Middle East

Middle East The political systems of Middle Eastern countries display considerable variety. For much of the post-World War II period, the greatest distinction was between the conservative, capitalist, pro-Western monarchies and the reformist, socialist, and neutralist or pro-Eastern republics, many of which were military regimes. Pan-Arabism, which seeks to reunite the Arabs, was a dominant ideological force in much of the region. The failure of Arab unification schemes, particularly between Egypt and Syria between 1958 and 1961, …

…next two years. A change of government in Israel led to secret meetings in Oslo, Norway, with representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The outcome was an Israeli- Palestinian accord signed in Washington on Sept. 13, 1993. For the first time, Israel recognized the PLO. It also granted limited self-rule to Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and Jericho. Israel and the PLO pledged to begin working out a permanent settlement in 1995, if the accord succeeded.