The New Middle East

            “It’s a brave new world out there”. While the quote is immensely overused and exploited, it holds true too often to not apply it. The quote is now appropriate for describing the Middle East. In the last decade or so, regimes have been toppling and rising at an extraordinary rate. Iraq, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt have all seen the fall of long running dictators. Civil wars now are now being waged in Syria and Iraq as violence in Libya grows. The whole region is almost completely changed from what it was in 2003.

            One effect of this change has been the shifting of priorities. As tempering Islamic fundamentalism and creating stability have become more necessary, directing anger and violence against Israel has become less and less appealing.

            Any why shouldn’t it? While directing national anger and religious fervor against Israel promised less criticism of the national government, it drained the treasuries and economies of struggling nations. Besides, the notion of what should happen to Israel matters little to militants fighting civil wars in Iraq and Syria or those seeking to establish their base of power in Libya.

            As the conflict in Gaza seems to be without end, it has been interesting to see that some nations are not necessarily siding with Israel, but share their desire to crush Hamas. In this new Middle East, whether due to the divide between Sunni and Shia, fundamentalist and moderate, Wahhabi and western, there is a need for new political allegiance.