Economic and Political Impediments to Middle East Peace

The accords and protocols that underlie the Arab and Israeli peace agreements set into place economic policies and political processes so flawed that they are bound to fail. The chapters in this volume look at the diplomatic and historical precedents that have led to this situation and they debate - some cynically and some sympathetically - the reasons why the institutional structures and trade regimes the process has created are so weak. But for whatever reason, the structural flaws built into the Middle East peace process are not only biased toward the dominant players but against the people who most want peace.

Autorentext

J.W. WRIGHT, JR. currently works for USAID in Cairo, Egypt. He studied economic diplomacy in the Middle East region as part of a Fullbright research programme in 1996-97, and managed academic and executive research programmes at the Dubai Polytechnic, which is part of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce in the UAE. He wrote Business and Economic Development in Saudi Arabia, and has written on the impact of the peace process on Gulf states' trade since the Gulf war. LAURA DRAKE is a noted scholar of the Middle East region, focusing on political-economic relations between the Levantine and the northern Gulf states, with special emphasis on analysis of impact of US foreign policies on the region. She is currently at the American University in Washington DC, and has published over twenty articles on American diplomatic relations with nations in the Middle East.

Inhalt

List of Tables List of Illustrations Acknowledgements List of Acronyms Notes on the Contributors Foreword; Queen Noor of Jordan Introduction: Economic Impediments to Middle East Peace; J.W.Wright, Jr Implementing Netanyahu's Political and Economic Programme: What are Israel's Strategic Objectives for the Current Historical Phase? ; L.Drake What are the Prospects for Modernising the Middle East Economies?; M.Field The Arab-Israeli Process: Can the Region Benefit from the Economics of Globalisation?; E.C.Murphy Is MENA a Region? The Scope for Regional Integration; M.A.El-Erian & S.Fischer Will an Arab-Israeli Peace Bring a Trade Divided? ; E.H.Tuma The Budgetary Consequences of Middle East Peace: What are the Economic Impacts and Causal Linkages?; R.E.Looney Would Islamic Banks Help Lessen the Decline of Palestinian Banking?; J.W.Wright, Jr Will the Arab-Israeli Peace Process Generate Increased Portfolio Investment in the Middle East?; R.Wilson The Middle East Peace Process: How is it Affecting Planning in the Cities and Regions of Jordan?; P.L.Doan External Assistance to the Palestinian Economy: What Went Wrong?; B.Balaj, I.Diwan & B.Philippe The (very) Political Economy of the West Bank and Gaza: What Lessons Should We Learn About Peace-building and Development Assistance?; R.Brynen Civil Society Organisations in the Middle East: Can They Facilitate Socio-economic Development During a Time of Transition?; P.Gubser From Front State to Backyard? Syria and the Risks of Regional Peace; V.Perthes Epilogue; W.Stoltzfus Bibliography Index