Description
My friends, perhaps you will forgive me if I tell you that I have always hesitated before any idea of visiting the entire Arabian Peninsula, including the Gulf. Despite the paramount importance of this region in our time, especially for those who follow the course of international conflicts, I have, for various reasons, been unable to easily overcome my hesitation. Thus, I am now in your region for the second time in my life, a shortcoming I acknowledge and accept your reproach for. My first visit here, as some of you may recall, was at the beginning of 1975. At that time, I was touring the entire Arab world in preparation for a book I had been commissioned to write for the Sunday Times, in conjunction with Collins Publishing in Britain, entitled “The Arab World Today.” I had imagined it to be an easy book, but it turned out to be the most difficult task I have undertaken throughout my career in journalism and writing. I had barely finished preparing the first draft when the Lebanese crisis struck us all, and I had to revise it to ensure that the book, upon its publication, would be connected to the latest events. Then, no sooner had I finished revising and preparing the book for publication than we were all taken by surprise by the recent developments that began with President Anwar Sadat’s address to the Israeli Knesset. This forced me to revise the book once again, particularly those chapters concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict and the balance of power in the Middle East. Thus, the subject of my first visit to you remains relevant.
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