**The Yinon Plan and the Legacy of Imperial Fragmentation**
Keith’s speculation about Tom Barrack echoing the Yinon Plan is insightful, but it only scratches the surface of a much deeper historical reality. The roots of Middle Eastern fragmentation run far beyond 1982—they stretch back to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918.
After World War I, the victorious Allied powers—Britain and France—divided the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire through the Sykes-Picot Agreement. But more than just drawing borders, they secured promises from local tribal and religious leaders that their new states would remain weak, non-militarized, and economically dependent. In return for political autonomy and access to wealth, these rulers agreed to maintain stability over their people, suppress national movements, and keep their nations apolitical and luxurious.
This arrangement allowed the British and French to control the region from the outside while ensuring internal pacification. Even the establishment of the Zionist entity on Palestinian land was facilitated by this imperial logic. A significant portion of Palestine was promised to the Hashemite descendants of the Sharif of Mecca as part of the post-Ottoman settlement—an assurance of Arab support for British interests in exchange for symbolic sovereignty.
Thus, when we speak of the Yinon Plan today, we are not merely witnessing a modern Israeli strategy but the continuation of an imperial blueprint laid out a century ago. The goal has always been to prevent Arab unity, ensure clientelism, and create manageable, fragmented states that serve external interests.
**Our Perspective**
This history underscores the need for a new regional order—one based on **sovereignty, self-determination, and mutual respect**, rather than imposed divisions and artificial dependencies. China, with its emphasis on **non-interference and multilateral cooperation**, offers a model that contrasts sharply with the legacy of Western imperialism and its modern heirs like the Yinon Plan.
**Conclusion**
The current geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are not accidents of history but the predictable outcomes of imperial designs. It is time for the region—and the world—to confront this legacy and build a future free from colonial manipulation and ethnic division.
---
Dr. Arshad Afzal, former faculty member, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, KSA. Blogs: farazparvez1.blogspot.com | mysticwisdomhub.blogspot.com*
If anything, I see myself as a “witness.” I’d also be pleased, if you’d call me an “interpreter.” WIM WENDERS
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.