The Autumn issue of The Middle East Journal is dedicated to the memory of Ambassador Hermann Frederick Eilts (1922-2006) and coincides with the 30th anniversary of Anwar Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem. Eilts was US Ambassador to Egypt during Sadat’s visit to Jerusalem, an event that sent shockwaves through the international community. Thirty years later, the Autumn 2007 issue of The Middle East Journal looks at Israeli and Egyptian politics and how they have shaped the contemporary Middle East. This issue also features a detailed study of Kuwaiti attitudes towards violence against women and an examination of US policy’s effect on international relations in the Gulf.

Arie Arnon examines the economic effects of Israeli policies on the West Bank and Gaza over the 40 years since 1967 in “Israeli Policy towards the Occupied Palestinian Territories: The Economic Dimension.” This timely article examines the ways in which the West Bank and Gaza have been kept both united with and separated from Israel, as well as the impact these policies have had on the Palestinians’ ability to create a viable economy. In “Lions Tamed? The De-Radicalization of the Egyptian Islamic Group,” Omar Ashour examines the factors that led the once-radical Egyptian Islamic Group (Al-Gama‘a al-Islamiyya) to reject violence and join the political process. The article also suggests a theoretical framework and policy recommendations for the de-radicalization process.

Using the results of extensive surveys, Fatima Nazar and Kamiar Kouzekanani analyze Kuwaitis’ positions on violence against women in “Attitudes towards Violence against Women in Kuwait.” In “Conflict and Cooperation in the Persian Gulf: The Interregional Order and US Policy,” Henner Fürtig looks at the impact of the US-led invasion of Iraq on relations between Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, three countries forming a “triangle” at the center of the Middle East. The article argues that the 2003 US-led invasion made the continued existence of this triangular system doubtful, unlike previous conflicts. Eitan Barak’s “Between Reality and Secrecy: Israel’s Freedom of Navigation through the Straits of Tiran, 1956-1967” describes the secret Israeli-Egyptian agreements between the Suez Crisis and the October War that allowed Israel to continue navigation through the Straits of Tiran without Egypt losing face. Finally, book review essay author Gabriel (Gabi) Sheffer looks at a number of books on relations between Israel’s military and civilian society.

The Middle East Institute is dedicated to increasing Americans’ knowledge and understanding of the region. MEI offers program activities, media outreach, language courses, scholars and an academic journal to help achieve its goals.

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