The Arab countries and the Arab Middle East have been projected as homogenous and united social and political entities. Yet beneath the surface, ethnic tensions and conflicts simmer. Some of these conflicts are well known and the issues arising are part of the regular diet of news. Other tensions involving ethnic minorities and ethnic Diasporas are less well known. But they are no less problematic for regional actors - particularly so since they are not only influenced by global developments, but they also significantly influence political, economic, cultural and ideological regional and intrastate developments. The focus is on ethnicity, ethnic conflicts and integration, and ethnic Diasporas in Egypt, Sudan, the Fertile Crescent countries, and Israel. The relations between these minorities and Diasporas and the dominant societies, as well as their interrelations within and across borders, have undergone significant change over the last two decades. In some cases, sections of ethnic minorities and Diasporas have been integrated into their respective states' societies. In other cases, tensions and conflicts have grown to the point of violent eruptions. The purpose of this book is to highlight the factors, forces, and circumstances that affect inter-communal relations in the region, and point toward strategies and circumstances that promote or hinder coexistence and integration, or antagonism.
Moshe Ma’oz is professor emeritus in the department of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at Hebrew University. He is the author of several books, including Syria and Israel: From War to Peacemaking.
