You need to provide an answer to two (2) of the questions, of your choice, and you will have a choice of ten (10) questions to choose your two answers from. .

QUESTIONS:

1. Over a decade after the so-called ‘Arab Spring’, what are the prospects of lasting and stable

democracy emerging in states in the Arab world in the foreseeable future? Answer with specific

reference to at least two (2) pertinent Arab states in the Middle-East/North Africa (of your choice).

2. Assess the arguments for and against the following assertion – “The political and social problems of

the Middle-East today are the result of one factor more than any other, the artificial political

geography created in the region by European powers after World War One”. Answer with specific

reference to at least two (2) pertinent states/countries/etc (of your choice).

3. Jordan’s King Abdullah has stated that “The security and the future of Jordan is hand-in-hand with

the futures of the Palestinians and the Israelis”. Discuss with specific reference to why Jordan’s

political destiny, past and present, is seemingly inextricably tied to the Palestinians and Israel.

4. “The profound historic and contemporary differences between Israel and the Palestinians – that

contributed so significantly to the collapse of the Peace Process – are too substantial to ever be

amicably resolved. A negotiated Israeli-Palestinian peace is therefore not a realistic goal”. Discuss

with specific reference to some successes and failures of the peace process (‘Oslo’, etc) to date.

5. Analyse the key factors behind the ongoing political – and at times military – conflict between the

PLO/Fatah and Hamas that so dominates Palestinian politics. Is this an intractable battle between

‘secular nationalists’ and ‘radical Islamists’, or is such an assessment an over-simplification or

inaccurate characterisation of the rivalry?

6. “While Syria diplomacy may have appeared poised for a period of renewed investment in early

2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting collapse in U.S. and European diplomatic

relations with Moscow mean Syria diplomacy is now all but dead. An unprecedented

humanitarian crisis now appears to be imminent.” (The Middle East Institute report, March

2022) Reflecting on this statement, assess the current situation in Syria, its domestic human

and political implications, and likely ramifications for regional political stability.

7. A banner at a recent Lebanese protest, aimed at the government and police, for many sums up

the current crisis in Lebanon: “Don’t use tear gas, we cry by ourselves.” Including an

examination of choice pertinent examples from previous decades and today (of your choice),

assess and evaluate how the current crisis is but the latest in a long series of political

instabilities in the country, and the relative seriousness/scale of this current political crisis. Can

Lebanon recover – again – or might we be seeing the collapse of the entire State?

8. Evaluate and assess the challenges facing the government of Iraq as it tries to rebuild following the

‘defeat’ of ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh in the country. Can Iraq overcome the catastrophic effects of the years

of US and then ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh occupation, how will they ensure ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh does not

return as a military and political force, how will they manage the Kurdish question, what role or

threat does Iran pose, etc? Answer in relation to your choice of these and/or other factors.

9. Which three (3) political or strategic factors, domestic and/or foreign, pose (in your view) the

most serious challenges to the leaders of Iran in the next 5 years? Assess and evaluate these

factors with reference to pertinent evidence/example/etc.

10. In Israel “the essence of the problem of legislating for electoral reform is that the surgeon is also

the patient”. Discuss, with specific reference to why reform of the system is such a key issue and to

historic and recent attempts to reform and adjust Israel’s electoral mechanisms and structures.