ABSTRACT

The 1987 intifada and the 1991 Gulf War were momentous events for the entire region. The Palestinian inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza Strip participated in a mass uprising to bring an end to the Israeli occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state. Israeli society experienced a polarization that was reflected in the fragmentation of the country's political life. The different positions Labor and Likud held in regard to the occupied territories divided the National Unity governments. The chapter discusses the crisis that led to the Gulf War was regional in nature and unfolded against the backdrop of the developments. It also discusses the impact of the Gulf War on Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The chapter examines a trend that began before the war but that would have a profound effect on the abilities of these two states to maintain political stability following it.