This study examined the Arab-Israeli conflict, its impact on International relations and the overall pattern of the American diplomacy in the Middle East, an area which represents a vital cog in the geopolitical balance of power. / The study sought to three central questions: (1) What were the vital American decisions in the evolution of the Palestine issue and how U.S. policies were formulated? (2) What are America's national interests in the Middle East and have the Arab states taken actions against any of those interests in light of Washington's policies? (3) Are there any domestic inputs that might have shaped American foreign policy toward the Arab-Israeli impasse? If so, what are they? / In the conduct of this study, historical information which has been gathered was analyzed for trends and consequences in U.S. policies. Subsequent to this analysis, an answer to the first and third questions was developed, along with a tentative answer to the second. This tentative answer was closely analyzed and then empirically tested. / The results of the study have explicitly indicated that the U.S. role has been decisive in the creation of an independent Jewish national home and that U.S. commitment to the Jewish plight has intensified over the years. As a result, U.S. policies have greatly alienated most of the Arab countries. The consequent reduction of America's influence in the Arab world was thus replaced by a growing Soviet predominance in the region. / Furthermore, the findings also indicated that the Arab world does indeed represent a region of exceptional economic and geo-political value to the U.S. Due to the vital role energy plays in both industrial and developing countries, it is difficult to imagine a more strategic area in the world for future Western economic growth than the Middle East. Not only does two-thirds of the world's exportable oil come from the Persian Gulf area but the Arab world sits on top of three-fifths of all already proven oil reserve. Despite this strategic importance of the Middle East, the U.S. has pursued policies that resulted in grave consequences ranging from the cutoff of oil supplies to Arab breakdown of diplomatic relations with Washington. / Finally, the data suggested that domestic calculations have shaped policy formulation. By the nature of the American democratic process, U.S. Jewry were able, through favorable public opinion, and highly effective political behavior, to translate favorable attitudes into pressures upon decision makers. In contrast to the Jewish predominance in American life, the American-Arab community lacks skillful organizations, human and financial resources and never quite enjoyed a positive morale case in this country. What resulted from that was the transmission of those domestic inputs into the shaping of U.S. foreign policy, not in accordance with the national interest. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-01, Section: A, page: 0391. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74012 |
| Contributors | CHAIBANE, ANTOINE., The Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 344 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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