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Middle East conflict: visiting expert to analyse past, predict future

August 11, 2006

DKent.thumb.jpgA Visiting Research Fellow in The University of New England’s Asia Centre will reveal a future of “doom and gloom” when he presents his expert analysis of the origins and development of the Middle East conflict in a public seminar at UNE next week.

Dr John Kent, Reader in International Relations at the London School of Economics, will argue that a “continuing low-level conflict” is the most optimistic scenario for the future of a region blighted by the diplomatic failures of 50 years ago.

Dr Kent (pictured here), an international authority on foreign policy and military strategy in the Middle East, will explain how a problem that was potentially solvable in the 1950s has deteriorated into the violent and intransigent confrontation of today. His talk, titled “Israel, the US and the Middle East: the weight of the past and the collapse of the future”, will be at 5.30 pm on Tuesday 15 August in UNE’s Arts Lecture Theatre A2.

He will examine the progress of the conflict from its roots – among which he includes the unilateral strategies of Israel’s founding politicians and the unwillingness of Arab leaders to attempt to persuade their people to accept a State of Israel. In his view, the failure of the United States to find solutions to these initial problems – when there was, conceivably, “a way forward” – has resulted in the subsequent pattern of ever-deepening conflict, the development of militant groups confronting Israel on its borders, and “intransigence firmly embedded on both sides”.

“I find it very difficult to see any hope for the future other than a low-level mess,” he said, “with the likelihood of it’s developing into a bigger mess – for example if the Israelis attack the Syrians.”

Dr Kent’s talk, which is one of a series of Asia Centre Public Seminars at UNE, will include an examination of the difficult question as to why America is so committed to the support of Israel. “The United States is not, in the foreseeable future, going to put any pressure on Israel to compromise,” he said.

Dr Kent, who arrived in UNE’s Asia Centre towards the end of July, will be involved in collaborative research there until early September.

For more information on Dr Kent’s talk, contact the Asia Centre on (02) 6773 3499.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at August 11, 2006 11:02 AM