Page 5 - Issue-23

4 ELITE Vol.1 No.23 September 2020 |

UAE &Israel Normalization will not be the last yet it

is unwise to appease the Zionist danger against the

Iranian and Turkish threats

distinguished Heikal was the fact the he continued to flourish even that the Arab World is experiencing clear divisions that affect
after Nasser had died contrary to what many had expected. Arab Studies. Nevertheless, let me say that there is still a group of
intellectuals who believe in the Arab league and produce good
writing in that regard. I must admit though that some members of
4. You have a pioneering role in the field of Arab Studies in this group have been breached – if I can call it that – leading them
political science; how do you evaluate the state and range of to diverge partially or fully from the Arab framework.
this field amidst declining interest in the Arab World as a I have not discussed the Islamic framework in detail as it focuses
concept in favor of other concepts such as the Middle East and on the association between Muslim states, which are bound
MENA? together by religion but not my much else.

The framework and concept of Arab Studies is facing challenges 5. Since the end of 2010, the Arab region has been facing
from alternative concepts. For example, there are those who call challenges and even threats in the wake of the Arab Spring
for an Islamic framework and they tend to come from within the revolutions; how do you read the state of the Arab World
region. And there are those who stress the concept of the Middle almost a decade after the outbreak of the Arab Spring?
East, which is the Western reference whose interests would be
harmed in case of a strong Arab league or bond. Thus, they push I’d have to go back in time because the problems of the Arab
for a league of the Middle East, which naturally has to combine regional regime date back to its founding; although at first, they
contradictory elements including Arab states, Iran, Turkey, Israel, tended to come from outside its borders thereby strengthening it.
Cyprus and Malta. Hence, this would be a conflictual rather than a For instance, the establishment of the Zionist state in Palestine in
cooperative regime. 1948 caused the Arab defeat in the first Arab-Israeli War, but it
also led to strengthening the Arab League by signing the Joint
Those who believe in the Arab league suppose that there are Defense Treaty in 1950; in addition it contributed to the July 23rd
special relations binding the people of the Arab nation as well as Revolution in Egypt, which drove the national liberation phase.
Arab states, and that these relations are beneficial for all; in
addition, they believe that we need studies to look into this league, The real blow to the Arab regime came in the defeat of 1967,
its relations with the outer sphere, and its internal problems such as which was also an external factor. The effects of this defeat were
democratization and terrorism, for example. then overcome with the 1973 War; however, since that time, the
Arab regime has been facing a new kind of challenges coming
Undoubtedly, the challenges facing Arab Studies have increased from within: first, the disagreement over how to manage the
lately to the extent that it can be said that there is no longer an conflict with Israel, which was a disagreement between the Sadat
Nourhan Osama, Youstina Ebeid, Maries Adel, Nadeen Hesham, Nouran Hossam, Mostafa Sayyed, Reem
Arab framework; we can see this in the different approaches approach and that of the other Arab states. This challenge was
Omran , Zeina Tarek, Hana Henien, Hania Bahaa, Yassmine Gamal Hussein, Salma Bayoumi, Mariam Sultan,
adopted by Arab states towards issues such as the Arab-Israeli overcome in the late 1980s as the Iranian threat grew during the
Nada Hosny, Jozeph George , Farah Ezz Eldin, Aliyaa Assem, Assile Mostafa, Rana Doss, Mirna Ossama,
Conflict and the relations with Turkey and Iran. Hence, we can say Iraq-Iran War, when in 1986, an Iranian victory in this war seemed
Farah Islam, Zeina Arafa.

| Vol.1 No.23 September 2020 |