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Iran and the West: Is the Talk about Rapprochement Warranted?

(Israel Hayom) Dore Gold - A central question raised by all the talk about a U.S.-Iranian rapprochement is whether such a dramatic shift in their relations would be warranted at this stage, if it was at all being contemplated by anyone. Looking at the rapprochement between the U.S. and the Soviet Union as a model, there were important developments that occurred before Washington was prepared to declare in 1991 that the Cold War was over. It wasn't the rise to power of Michael Gorbachev or his reforms, known as perestroika, that caused the West to rethink its approach to Moscow, but rather the modification of the Soviet Union's external behavior that made the difference - starting, in particular, with the withdrawal of the Red Army from Afghanistan in 1988. Soviet adventurism in places like Angola, the Horn of Africa, and Central America ended and Soviet forces even stopped intervening against the anti-Communist revolts that were began in Eastern Europe. Looking at the Iranian case today, there is no sign that Tehran is fundamentally changing its footprint in the Middle East as a result of Hassan Rouhani's election or the more recent Geneva understandings. Iran's Revolutionary Guards are on the ground in Syria, not only helping as advisors, but actually taking part in combat operations against the Sunni Arab population and in the bloodbath they have created. The writer, a former Israeli UN ambassador, is president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
2013-12-06 00:00:00
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