‘Smart’ states and the challenges of the Mideast crisis
Israel is one of the few states in the international system that can be labeled as “smart.” During the last few decades, Israel has invested heavily in new technologies, hybrid agriculture and dynamic start-up businesses. At the same time, it is a liberal society, sharing the same values and ideas with the rest of the Western world, yet with the wisdom and competence that the broader region of the Eastern Mediterranean demands from a smart state actor. It is true that, especially in the last few years, the rise of the extreme right, especially that of Jewish theocracy, tried to jeopardize the liberal foundations of the state with no success. One of the reasons for Israel being the target of Hamas’ terrorism was the unprecedented dexterity of the Israeli society towards domestic ultra-conservatism. Authoritarianism despises freedom of thought and free spirits in general.
In September 2020, Israel and the UAE, another smart state, made a big step in leaving the past behind and embracing the prospect of a brighter, more stable and peaceful future. This paved the road for bringing closer the unthinkable, a new Abraham Accords, this time between Israel and the new Saudi Arabia, a state that aspires to be smart by following the example that is set by the president of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan. The prospect of such a fundamental development in the core structure of the Middle East was another main reason for the terrorist attack by Hamas and other Jihadi groups against Israel. The use of violence can drastically stop progress of any kind; therefore, one of the smart goals of Israeli diplomacy in the near future will be to find suitable ways to keep the channels with Saudi Arabia open.
Since 7/10, a vicious circle of violence opened. Israel has officially declared that any coexistence with Hamas is impossible, and who can blame it? Hamas knows that it will be able to grab the lead, once and for all, within the fragmented Palestinian community, upgrading itself to new levels of spreading terror and mayhem. Iran and its proxies, Hezbollah and the Houthis, have not yet unfolded their own destabilizing plans against Israel and other elements of the Arabic world. It is more than certain that the terrorist attack against Israel brings the Middle East back to the focal point of international interest, alas of non-state actors too.
In moments like this, the Western world, particularly the European Union and NATO, must make a step forward and play a more active role, proactive in some particular cases, to show to Israel and the US that they will not be alone in bearing the burden of tackling the growth of terrorism. This is urgent since the other systemic pole, the authoritarian one, is making its moves in the international arena.
However, for NATO to operate efficiently, Washington must make some crucial decisions about Turkey and its status in the pole of the Free World. The open pro-Hamas and the anti-Israeli statements by the majority of the Turkish political world fully unveils the Turkish Janus syndrome, belonging to the West but feeling closer to the authoritarian pole. The time for a Hamiltonian decision by the US has arrived. After all, besides being the Western leading state, it is also another one of the very few smart states in the international system of the 21st century.
Spyridon Litsas, PhD, is professor of international relations at the University of Macedonia. His new book published globally by Springer in January 2024 constructs a new theory in international relations, that of the “Smart State.”
