Regime Change in the Arab World

The American-led invasion of Iraq was motivated, at least in part, by the desire to create a model state that would influence its Middle Eastern neighbors towards democracy. This did not happen, largely because the US policy of favoring pro-Western dictatorial regimes over hostile democracies did not end with the Cold War; therefore, the US has resisted the election of popular, yet threatening groups like Hamas or the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Former Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami argues that US insistence on secular, liberal and friendly democracies has radicalized the politics of the Middle East: What he calls "democratic charlatanry" leads radicals to become angrier with the government and the West, and breeds terror. Citing the example of Algeria, where civil war was ended by incorporating the Islamists into the government, Ben-Ami insists that jihadists can be transformed from revolutionaries to positive forces for reform by bringing them into unity parties following free elections. The best way to achieve stable regime change is by delivering legitimacy to the governments of the Middle East, regardless of their specific policy positions. – YaleGlobal