A Middle East shift

Some on the hard-Left would have us believe that the central dynamic in the Middle East is Western imperialism. The horrendous massacre of Sufis by fanatics at an Egyptian mosque last Friday was a painful reply. This had nothing to do with the West; it fits no lazy Marxist interpretation. And if the West is to help solve problems, it will be in partnership not with those who rail against Western “interference” but with the local powers that have become serious about working together to pacify the region.

For example, a curious alliance is emerging between Saudi Arabia and Israel, backed in both moral and material terms by the United States. This is not to suggest harmony or the democratic reform of Saudi Arabia are around the corner, but there is growing recognition that peaceful Sunnis are threatened far more by Islamist extremism than by Israel’s self-preservation. In particular, with the retreat of Isil it is obvious that Iran is now the greatest destabilising force.

Any Left-wing sympathy for Iran is outrageously hypocritical. This regime oppresses women as well as sexual and religious minorities. It has sought, among other colonial adventures, to create client states in Iraq and Syria, and is accused of pursuing nuclear weapons. The new coalition of self-interest being constructed to contain it is the biggest realignment in the region since the Iraq War – and should be cautiously welcomed by the West.