Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book analyzes the role of the Soviet Union in the Middle East during the 1978–1982 period. It shows that Soviet influence in the Middle East is very limited and that the USSR was in a weaker regional position in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon than it was in 1978 following Camp David. The book examines the course of Middle Eastern events from the perspective of the United States and also analyzes the rise of the Khomeini regime and the challenge it poses to the other states in the Middle East. It assesses the reasons for Menahem Begin’s electoral success, in particular the increasing importance of the ethnic factor in Israeli politics and explores the nature of Egyptian foreign and domestic policy under Anwar Sadat and his successor, Husni Mubarak.