Regional Forces, External Powers and Significant Leaders

Wider regional and external forces. The Iranian Revolution (1979) and the rise of political Islam and its impact on the region; the involvement of the Cold War superpowers and the later role of the United States as principal broker; the role of oil as a strategic and economic lever; and an assessment of the significance of individuals such as Nasser, Sadat, Begin, Rabin and Arafat in shaping the course of the conflict and the attempts to resolve it.