Egypt-Israeli Conflict and the West
Egypt-Israeli Conflict and the WestThe History of the conflict in the Middle East is long and
well documented. To both, and to many biased observers the history
of the Egyptian/Israeli conflict is very one sided, with one
government, or one people causing the continued wars between the
two neighboring states. But, as any social scientist of any reputation
will state, all international conflicts have more than one side, and
usually are the result of events surrounding, and extending over the
parties involved. Thus, using this theory as a basis, we must assume
that the conflict between Israel and Egypt is more complicated than a
partial observer would see it. For the purpose of this paper, we are
going to examine the basic factors of Egypt's Involvement and conflict
with Israel, with some emphasis on the involvement of the United
State, and the Western Nation in this conflict. Also, I wish to pay
particular attention to the question of who, or what brought these
countries into conflict. Were they both victims of their situation, or
did they become actively involved in promoting conflict, or perhaps a
third party source, such as the US pushed them into conflict?
In 1948, the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of
Israel was read by David Ben-Gurion in Tel Aviv. The Egyptians, like
most of the Arab states saw this as a creation of a Western State,
backed by the British Empire, and thus an imperialistic entity in the
Arab homeland. Considering the past 20 years of the Egyptian state,
and of most of the Arab nations, was a continual conflict again
imperial powers, the Egyptian were naturally weary and afraid of any
new imperialistic powers developing in the Middle East. In September
1947, the League of Arab States decided to resist by force the plan
for the partition of Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish State, and
when the Jewish state was created, the armies of the various Arab
states entered into Palestine to save the country for the Arabs again
"Zionist" aggression. The Arabs were defeated and the Arab Countries
saved a small amount of land, the Transjordon, and the West Bank.
Similarly Egypt saved strip of territory around Gaza.
The causes of this war, and Egypt's involved can be examined
in several ways. Obviously, the creation of the State of Israel by
Ben-Gurion and his supporters provided a excuse for the Arab Nations,
and Egypt to attack the Jewish population in Israel. As mentioned, the
Egyptians saw the formation of Israel as an Imperialist state, and
they were defending the land for the Palestinians, and more
importantly for the newly developing arab unity. While the United
States was not actively involved in the war, either by providing arms
or providing much assistance, their actions did create an interesting
and volatile atmosphere. As soon as the state of Israel was created,
the United...
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