Reflection

Studying the Middle East over the last 13 weeks has been one of the most intensive units I have studied and we have barely skimmed the surface. Is it difficult to comprehend the complexity of the region, with conflicting religions, sects, ethnic group and external influences. I believe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the most intractable of our time and cannot see any positive changes in the near future. However on the other hand I can see how quickly a situation can change. One week I blogged about the possibility of a three state solution on the basis of an unlikely reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, however just two weeks later they reconciled their 7 year conflict.

Another example of how situations can change is the Arab Spring of 2011 which was sparked by a single mans actions in Tunisia. No one could have predicted this was cause such an impact across the region.

As a social justice student I have been moved by the human rights abuses in the region and disgusted at the actions and lack of actions by the West. In the future I hope to see Australia taking ownership of its foreign policy and not just following the US. In particular I hope to see a move toward prioritising human rights over economic goals. This unit has sparked an interest for me and I will continue to explore issues in Middle East, particularly the Israeli-Palestine conflict and the Syrian refugee crisis.