Arab Approaches to the Political Process and Normalization with Israel

The article discusses various strands of Arab thought about the political process and normalization with Israel, and extends his focus beyond the issue of Israeli-Palestinian relations. The article notes the thus far unsuccessful attempts by Sunni Arab countries – specifically, Egypt and Saudi Arabia – to rejuvenate the political process, and the interests motivating these attempts. It concludes that although discrete cooperation between Israel and Arab countries is likely to develop even without a political breakthrough, substantial progress in the Israeli-Palestinian arena is an essential condition for realizing the potential in these relations. Furthermore, any consideration of the regional opportunities available to Israel at the present time must take into account the dilemma of Arab regimes created by the discrepancy between their recognition of the value of improving relations with Israel and public opinion that resists such progress, certainly as long as the Israeli-Palestinian political process remains deadlocked.