By Madeleine Mezagopian

Within a contextual analysis of the regional factors conducive to the deficit in democracy in the Arab World, Samir Makdisi, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the American University of Beirut, emphasized the positive correlation between such a deficit and the unresolved Palestinian-Israeli Conflict during a lecture organized by Columbia University Middle East Research Center in Amman. Very crucial and timely statement at a time the Arab World witnesses the struggle for erecting the foundation of a solid democracy in Egypt against attempts to have new form of autocracy replace the overthrown dictatorship and the successful voting at the General Assembly to recognize the Palestinians as a non-member observer state.

While number of analysts underline that the developments in the Arab World is contributing to the configuration of the New World Word of Multipolar system, Makdisi's discussion instigates several inquiries. First, whether the receding bipolarized World Order acted as the key international factor in the Arab states suffering of acute and chronic deficit in democracy through powerful states entering into partnership with region's autocratic regimes to counter and contain the other with complete indifference to the devastating repercussions of accompanying human rights abuses amid socioeconomic and political regressions. Second, whether the peace between Egypt and Israel despite its mild temperature contributed in Egyptians prioritizing domestic issues leading to their revolt against Mubarak's oppressive regime. Third, with the European Union, the cradle of democracy and civil liberties, striving to unify its foreign policies and overcome EU threatening challenges, what are the guarantees that the powerful states of the New World Order spearheaded by the United States will consolidate the emerging democracies foremost that of Egypt and not merely look for allies who serve their interests even if it were to undermine people's aspiration for a dignified life?

Resorting to Makdisi's argument on the relevance of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict to consolidating democracy in the Arab World, the USA's vote against upgrading the status of the Palestinians at the UN is but an adverse approach towards resolving the conflict, an approach rightly perceived by John V. Whitbeck as USA's blocking progress toward peace with some measure of justice (Haaretez, 3/12/2012) with further implication of adverse impact on consolidating democracy in the Arab States.

Furthermore, the entanglement of democracy and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict was best manifested through the unprecedented quick engagement of a newly-elected President Morsi in brokering an agreement consolidating the status quo in Gaza amid developments undermining and threatening the democratic efforts in Egypt headed and initiated by the President, while tangible and non-tangible support of the USA and its allies in the region continue unhindered to reward a President who is but consolidating a new form of autocracy rather than a democracy.

This said and despite some perceiving the Palestinian diplomatic success at the UN as empty gesture (Al-Jazeera, 2/12/2012). The time is opportune to build on what has been achieved at the UN to realize just peace securing the rights of all the concerned and have the efforts of all peace-loving actors concerted to make, build and consolidate peace. A peace which is possible only when the process is democratized through the inclusion of all the concerned in the process not least through multi-track peacemaking and brokered by powerless impartial personalities "with a genuine interest in actually achieving peace with some measure of justice to take the lead in helping Israelis and Palestinians to achieve it" (Whitbeck, Haaretz, 3/12/2012). Peace brokered by those actors who are motivated to realize peace to serve the well-being of all peoples in the region rather than by international actors who are but keen to preserve the status quo through feeding the interests of region's old and newly emerging authoritarian figures thus hindering the arrival and consolidation of democraciess. The democracies which will empower those who will champion the interests of the peoples of the region and enter into equal partnership with key regional and international actors based mutual interests. These emerging democracies will be consolidated only when and if external actors give space to and support the local forces of the Arab World who are willing and able to peacefully identify with and adopt democracy and simultaneously give space and support to peacefully and justly resolve the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.


Madeleine Mezagopian
Academic Researcher and Advisor
Conflict Resolution/Peace and
Socioeconomic and Political Development
madeleine.mezagopian@gmail.com