ABSTRACT
Intervention in the political affairs of the neighbouring Arab countries has been a constant feature of the policies of the pre-state Jewish Agency in Palestine and of the state of Israel. Whether direct or indirect, overt or covert, the purpose of Israeli intervention has usually been to keep the Arab world weak and divided. Countering the forces of pan-Arabism and foiling practical schemes for Arab unity are obvious means towards that end. But as well as seeking to change the relations between the Arab states in a way that would serve its own interests, Israel has also tried to influence the internal politics of individual Arab states. This second type of intervention usually takes the form of Israeli links with and support for religious and ethnic minorities such as Kurds, Druzes and Maronites or support for Muslim groups which, for one reason or another, find themselves in opposition to the existing regime or the existing social and political order in their country.
