Are we on the Verge of a New Middle East?

Peloni:  Geopolitical expert, Dr. Daniela Giulia Traub, describes the basis on which the Middle East is being retooled in such a way as to include Israel rather than against it.  In pursuit of a shift away from an old alliance system which isolated and attacked Israel, a new paradigm is being structured such that oil based economies are transitioning into knowledge based economy.  Traub offers an important context for this ultimate goal, explaining that nations such as Syria, Egypt and Jordan have been obstacles to such a visionary move, and nations such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in an on again/off again approach (based on political/geopolitical concerns) are reshaping these problematic, smaller Sunni states, by these moderate Sunni nations making key investments in vital economic elements within these smaller, problematic states. 

What is not discussed here is how it might be feasible to turn a terrorist-allied sow’s ear into a moderate silk purse.  Indeed, how might backing historic backers of radicalism such as Syria’s Jolani or Jordan’s Abdullah lead to such an outcome as envisioned by MBS?  Leaders, such as Jolani and Abduallah, who owe their power base to including and weaponizing Islamic radicalism against Israel, are now expected to be re-made overnight into something less radical and more tolerant such that they will honestly embrace and include Israel while walking away from their terrorist allies and former ways.  The ultimate goal of doing so is the successful unveiling of IMEC, but such an undertaking requires a foundation of moderation, void of the ties to the old alliance system as described by Traub.  Until the governing ideology changes in these problematic states (read as Islamist allied or aligned), Traub’s limited expectations for success are well based.  It is these regimes which are well tied to radical Islamist ideology which must be remade seeing them ban such sources of opposition as the Muslim Brotherhood and UNWRA, or the visions being pursued by men such as MBS will fail to materialize, and IMEC will fail.   Moderation in the Sunni nations must be understood to be a foundational element, not a purchasable one.