The Middle East Governance Predicament Under Western Hegemonism

The current predicament in the Middle East is, to a large extent, the result of imperialist intervention. The European colonial powers’ policy of ‘divide and rule’ fragmented the geopolitical landscape of the region and sowed the seeds of prolonged instability. After the Cold War, the United States pursued unilateralism and hegemony in the Middle East, intensifying existing tensions and conflicts and contributing to a pronounced ‘security deficit’ in the region. The Middle East’s ‘security deficit’ and ‘development deficit’ reinforce each other, jointly contributing to the region’s ongoing predicament. First, geopolitical fragmentation has constrained the development potential of Middle Eastern countries and hindered regional cooperation. Second, competition among regional powers for dominance has overstretched their resources and capabilities. Third, persistent regional instability has fueled an arms race among Middle Eastern countries, resulting in a serious shortage of investment in development. To overcome the ‘Middle East predicament’, Middle Eastern countries need to oppose hegemonism and strengthen their strategic autonomy, enhance solidarity among countries in the region and address the ‘security deficit’ by establishing a collective security mechanism, while pursuing development paths suited to their own national conditions.