The Middle East's new balance of power

SO like Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle, you had fallen asleep many years ago, say, in 1967 in the aftermath of that year's Middle Eastern War aka the Six-Day War and had woken up 50 years later, discovering to your surprise that Israel and Egypt, the two nations who had fought that war and another one in 1973, maintain now full diplomatic relations, and according to some reports, may be coordinating their military strategy in dealing with a perceived threat from Iran, a strategic partner of Israel 50 years ago.

Confused? Don't worry. You are not alone. Even long-time students of the Middle East and many geo-strategic thinkers aren't sure what is going on in that region of the world these days. It's certainly not deja vu.

Indeed, it has taken quite a while for the experts to get used to the idea that the Middle East has ceased to be a central arena where the confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union was taking place during most of the Cold War.