ABSTRACT
Despite Israel's geographic location at the heart of the Middle East, Israelis have generally been reluctant to view their country as part of the Middle East, whether politically, economically and culturally. This attitude has primarily stemmed from the hostility of the surrounding Arab states, which have refused to recognize the fact of Israel's existence. As a result, Israelis have long been convinced that reconciliation attempts are doomed to failure. Moreover, the historical, religious, cultural and linguistic differences between Israelis and Arabs have played an important role in further distancing Israel from the Middle East. Consequently, and one might add naturally, Israeli scholars have predominantly concentrated on the Arab-Israeli conflict, studying the Arab states through the prism of the ‘other’, while neglecting to discuss the non-conflictual aspects of Israel's role in Middle Eastern affairs.
