would not have been possible. At the same time, Givon and Madison Jasper made ideal companions in our religious weekly viewings ofDoctor Who116. To Darryl Nephew I owe considerable gratitude for at his friendship, support, and chess camaraderie. Much appreciation goes to the Frattini family for keeping me well fed. Many thanks

v i i i

AC K NOWL E DGME NT S

and years worth of gratefulness go to my mother, Martha. To my father, Joseph, and the continued spirit of the farm I am, to say the very least, thankful. To my sister, Lauren, and her generation, you have my apologies and my faith. Professor Tanya Reinhart (1943–2007) refereed this project’s initial proposal, gave it her endorsement, but never saw the result. I can only hope it would have met with her approval.

Gregory Harms

We should dispense with the aspiration to “be liked” or to be regarded as the repository of a highminded international altruism. We should stop putting ourselves in the position of being our brothers’ keeper and refrain from offering moral and ideological advice. We should cease to talk about vague ... unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of the living standards, and democratization. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better.

GEORGEF. KENNAN Head of the US State Department Policy Planning Staff, * 1947–49

*Policy Planning Staff report PPS/23, February 24, 1948. See US Department of State,Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, vol. 1, part 2:General; The United Nations(Washington, DC: GPO, 1976), 525.

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