Inside the Middle East: Entering a New Era

by Avi Melamed, Maia Hoffman (Contributor)

Why Is the Middle East Entering a “New Era?” Is It a New Dawn? Is It a Setting Sun? In the third decade of the twenty-first century, the Middle East is entering a new era. A multifaceted and intricate equilibrium will write the next chapter of this region. The new era we are entering is fraught with challenges and full of opportunities. The new era is both defined by, and a result of, a combination of ancient and modern, domestic, regional, and international processes. Iran and Turkey each strive to position themselves as the regional superpower. In parallel, the people of the region struggle to overcome increasing domestic challenges. These developments, combined with an escalating struggle over path, identity, and direction, could result in a new model of statehood in the Arab world. While some countries take the turbulent path toward a possible new statehood model, others are fighting for their sovereignty and survival. All of this is occurring while Western hegemony in the Middle East is coming to an end and the Eastern giants are on the rise. Acclaimed Middle East expert, an Israeli fluent in Arabic, English, and Hebrew, Avi Melamed has a proven exceptional record of foreseeing the evolution of events in the Middle East and their impact on a local and regional level. In this book, Melamed takes you on a fascinating eye-opening journey through the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East in the third decade of the twenty first century. He challenges common Western concepts, narratives, and theories. And he provides predictions about some of the most central regional issues of the day. Using primarily sources from the region, Avi Melamed provides a professional, rare insider’s view and clearly and insightfully contextualizes current regional events. Inside The Middle Entering a New Era provides the knowledge and tools to connect the dots. This distinct understanding allows the reader to build a multidimensional picture of the geopolitical reality of the Middle East today and provides an unparalleled foundation for navigating the events of tomorrow.

Genres: Middle East

889 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 8, 2022

Reviews

[Gay Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avi Melamed is an independent Middle East strategic intelligence analyst. This book is both exceptionally informative and well written for layman readers like myself. I appreciated that the author combined his comprehensive analysis of ongoing hostilities and current conflicts in the Middle East with historic backgrounds and excellent illustrative maps. Avi Melamed predicts the emergence of a new Middle Eastern nation state alternative and discusses the challenging reality of implementation in each country. Recommended.

[Avi Maderer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you need to choose one book, and for that matter, one educator for objective, unbiased information on the Middle East, Avi Melamed is your go-to address. His most recent book, “Inside the Middle East, Entering a New Era” is a treasure of information for the lay-citizens of the world, and the international affairs strategist alike. While it’s language is down to earth, it is not a short read by any means. And yet, it is still worth every moment of time invested.

I found the book’s in-depth insights and analyses of the regional and global player’s roles in this complex region to be eye-opening.

This book is a must read and invaluable reference for all who seek knowledge, understanding, and even hope for a better middle east, and for that matter, a better world.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Israeli intelligence analyst Avi Melamed's highly anticipated book, "Inside the Middle East," challenges widely accepted perceptions and provides a compelling guide to understanding the region. In this book, Melamed examines the current state of the Arab world, its implications for Israel, and the necessary actions for Western leaders. He explores critical players, underlying issues, and significant developments such as the Arab Spring and the rise of ISIS, offering a comprehensive roadmap of the Middle East. This groundbreaking volume provides insights into the region's future struggles and serves as a compelling guide to navigating the complexities of the Middle East.

[Foz · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The tension between the realpolitik and idealpolitik, the rise of the age of ignorance, and the growing difficulty in identifying when the West has a legal right and moral imperative to act have eroded the effectiveness of Western policy in the Middle East.”

Avi does a great job teaching the reader with this book. There is a cumbersome amount of information in this policy book. However, the reflecting on his 2016 book and predictions Melamed made that came true brings this book to the forefront of necessary reading.

“Effective policy requires being able to identify when there is legal and moral legitimacy to pursue an aggressive option.”

The distinction of morality and policy is a good chapter and balances the need for there only being two sides to everything.

“Social media elevates sensationalism and shallowness over real depth and discourse.”

The falsehoods in Western narratives about the Middle East are made apparent by Avi. Most false information is by the simple yet effective slogans that are found in quick soundbites on social media platforms.

4.5/5⭐️

[Bill W · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. Well written and informative. Nice to finally read a book about the Middle East in which you come away feeling smarter about the issues - and not that you’ve been fed one or another point of view. I also particularly liked the fact that it’s a book I can come back to over and over again as it’s full of insights and detailed information about numerous current geo-political topics in the region.

[Eli Ovits · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! Avi Melamed successfully captures the complexity of the Middle East, in "Inside the Middle East: Entering a New Era" enabling the reader to navigate the multi-layered nature of the region. Melamed covers multiple policy areas, providing analytical insights into the trends impacting our reality, and why the Middle East remains the epicenter of current affairs. It left me wanting to read more, whilst equipping me with the tools to better understand how to think!

[Aqeel Haider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Israeli point of view ....Sparing Israeli 🇮🇱 Bloodbath and destruction unaccounted..

[michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avi Melamed's writing about the Middle East is at once dispassionate and elucidating. He weaves together the complex and fraught history, geography, culture, and religious mosaic of the Middle East into a captivating text. Through a non-partisan lens Melamed provides the reader with the view of the region through lens of intelligence expert. He masterfully weaves the strands (which can seem unrelated to the uninitiated) of regions and culture and religions into a tapestry that offers his reader a full 3-D model. There are both deep analysis and basic building blocks on each page of the text. This book should be a primer for both the novice and expert alike. A must read for anyone interested in understanding the complexity and danger we face in the Middle East.

[Jeanetteamid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inside the Middle East is an extremely important book for all who want to understand the area with its complexities. Avi Melamed is brilliant at analyzing the positions of the various factions. After having read this book one is fully informed, and therefore possibly able to figure out a future scenario. A MUST

[James Mcveigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inside the Middle East provides tremendous insights into the challenges and opportunities in the Middle East. Avi Melamed writes a powerful, balanced account of the various forces within the Middle East and the implications for broader MENA region. His ability to clearly articulate the cause and effect of policies of the regional players allows you to understand why certain countries are remain challenged while others are providing a foundation of stability for their citizens. If you care about and want to understand the Middle East this book is a must read!