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One of the oldest conflicts in modern civilization; one which may never end. The Middle East, or to be exact Israel has been in a state of readiness or a state of retaliation ever since the State of Israel came into existence in 1948. Always in that precarious balance between a state of War and an era of Peace or in that uneasy pause of ceasefire from one or all of Israel’s neighbors – at its center the fate of the Palestinians; stateless and pledged to reclaim land lost as a result of a British Mandate and thrown somewhere in the middle between Jews and armies of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and a rising Arab Nationalism pledged to drive Israelis into extinction.
Add to that the ever-present matter of Oil in the region and the instability of Persia (Iran) at the time, coupled with the increasing influence of Russia and the threat of Communist influence and it makes for a completely volatile atmosphere.
In this April 1951 broadcast of the BBC World Service Program London Forum, a discussion laying out the issues (of 1951) facing the Middle-East, several areas are covered; not the least being the continuing influence of Britain (as former protectorate of several Arab countries) – the reversal of ties with Israel from a contentious one to one of allies in the face of increasing tensions in the region, stirred up by Arab Nationalism and a desire to wipe Israel off the face of the map.
In light of the current situation, it’s not that much of a stretch to realize this has been a region in the midst of a state of extreme violence for decades now – one which may not know lasting peace in our lifetimes or even the promise of it.
But as a reminder that the events of the past few months are no stranger to the region and that The Middle East has been plagued by an almost constant state of war and strife going back centuries, not mere decades.
No easy answers – no quick solutions. Here is London Forum from April 16, 1951 by The BBC World Service.
