ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on Soviet policy toward the Arab-Israeli conflict, and begins the analysis by focusing on Soviet policy in the region more generally. There have been four dominant, though at times conflicting, and orientations in Soviet policy toward Third World regions, including the Middle East. These are: Russia-first, sectarian activism, ecumenical activism and crisis prevention. Competitive policies may be oriented toward the acquisition or toward the defense of Soviet influence, allies, or assets. Cooperative policies may also be crafted in ways that will advance either acquisitive or defensive goals. Between the end of World War II and Joseph Stalin's death in 1953, Soviet policy toward noncontiguous areas of the Third World and toward the Middle East was driven largely by a Russia-first orientation. The sectarian activist strand in Soviet regional policy found plenty of opportunities for expression during 1967-1982. The structure of the situation made that predictable.
