The Middle East is a region of geopolitical intricacies which has perplexed western foreign policy makers for decades. In his book, Inside the Middle East: Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth, Avi Melamed — an Israeli intelligence analyst — attempts to draw the patterns of disorder in the region. The publication is an endeavour to present effective models, not only for engagement with the region and understanding of its puzzling issues but as a path forward from the present functional disorder. This book is a fascinating account of the present occurences in the reigion on a cause-effect model along with a rare insight into an effective resolution of the long vexed issues.
Melamed takes account of all the major power players in the Middle Eastern region. He explains the developments such as the Arab Spring, the downfall of the Muslim Brotherhood, the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Sunni-Shia acrimony, the crux of the war in Syria and the brewing nuclear arms race. He also provides rare insight into normative patterns of Arab society and its leaders, which are a key to their objectives and aspirations. Simultaneously, he also appraises the terrorists and provides recommendations on how they can be foiled and overpowered. His methodology is based on four major pillars: assimilating simple effective tools for analytical purpose, breaking dependence on the Western-mediators, cultivating a culture of critical thinking in the Middle East and developing a new discourse.
