ABSTRACT

The striking developments of the late 1980s in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe marked the end of the Cold War and the resolution of a myriad of regional conflicts. Despite the definitive outcomes of the discontinuation of the Cold War in many parts of the world, the Middle East remained largely unaffected by the unfolding of the dramatic events. The cessation of the Cold War has also diminished the opportunity for American-Soviet intervention on behalf of their local clients. Without the Cold War, the ideological justification for active involvement cannot be easily produced. The Cold War created an economic, political, and military interdependency between some of the Arab countries and the Soviet Union. In addition to the constructive stand toward Israel, new Soviet Middle East policy has incorporated diplomatic overtures toward the conservative Arab countries. The objectivity and the open-mindedness of the American and Soviet intermediaries are important for the building of trust between the Israelis and the Palestinians.