This is not an analysis of the
virtues or vices of Professor Huntington’s work but is rather using it as
a tool. The concept of “civilization” is shown to be a very useful one for
assessing the true position of Israel in relation to her security needs
vis a vis her Arab neighbors. If it is not at all easy for the
constituent elements which make up a civilization to change and these
penetrate deeply into matters of religion and inter-personal
relationships, then the prospects for reform of any far reaching nature in
the essentials of Islam must need to be explored.
What the arguments and
insights of Professor Huntington alert his audience to is the possibility
of assessing the nature of civilizations beyond the solely theoretical and
conceptual. In so doing the means for looking closely at the way Islam
affects its adherents’ attitudes become more vital and perhaps available.
Understanding of “Islamic civilization” becomes a truly essential task in
the light of its unchanging teaching and values and also historical
record. These in turn suggest the degree of viability and sense behind
the “Oslo peace processes”. If, in analysis of the outlook and beliefs of
the Islamic civilization to which Israel’s neighbors claim they belong, in
speeches, books, cartoons and the media, there cannot be found any serious
revision of overt and covert hostility to Israel, then the Huntington
clashes of civilizations ideas for furthering understanding of
international relations and strategic realities serve Israeli analysts
well (and not only those in Israel): the so-called peace process has no
chance of bringing peace but instead must be viewed as a means of further
weakening Israel’s capacity to resist destruction at the hands of Muslim
Arab enemies.
