With the new American administration, the global financial crisis, and the intra regional wranglings much is happening in the broader Middle East.
The very presence of Israel within the region remains a major problem for some. Lebanon tries hard to be an independent state; as much as it can in the regional and international context. Qatar continues to raise its profile as a mediator. The rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Syria may bring new, and hopefully, positive developments. Jordan and Egypt are busy with the Palestinians. Can we talk of Palestinian unity? There is no much chance of advancement if the leadership is split. Hamas must have noticed by now that whatever Iran does it is for its own welfare. That is also true for the sisterly / brotherly Arab nations. The slogan, ‘we fight Israel to the last Palestinian’, says it all.
There is no way to calm down Afghanistan without Pakistan’s help. And that is only the beginning of a very long road to some sort of normalization.
We may live in the age of resistance, but what if resistance means this time, not suicide bombers, and not armed struggle, but rather intellectual, economic struggle? The revolutionaries, dictators and autocrats had their chance; now its time for the moderates to step in and lead.
Professor Marc Lynch has an interesting post (Lunch with the Arab street) on his Foreign Policy blog. Worth to be checked out.