The Dilemma of Regionalism in the Middle East:The Changing Role of the Structure of International System

This article seeks to explain the serious dilemma of the lack of integration and regionalism in the Middle East, paying particular attention to an influential variable that is the structure of the international system. The author intends to find an answer to the following main question: What are the major obstacles to and failure of regionalism in the Middle East? In the first place, the data collected for the research indicate that the major reasons for the lack of regionalism in the Middle East include the role played and constraints imposed by the structure of the international system as the main cause on the one hand and lack of formation of a collective shared identity due to the presence of conflicting identities as well as the external nature of norms in the region on the other. The research uses a descriptive-analytical method, using the bibliographical data in order to find a convincing answer for the research
question. The author has sought to draw upon a synthetic pattern between the constructivist and neorealist theories in order to better understand questions of regionalism in the Middle East.