Books on U.S. Mideast Foreign Policy

by Betsy Barlow

Three new books will be useful to classes or individuals studying the evolution of American foreign policy in the Middle East. All are well documented and are suitable for classroom use, while also appealing to the general reader.

Fallen Pillars by Donald Neff (Institute for Palestine Studies, 1995) is an excellent study of how U.S. policy gets formulated, modified and even reversed, using the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a case study. After two introductory historical chapters on Zionism and the policy on partition, the author reviews the history of U.S. policy toward six issues which remain at the heart of a settlement of the conflict: Refugees; Borders; Palestinian Peoplehood; Jerusalem; Settlements; and Arms Transfers.

The advantage of this approach is that the policy shifts come into clear focus. One finds occasions when the presumed supreme importance of the Cold War overrides concerns in the region; occasions when officials are simply misinformed; and occasions when they have been manipulated by foreign governments or by domestic electoral politics. As the book concludes, one has the appalling sense that our country wields massive power, but has a very short attention span and seems unable to understand or pursue its own long-term interests.

Very helpful are the 24 appendices, including documents that the average reader would have some trouble finding. I found the Policy Planning staff report of Jan. 19, 1948 (Appendix VII) fascinating; the authors admit that the "U.S. and the USSR played leading roles in bringing about a vote favorable to partition. Without U.S. leadership and the pressures which developed during U.N. consideration of the question, the necessary two-thirds majority in the General Assembly could not have been obtained It has been shown that various unauthorized U.S. nationals and organizations, including members of Congress, notably in the closing days of the Assembly, brought pressure to bear on various foreign delegates and their respective home governments to induce them to support the U.S. attitude on the Palestine question." The report continues with an all-too-accurate prediction of the costs to American prestige if the U.S. persisted in the partition plan. Fallen Pillars is available through the AET Book Club (p. 131).

Avi Shlaim, who was born in Baghdad and grew up in Israel and currently is a Fellow of St. Antony's College, Oxford, has contributed War and Peace in the Middle East: A Critique of American Policy (Whittle/Viking, 1994). He is also the author of Collusion Across the Jordan. In the new book, he focuses on the role of the Middle East in world politics, emphasizing the interests and policies of the great powers, especially the U.S.

America's recurrent pro-Israeli bias has undermined its credibility.

He places his analysis in the context of what he calls the "post-Ottoman syndrome," the creation of countries, borders and rulers in the Middle East after World War I by the European powers paying "little attention to the wishes and aspirations of the local inhabitants." Shlaim aligns himself with the more conventional reading of Middle Eastern history that "international rather than regional powers wielded most of the power and did most of the manipulation most of the time."

Shlaim deals with the Arab-Israeli conflict and relations with Iran, Iraq, Kissinger's treatment of the Kurds, and the Gulf war, before returning to the Palestinian question and a general critique of U.S. policy. He states that the Bush administration's five-point plan for the future of the Middle East, proposed shortly after the end of the Gulf war, was a sound plan, but, "as so often in the past, American leaders, whose attention span is notoriously short, did not stay the course." He notes that before George Bush, previous administrations had "provided Israel with open-ended economic, diplomatic, and military assistance, enabling it to defy the will of the international community." He deplores Bill Clinton's return to a policy of indulgence toward Israel, and advises that America's recurrent pro-Israeli bias has undermined its credibility. He refutes Samuel Huntington's thesis of a clash of civilizations, and advises that the "wise course for America is not to bolster Israel as a strategic partner in an unwinnable war against an imaginary Islamic threat but to encourage Israel to contribute to the stability, democracy, and economic development throughout the region."

Shlaim argues that the Middle East is inherently unstable because of the imposed borders and regimes and the failure adequately to address socio-economic and political injustice. While these problems will not vanish with an Israeli-Palestinian peace, they would become less difficult to address.

Naseer Aruri has contributed The Obstruction of Peace: The U.S., Israel and the Palestinians (Common Courage Press, 1995). Aruri's book directly asks whether U.S. policy has been for conciliation or for collaboration with one side, and then makes a very strong case for the latter. He deals with both the impact of global strategy during the Cold War and also the influence of domestic pressure groups on policy. One of the strengths of the book is its analysis of electoral politics in each election year from 1976 through 1992. Other useful parts are a table of U.S. assistance to Israel from 1949 through 1990 and some excellent maps, particularly of Jerusalem.

Video on Jerusalem

Increasingly we all seem to depend on the TV, films or videos for instruction. For this reason it is a pleasure to report an excellent new video for understanding the current Israeli-Palestinian situation. "Jerusalem: An Occupation Set in Stone?" is the third video in a six-part series entitled "Jerusalem Since Oslo: No Justice, No Peace." The first video, "Competing for the City," was reviewed in this column in the January issue of the Washington Report. The second video, "A Short History of Jerusalem," gives a very quick (10-minute) history of the city. Additional parts are expected to be complete by August 1996. Part Four will deal with travel and tourism in the Holy City, Part Five will be a comparative study of services in Jerusalem for both Jew and Arab. The sixth and final video in the series will deal with U.S. foreign policy toward the Jerusalem issue. In the U.S., the videos are being distributed by Partners for Peace/Council for the National Interest (phone 1-800-296-6958). The price for the series is $69.50 in the U.S. or $87.50 overseas. Individual videos can be ordered for $18.95 domestic and $22.95 overseas.

"Jerusalem: An Occupation Set in Stone?" gives an overview of peace process issues which in fact are being unilaterally determined by Israel before the start of the final-status peace negotiations. What makes the video particularly useful is that the broader historical patterns are discussed, with specific instances and interviews with those affected by the policy. For instance, Sarah Kaminker, a Jewish Israeli with her own planning firm, and Israeli official Uri Ben Asher both explain that since 1967 the purpose of Israeli state planning has been to create a Jewish majority in and around Jerusalem. Key points in the city were selected, and plans were adopted to create in them Jewish neighborhoods. Jerusalem was to have no greater than a 28 percent population of Palestinians. To that end, the maximum amount of empty Arab land, with the minimum amount of Arab population, was added to the city. A considerable amount of Arab property has been confiscated by the state for "public purposes." The "public" purpose turns out to be houses for Jews only¸ no Muslims or Christians should apply.

We are told by the Jewish planners that all vacant Arab-owned land is given a "green zone" label to keep it from being built on until the Jewish state is ready to confiscate it for Jewish settlements. It seems that "development" plans are also used to destroy Arab villages and Arab neighborhoods. In 1967 the Palestinians could use 100 percent of East Jerusalem; by 1995 they could use only 14 percent¸and this was the land already built up, leaving them no room for growth, apparently to reduce the Palestinian population of Jerusalem.

We meet in the video several people whose homes have been recently demolished. (Yes, this is since the handshake of September 1993.) We also see a wide swath cut through prime agricultural land for new roads built for Jewish settlers only.

The importance of the closures of Jerusalem may not be immediately apparent to Americans. These closures started in March 1993, but became much tighter, we are told, after the September 1993 agreements were signed. (Following the suicide bombings in late February of this year, which occurred after the film was produced, the closures have become tighter than they have ever been in more than 28 years.) The video gives us a glimpse of the problems that the closures entail for people who need to get to hospitals, to jobs, to shops, or to visit family or religious sites. But beyond the individual hardships imposed, we learn that this is a pattern intended to drive Palestinians out of Jerusalem before the final status can be negotiated.

One of the most painful sections is about the division of families. A man from Hebron who marries a women from Jerusalem, for instance, is not allowed to live with his wife in Jerusalem. It is very difficult to get permits, and even if a temporary permit is granted, the permission for the visit usually lasts from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., so that the parents cannot stay together overnight.

One frequently hears in the U.S. that Jerusalem has been "unified." This video helps us see that it is very divided¸perhaps more so than ever before in its history, with one set of laws for Jews and another for Christians and Muslims. Instead of "unification," one should more appropriately use the term "ethnic cleansing."

This film is recommended not only for classes that would like to understand what is currently happening in Jerusalem, but also for church or international study groups. While finished before the latest outbreaks of violence, it provides enough background for Americans to consider whether more repression is apt to produce security and normalization for Israel.

Videos on South Lebanon and Iran

In the runup to Israeli elections on May 29, ferocious new Israeli shelling and bombing attacks took place in Lebanon. What is life like for those who try to live in Israeli-occupied south Lebanon, and try to eke out a living on their land under the guns of the Israeli army and its surrogates? Jean Chamoun, a Lebanese filmmaker who has produced several excellent award-winning films ("War Generation: Beirut" and "Suspended Dreams"), allows families to tell their own stories in an unforgettable film, "Hostage of Time." Chamoun's films are proudly presented on the BBC and in other countries, but PBS and other U.S. networks apparently are afraid to show his well-crafted and moving work. This video is available from Americans for Middle East Understanding, Room 241, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115-0241; phone (212) 870-2053.

The Iranian Mission at the United Nations has made available a 1996 video entitled "Iran Through the Passage of Time." This film presents an Iranian perspective on the revolution, the war with Iraq and current foreign policy issues. This video provides useful information on how Iran sees itself and some excellent visuals at a time when few Americans are able to visit Iran.

One may question the inclusion or exclusion of certain events in the presentation. For instance, in describing the birth of the revolution, the film starts with 1963 and stresses Khomeini's role. One might argue that the 1953 reimposition of the Shah by the U.S. government was a key factor, and should have been mentioned, especially since this still is not fully understood by U.S. audiences. At a time when Iran is being demonized, it is helpful to hear Iranian perspectives on foreign policy goals and an overview of the contemporary Iranian economy. In the course of hearing about new jobs created in the agricultural sector, we see some dramatic shots of the Iranian countryside. Short segments from the 1995 Tehran Film Festival follow the documentary and explain traditional crafts, such as weaving wool and carpets and making felt, and folk instruments and music. These shorts would be particularly valuable in classes on culture or anthropology.

The film could be used to challenge and/or supplement other interpretations of Iran's goals, or to provoke discussion. To acquire the film, contact the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, 622 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017.

From E-mail to Conferences

An Internet group which for five years has discussed the society and culture of Lebanon is planning its second conference. Lebanese scattered across the globe found this cyberspace interaction valuable in a democratic atmosphere where all ideas are welcomed. In 1995 the participants decided to meet face to face, and the first conference was set up in June 1995 in Boston. The program was so successful that participants decided to organize a 1996 program, to be held Aug. 16-18 at the American University in Washington, DC.

The theme is "Toward a New Lebanon." According to the organizers, at this conference all social, economic, and scientific matters pertaining to the emergence of a modern, democratic and stable Lebanon will be discussed by invited speakers and panelists. The sessions are open to the general public. Papers may be submitted on the following topics: engineering and infrastructure; health care; law and legislation; environment; women's issues; arts and culture; research and development on humanities and social sciences and on the physical sciences; and the future of computing in Lebanon.

Submissions should be sent to Bassem Hassan, 603 Stark Ct., Columbus, Ohio 43210-1028, and must be received by May 30. E-mail submission is also possible. For information about the format required for submission, contact the chair of the planning committee, Rania Masri, 7309 Haymarket Lane, Raleigh, NC 27615; phone (919) 846-8244; fax (919) 846-7422; e-mail: rmasri@ncsu.edu Other members of the committee are Philip Abi-Rached, Joseph Adi, Alaa Dakroub, Samer Faraj, Bassem Hassan, Antoun Kanawati, George Jreissaty, Bassem Medawar, Michel Najem, Medhat Yakan.