Pakistan’s Israel Conundrum
While there have allegedly been quite a few secret meetings between the state officials of Pakistan and Israel in the past, the recent public visit of the Pakistani delegation to Israel has raised a lot of questions about whether Pakistan will recognize the state. Afifa Iqbal discusses the events that led to this meeting, and how it would be unwise to attempt to normalise ties with Israel without considering Pakistan’s national interests.
The Evolution of US Ammunition and Arms
Muhammad Azam Khan correlates the rise of America and its ammunition export to other countries. He explains the evolution of America’s arms sales and draws connections on how America bolstered its economy after recessions through increasing ordnance factories.
US Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia
The arms trade between the West and the Middle East has been a long-standing factor in the relations between the two. Within the Middle Eastern region, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has risen as the largest arms importer, mainly relying on the US for weapons. The author, Rooha Javed, notes that between 2015 and 2020, the US pledged to sell weapons worth $64.1 billion to Riyadh. Moreover, despite the criticism of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war in Yemen, the US has continued the arms supply to the kingdom.
US Interests in the Middle East: Foreign Policy Objectives & Failures
To incorporate the Middle East in its sphere of influence, the United States has either directly or indirectly intervened in the Middle East. The author notes that America’s foreign policy in the Middle East included meddling in the political affairs of many countries in the region, and installing and assisting in radicalization and sectarianism just for its own geostrategic and economic interests. This approach, along with the Israel-Iran rivalry and the Shia-Sunni rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has prevented peace from being established in the region. Ultimately, the Middle East has turned into a battleground for sectarian conflicts, proxy wars, and instability.
US Policy of Containment Against China
Due to China’s increasing economic and military influence, the US feels threatened. The author notes that the United States has devised a containment policy against China to prevent it from dominating the US spheres of influence, and impeding the US interests. She further explains that the Abraham Accords, signed on 13th August 2020 between Israel, the UAE and the US, are a part of this containment policy.
Saudi Arabia and Turkey: A Deteriorating Relationship
Both nation states are in the way of each other’s objectives, prompting both Saudi Arabia and Turkey to maneuver astutely and find their trump cards.
The GCC and Israel: An Unholy Alliance
In recent years, diplomatic relations between the Muslim Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Israel have expanded – which was previously thought to be impossible due to Israel’s mistreatment and annexation of Palestinian lands. Most recently and shockingly, however, the UAE recognized Israel as a state and both countries have officially began diplomatic relations upsetting many Muslims around the world.
Getting Away With Murder: The Illegal Israeli Settlements
Although Israel has repeatedly contravened international law, it has carefully avoided accountability for its violations regarding Palestine. Its construction of settlements on occupied West Bank and Gaza is a breach of international law and another grave injustice against the Palestinians.
The Curious Case of Syria and State Terrorism
Rarely acknowledged, there are many concrete examples of state terrorism in history. Syria and state terrorism are analyzed in this paper to understand how Bashar al-Assad has evaded accountability thus far – and how it has now become imperative for states to be called out when violating basic human rights.