Israel and the Arab World: Breaking the Glass Ceiling

Relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors seem poised to embark on a path of mutual cooperation. This new reciprocity stands in marked contrast to the relations of Israel’s first decades, and reflects a transition from hostility, hatred, and rejection to coexistence and perhaps peace and cooperation, even if this change stems from the lack of other options. These new relations also reflect the changing face of the Middle East of recent years: the weakening of the Arab states, the decline of Arabism, and the rise of Israel to the point of its becoming a regional actor with significant military, political, and economic power. Although the Palestinian cause has lost its centrality as a defining issue in Arab-Israel relations, it continues as a glass ceiling that blocks efforts to promote relations between Israel and the Arab world. In addition, the relations Israel has formed with its Arab neighbors rest on regime and political interests, but lack widespread support among Arab public opinion.