Pro-Israel, Pro-West Arab nation?

Just looking at the responses to the Iranian presidential elections much of the Arab world (no Jordanian or Saudi response listed, however), and indeed the Muslim world have congradulated Ahmadinejad, or at least they initially did. This made me think- what if there existed an Arab state that broke away from that sort of bloc alignment, to be so pro-West enough to be a staunch ally of Israel and to be a sort of Devil's Advocate, so to speak, of the Middle East?

My guess is that it's pretty difficult to be a pro-Israel Arab, and that the closest possible thing is a U.S./Israel-propped up Kurdistan that everyone else hates and so is allied to Israel for reasons of survival.
 
Lately Egypt has been off and on closer to Israel than ever before. Both nations have embassies in their respective countries, and during this last Gaza flare up Egypt prevented Palestinian militants from taking refuge across the Egyptian border. Their relationship is often called, "The Cold Peace."

Yes, sometimes ambassadors are ceremonially withdrawn due to this or that squabble, but it almost seems like the two countries feel they need to act like they're both at each other's throats to keep up appearances for their other Arab neighbors, when really the opposite is usually the case.

Much of this "friendliness" is probably due to Egypt's inability to wage a successful war against Israel with their crusty old soviet soviet tactics applied to new-ish western weapons systems which were never meant to be used that way. That and the fact that at any point where the Egyptian military has strengthend it's forces in the last 40 years the IDF has likewise strengthened or, (as is generally the case), more so.
 
I believe many Arab governments are beginning to adopt a much less confrontational attitude toward Israel, because they feel more threatened by Iran and Islamist movements that would overthrow them than they do by the IDF. Of course, they have to tread carefully, so as to avoid infuriating the great majority of their people, who are less favorably disposed towards the Jewish state. Open friendship with Jerusalem is out of the question; it would be too unpopular with the man in the street. But behind the scenes, I'm sure some Arab leaders have reached a quiet understanding with their Israeli counterparts, agreeing that a renewed Arab-Israeli conflict could do no good, and could only benefit groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.
No Arab leader has ever been openly allied with Jerusalem since Major Saad Hadad's South Lebanon Army, as far I've heard.
 

Hashasheen

Banned
No Arab leader has ever been openly allied with Jerusalem since Major Saad Hadad's South Lebanon Army, as far I've heard.
Why would they? Hurts their image. Besides, Saad and his boys defected to Israel after the war.

But Lebanon had a real chance of being an Israeli puppet through the allied Christian militias. Their Rhodesia so to speak.
 
Hashasheen, how much genuine goodwill did Maj. Hadad's pro-Israeli militia ever have, among the people of southern Lebanon? Was he ever really very popular? With the hasty IDF withdrawal, the SLA just seemed to unravel in a span of hours. Some of Hadad's tankers ran away leaving their vehicles' engines still running.
Lasting peace, a more or less open border, and unhindered trade probably sounded pretty good to some Lebanese, but Israeli overlordship, much less so. And it would have been an almost unbearable blow to Lebanese pride.
 

Hashasheen

Banned
Hashasheen, how much genuine goodwill did Maj. Hadad's pro-Israeli militia ever have, among the people of southern Lebanon? Was he ever really very popular? With the hasty IDF withdrawal, the SLA just seemed to unravel in a span of hours. Some of Hadad's tankers ran away leaving their vehicles' engines still running.
The bastards were mostly conscripted (except for the Christian component) from the Shia and Druze areas, sympathising with Hezballoh; who took the SLA munitions and arms. The man and his goons held detention camps and tortured dozens of people, and some were put on trial.

Lasting peace, a more or less open border, and unhindered trade probably sounded pretty good to some Lebanese, but Israeli overlordship, much less so. And it would have been an almost unbearable blow to Lebanese pride.
If it was under Christian ruling, you'd expect a gradual expelling of Muslims and other non-cooperative sects. The Druze in particular might move to the Golan or Syria, due to their history with the Maronites. This in turn might propel Christian Arab immigration to Lebanon as the Jewish Arab one did to Israel.

I'm actually planning this TL, though it hasn't gotten far yet.
 
Yeah, what I'm talking about is a lackey sort of ally, or at least pro-Israel/West enough to be seen as a lackey. Egypt's detente with Israel isn't that so much as that they have no desire to engage Israel in an aggressive, negative matter.
 
Even the most pro-western of pro-west Arab states, Jordan only established relations with Israel in 1994. An Arab "staunch ally of Israel" would be nearing ASB territory. Hell, even non-Arab Muslim states like Turkey and Iran have kept their distance even when they've got along.
 

Hashasheen

Banned
Even the most pro-western of pro-west Arab states, Jordan only established relations with Israel in 1994. An Arab "staunch ally of Israel" would be nearing ASB territory. Hell, even non-Arab Muslim states like Turkey and Iran have kept their distance even when they've got along.
Did you even read the earlier posts? :confused:
 
Maybe having a no 1st World War PoD, and have Arab independence happen in concert with a Jewish revolt and western intervention, during which Arab and proto-Israeli forces work together sufficiently well to build trust.
 
Maybe having a no 1st World War PoD, and have Arab independence happen in concert with a Jewish revolt and western intervention, during which Arab and proto-Israeli forces work together sufficiently well to build trust.

I don't know. Whatever goodwill such an event would generate would still go out the window when Israel is created. Israel is still going to be carved out of Arab territory without the consent of the Arabs. I can't see how Arabs could become hostile.

Edit: Woops! Meant to say "could NOT become hostile."
 
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My guess is that it's going to take a nation that is similarly distrusted and rejected by the surrounding nations. That's why I think it will either be a Kurdish state, or perhaps a Christian Arab country. Any other possible ones? Druze are too few, and I don't know about the Turkmen or the Assyrians or any other ethnic minorities.
 

Hashasheen

Banned
My guess is that it's going to take a nation that is similarly distrusted and rejected by the surrounding nations. That's why I think it will either be a Kurdish state, or perhaps a Christian Arab country. Any other possible ones? Druze are too few, and I don't know about the Turkmen or the Assyrians or any other ethnic minorities.
... Why do people ignore my posts? :(

Christian Arab Lebanon would make a viable ally-puppet ala Rhodesia, while the Golan heights could become a Druze-homeland ala South Korea and fortified to the high heavens against the Syrians. The Kurds are more of an Iraqi-Turkish-Iranian thing than the Levant.

...

Like I said, this is a very interesting TL I'm planning.
 

Hashasheen

Banned
Yeah, I'm referring to your post. I'm wondering if Maronite Lebanon isn't the only possible Arab Christian state, though.
It is unfortunately. Coptics in Egypt are too few to even use to puppet the Sinai, while Lebanon held the small majority of Christians that dominated all facets of governance. Arab Christians in other areas steadily decreased over the years and immigrated to the West where they managed better. Lebanon is the viable option.
 
Any other minorities such as the ones I mentioned (Turkmen, Assyrians)? Though I guess like the Druze they don't count for the purposes of this thread since they don't have any animosity towards Israel. How about Shia Arabs?
 

Hashasheen

Banned
Any other minorities such as the ones I mentioned (Turkmen, Assyrians)? Though I guess like the Druze they don't count for the purposes of this thread since they don't have any animosity towards Israel. How about Shia Arabs?
The Shias were fairly secular in the beginnings of the Lebanese Civil War, though I'm not too sure on the Iranian-Israeli relationship. They were radicalised by the PLO and their various youth groups, and are to this day among the most proverty-stricken Lebanese. If Israeli helps their situation, who knows?

Now in general, Shia Arabs were very patriotic in Iraq against Iran, but Shia Arabs in Saudi were persecuted somewhat by the Royal family and there have been some accusations of Iranian influence there...

...

A surviving Shah Iran is yet another thing I intend to write. :mad:
 
The Alawite State is an intresting option, as Alawites are not seen as true Muslmis by any other Muslim sect, this may push them in a friendship with Israel, this may cause them to openly declare their religion instead of keeping it secret and claiming to be Twelver Shia.
 

Hashasheen

Banned
The Alawite State is an intresting option, as Alawites are not seen as true Muslmis by any other Muslim sect, this may push them in a friendship with Israel, this may cause them to openly declare their religion instead of keeping it secret and claiming to be Twelver Shia.
But that's rather improbable. Latakia was split up by the French in the Syrian mandate and was later returned to it with the other governates with the exception of Lebanon. This was before Israeli itself came into existence, so...
 
What if Lebanon ends up partitioned in multiple ways after a different civil war? That way there are the Israel-allied Christian Lebanese state, and then a state for the Alawites after Syria has a civil war as well for some reason?
 
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