Ilias Kouskouvelis @ University of Piraeus and BESA, Israel, International Conference: «The Eastern Mediterranean between East and West» Original talk title: «Strategy Vs Ideology: antagonisms and balancing in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT0MZ_IO7mA This 22 minutes talk tackles an interesting question: What is going on in Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East? Is really a clash of civilizations taking place ? I suggest that the behavior of the main actors in the region points to a different direction. I argue that what is happening is nothing new. We are just witnessing a phenomenon of balancing in the region. Therefore, western governments should not see the events in the area through the lens of the Clash of Civilizations doctrine. If they do so, they will fail in a trap prepared by those who use Huntington’s idea for their purposes.
Ηλιας Κουσκουβελης 