This annual reference provides a statistical study of military trends in the Middle East and a collection of essays analyzing the details and strategic significance of events in the region. With this edition, The Middle East Military Balance moves to a calendar-year basis. The description and analysis in this volume cover the years 1984 and 1985, and the figures presented are correct as of late 1985. Part I surveys. the major strategic developments in the region during the period under review. Part II presents battle order. information on the armed forces in the region and assesses the capabilities of the major military establishments. Part III analyzes various sub-regional military balances. And Part IV provides updated reference materials - comparative tables, a *glossary of weaponry, maps and abbreviations.

This study examines the extent to which new political thinking has been applied to Soviet policy in the Middle East and aims to speculate about the possible impact of any changes on patterns of international relations in the region.

This annual reference provides a statistical study of military trends in the Middle East and a collection of essays analyzing the details and strategic significance of events in the region. With this edition, The Middle East Military Balance moves to a calendar-year basis. The description and analysis in this volume cover the years 1984 and 1985, and the figures presented are correct as of late 1985. Part I surveys. the major strategic developments in the region during the period under review. Part II presents battle order. information on the armed forces in the region and assesses the capabilities of the major military establishments. Part III analyzes various sub-regional military balances. And Part IV provides updated reference materials - comparative tables, a *glossary of weaponry, maps and abbreviations.

The future of the West Bank and Gaza remains the single most crucial issue in the search for peace in the Middle East. Examining the entire range of possible outcomes, Mark Heller of the Center for Strategic Studies, Tel-Aviv University, argues that an independent Palestinian state in those territories, even one dominated by the PLO, could, under certain stringent conditions, be the preferred option for Israel.

In the first comprehensive treatment of the political, social, economic, and military factors bearing on the disposition of the West Bank and Gaza, Mark Heller sets forth the possible alternatives--annexation by Israel, perpetuation of the status quo, federal or communal arrangements, and territorial compromise within the framework of the Jordanian option--and evaluates their implications for Israeli security.

Heller outlines the conditions under which he believes the establishment of a Palestinian state could be the optimal solution. He also discusses the economic prospects of a Palestinian state and the future of Jerusalem. His analysis is the boldest attempt yet to come to grips with the Palestinian question and the future of Israel. No one interested in the pursuit of a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Arab conflict can afford to ignore this book.