Introduction

Abstract

One of the truisms of the Middle East is that its environment is the most fertile for enduring conflicts. In general, and without necessarily being all- inclusive, three broad categories of major conflicts emerge in this area. The first category contains issues that appear to linger on and defy attempts to find solutions, or those which may not be resolved because political realism becomes one of the chief obstacles to finding solutions for them. The second category includes those conflicts with deeper roots, and there may not now (or even ever) be a clear-cut solution for them. The third category contains conflicts that have arisen within a decade or so, and have threatened the political stability of one or more countries of that area. In this study, selected issues in these categories will be analyzed.