The Gaza War and the Crisis of the Greater Middle East

In his address to the IIEA, F. Gregory Gause III discusses how while the Gaza War has its own unique history and immediate causes, it is also representative of a broader crisis in the Middle East. This crisis has its roots in the weakening of state authority in the Arab world. He also discusses how state collapse has empowered non-state actors to challenge state authority and struggle with their domestic rivals for control over the fallen Arab regimes. The political vacuums created by the collapse of state authority invited outside interventions, as local groups sought allies. In Prof Gause’s view, the long-term solution to the crisis is the reconstitution of central authority in these weakened states. However, this process will be long, difficult, and violent. About the Speaker: F. Gregory Gause III is Professor of International Affairs and John H. Lindsey ’44 Chair at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University. His research focuses on the international politics of the Middle East, with a particular focus on the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf. He has published three books, most recently The International Relations of the Persian Gulf (Cambridge University Press, 2010).