From the Arab-Israeli Conflict to the Confrontation of the Axes

This book traces major transitions in the international relations of the modern Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It argues that the Arab-Israeli conflict ended in 2021. Since then, a more complex confrontation has taken its place: the struggle between the “Axis of Moderation” and the “Axis of Resistance.” The Hamas-led attack on Israel of October 7, 2023, Israel´s subsequent war on Gaza, and the regional escalation that followed, illustrate this shift. While the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been at the heart of regional tensions, it now unfolds within a newly configured and more volatile geopolitical landscape. The study explores how this transition unfolded. It asks why the end of the Arab-Israeli conflict did not bring peace. It shows how especially US foreign policy, through its strategic choices, has shaped both the change from one conflict to another and the current confrontation. It also examines how global power shifts, such as China’s expanding reach and Russian reassertion, are challenging longstanding US dominance in the region. Offering a bold reinterpretation of regional dynamics, Manuel Sakmani disrupts conventional narratives. He provides a fresh analytical framework to understand the evolving nature of conflict and diplomacy in the MENA region.