Gaza and the Middle East

Robert Walker

Chapter 12 in Is China Right?, 2026, pp 162-175 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The Gaza War is but one incident, albeit extreme, arising from the pursuit of regional hegemony by Western nations in the Middle East increasingly undertaken by proxy. The UK ignited a century of regional instability by promising the same land – embracing Palestine – as both a Jewish homeland and an Arab state but then prioritising the Jewish community. Israel unilaterally declaring independence together with its annexation of land in 1948 led to three major Arab-Israeli wars, multiple skirmishes, thousands of casualties and countless refugees. With hegemonic leadership transferred to the US, Cold War logic shaped a policy of dividing Arab states while seeking their combined agreement to resolve the Palestine question. With concern shifting towards the Pacific, the US anointed Israel as its sub-altern state-in-charge, whose increasingly Zionist leadership was intent on taking over Palestine. Western interests have taken precedence over Palestinian rights but failed to benefit anyone but extremists.

Keywords: Palestine; Israel; Palestinians; Zionism; War; Genocide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035329229
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