Nonalignment in the Arab World

Until 1952 neutralism or nonalignment was not a significant factor in foreign policies of Arab governments. Only the Syrian socialists had articulated a policy of nonalign ment, but they had little political prestige. After the 1952 Egyptian revolution and the rise of Nasser as an influential figure, his policies affected all the Arab world. When Nasser adapted Egyptian foreign policy to nonalignment, other Arab radical governments also became neutralist. Revolutionary Egypt's neutralism was held by Arab nationalists to free the Middle East from Western domination, although to Western diplomats Nasser's policies often seemed to be moving precari ously close to those of the Soviet bloc. Increasingly, Nasser and his Arab supporters have articulated neutralism as a posi tive doctrine which gives the Arabs a major voice among non aligned nations in Asia and in Africa. The revolutionary Arab governments, together with other nonaligned or neutralist gov ernments in Asia and Africa, have become an influential politi cal factor in international affairs by virtue of their non aligned policies.