THE Hamas assault on Israeli communities in south west Israel changed the Middle East strategic picture with a single stroke. Until October 7, 2023, the general trend in the region had appeared to be moving toward a certain uneasy stability. The unrest of the 2010-19 period, mistakenly initially termed the ‘Arab Spring’, had begun to recede.
Its main outcome had been the fragmentation and partial collapse of governance in a number of Arab states— Yemen, Iraq and Syria most important among them. But the emergence of dangerous non-state actors, the Islamic State organisation and others, appeared to have been largely curtailed.
Two broadly identifiable power blocs existed in the region. These were, firstly, the regional bloc led by the Islamic Republic of Iran. This group of anti-western and anti-stability forces includes Iran itself, its client Hizballah organisation in Lebanon, the Bashar Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis or Ansar Allah movement in Yemen, the Shia militias of Iraq (who underwrite the current Iraqi government), and the Islamic Jihad and Hamas movements among the Palestinians.
Denne historien er fra November 11, 2023-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 11, 2023-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The 'Invisible' Dalits
The debate over sub-categorisation of castes is likely to shape the political discourse in the upcoming state elections
Caste Census: To Conquer Or Conserve?
The caste census is generating heated debate, but even its most ardent proponents are not able to articulate a plan about how to use the resulting data
THE FATEFUL COMEDY
Actor-director Rajat Kapoor talks about adapting Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov into a Hindi play
Mad Hatter
When a leader takes off his topi and holds it in his hands while appealing for votes, it signals something extraordinary
Circle Within Circles
The caste question in Muslims.
Backward March
The Maratha reservation question may continue to mire the next government in the state
The 69% Exception
Quota within quota: lessons to be learned from Tamil Nadu
United Indifference
The perils of tweaking tribal identities
Two Nations, Two Destinies
The widely differing balance of power between the military and civilian leadership in India and Pakistan has significantly impacted democracy in the two countries
Crème de la Crème
The mainstream society thinks reservations are against right to equality. It’s high time they are seen in the context of right to justice.