ABSTRACT
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 and consequent end of the Cold War changed the old bipolar world order to a new unipolar, US-led international system. Former Soviet clients in the Middle East, who could no longer rely on Soviet military and economic aid, cautiously reoriented themselves towards the United States and Europe. At the same time, staunch US allies in the region came under closer scrutiny, often resulting in less uncritical support. These changes were accompanied by a reassessment of USIsraeli relations, as well as a US-Arab realignment. This process was further hastened by the 1990-91 Gulf War. Indeed, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990 brought former Soviet clients such as Syria into an uneasy alliance with the West, while Israel turned from a long-standing strategic asset into a political liability. And, above all, the Gulf War made it clear that regional stability had to be put at the top of the international agenda. It is therefore not surprising that by the end of the war two issues needed to be addressed: Iraq’s potential to threaten the region, and the instability caused by the Arab-Israeli conflict. This paved the way for the first multilateral Middle East peace conference since 1948.
