ABSTRACT
The military buildups and arms races in virtually every nation in the region have led to a vast waste of scarce manpower and financial resources, and frequent outbreaks of war have damaged or devastated every nation and people in the region. Arms control can play a major role in efforts to halt the military buildup in the region and in proliferation, but it can also be destabilizing if it attempts to treat all states as being equal and as having the same intentions and character. Trading territory for peace and limiting specific arms will also oblige Israel and any Arab states involved to restructure their forces, and often to make massive investments in new arms, facilities, and other military concerns. The efforts to create a supplier dialogue are an important step forward, as are the increasing number of bilateral and multilateral talks on arms sales among various suppliers.
