SE - 505 THE CULTURAL DIMENSION

STRATEGY

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce the role culture plays in shaping the international environment and also provide one provocative view of how culture might shape the emerging world order. The lesson uses the Arab-Israeli conflict as a case study into the role culture plays in determining international events.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

505.1 Comprehend the complexity of cultural differences in the strategic environment.

505.11 Define culture and civilization.

Culture:

• Includes ideals, religion, ethnic concerns, nationalism, tribalism and political ways of thinking
• Can be taught & handed down, survives as societies change

Civilizations:

• A cultural entity
• The highest cultural grouping of people
• Defined by common objective elements (eg language, history, religion, culture, institutions) and subjective self-identification of people
  

505.12 Describe some of the cultural forces shaping the post Cold War strategic environment.

Civilization identity will be increasingly important in the future

The world will be shaped by interaction between 7 or 8 major civilizations: Western, Confucian, Japanese, Islamic, Hindu, Slavic-Orthodox, Latin American, [African]

1. Differences among civilizations are not only real, they are basic (religious differences are most important)
2. The world is becoming a smaller place
3. Economic modernization & social change throughout the world are separating people from long standing local identities
4. Growth of soft civilization consciousness enhanced by dual role of the West:
5. West is at a peak of power
6. A "return to roots" phenomenon is occurring among non-Western civilizations
7. Cultural characteristics are less mutable (less easily compromised & resolved) than political and economic ones
8. Economic regionalism is increasing (eg emerging China)
   

505.2 Comprehend the significance of cultural factors in shaping socio-political structures in the post-Cold War era.

505.21 Explain how cultural differences may influence the structure of political organizations in the New World Order.

• Conflict between individualism (West) & collectivism (East)
• Struggle to impose world order on anarchic international system
• Cause of conflict in developing worlds
  • Materialism vs. Spiritualism (Khomeini & Islamic revival)
  • Modernization vs. Traditionalism
  • Centralization (value efficiency)vs. Decentralization (fear dictatorship)
  • Democracy vs. Authoritarianism & totalitarianism
  • Moral value vs. Opposed moral value
  • Conflicts of values & world order
    

505.3 Comprehend the nature of the cultural influences behind the Arab-Israeli conflict.

505.31 Describe some of the different cultural forces at work in Arab-Israeli relations.

1. Religious differences:

• Region is important to Islam, Judaism, and Christianity
• Rise of fundamentalism increases tension between groups

2. The Arab-Israeli conflict has changed over time

• "Evolutionary" conflict; influenced by and itself influences other political dimensions in the Middle East
  

Three main factors:

1. Internal character of the major states in the region
2. Inter-Arab political dynamics
3. Interests of great powers in the region
   

Three phases of the conflict:

1. 1917 (Balfour Declaration) to 1948 (start of first war)

• Palestine under British rule
• Balfour Declaration: British approval of Zionism
• White papers reversed content of Balfour Declaration
• Lack of real Arab unity; moderate Arabs afraid of assassination
  

2. 1948 (First Arab-Israeli war) to 1967 (Six Day War)

• Conflict became interstate in nature
• Egypt's Gamal Nasser: unity of Arab world & elimination of Israel
• Rise of militant Pan-Arabism
• "No war, no peace"
• Maximum goal: liquidate Israel (by event vs. Stage???)
• Minimum goal: alter Israel's boundaries
• Israel favored protracted strategy (Survival & expansion)
• Israel primarily focused on deterrence strategy
• Collective alliance (1949-1955)
• Self-reliance (from 1956)
• Ben-Gurion (Israel) favored opaque nuclear policy
• Bomb-in-being policy
• Introduction of Cold War into middle East (Baghdad Pact)

3. 1967 to present

• War of 1967
  • Arabs closed Gulf of Aqaba & put troops in Sinai
  • Israel: Wall-to-Wall Coalition & preemptive war
  • Three front-line Arab armies destroyed
  • Israel occupies Golan Heights, West Bank, & Gaza
  • "Land for peace" possibility
• Alteration in the balance of incentives for the major national actors (Arabs now forced to recognize and negotiate with Israel)
  • Remergence of the Palestinian issue as a national issue (PLO gained recognition as the "sole legitimate representative" of the Palestinians)
  • Israel occupies West Bank and Gaza (Stimulates growth of both revisionists and religious Zionists within Israel)
• War of 1973
  • Peace process: territorial concessions
  • Egyptian psychological victory
• Lebanon (1982) [Israel invades Lebanon]
  • Israel: redraw political map of Arab states
  • Suppress Palestinian nationalism in occupied territories
• The Intifada
• The outbreak of the popular uprising in the occupied territories
• Israeli response was containment (keep casualties low)
• Palestinians formed the United National Command (UNC)
• Parallel Palestinian leadership: forced two state solution at UN General Assembly in Geneva (December 1988)
• PLO recognizes Israel's right to exist (December 1988
• 1991 Persian Gulf War
• Fall of Russia has strengthened Israel's position
• Arabs have less war option
• Arab states (except Jordan) can live with status quo
  • If Israel annexes occupied territories, war would be inevitable