The Question of Jerusalem in the Cold-War Era

Authors : Türkkaya Ataöv

Pages : 153-164

Doi:10.1501/Intrel_0000000164

View : 24 | Download : 8

Publication Date : 1982-05-01

Article Type : Research

Abstract :The old global bipolarity has come to an end. The former Eastern Bloc joined the West, together forming the "Global North", asserting preponderance över the "Global South", othenvise knovvn as the Third World during the Cold War era.1 The demişe of the Eastern Bloc has made the North-South contradiction even sharper. The future of world politics may well be determined by the North-South paradigm. Three-quarters of humanity live in the developing nations of the South. The latter may differ in the degree of achievement, size or structure or some may even fail in the gray area in the North-South division, but they have common traits such as facing much more powerful centers in the vvorld arena. The Global North, vvhich may have some pockets of vveakness and poverty as vvell, is generally indifferent as to the rights, vievvs, aspirations and interests of the Global South. While the old East-West Cold War axis is being replaced by the dichotomy betvveen the North and the South, the freedom of movement of the latter is now restricted. The countervailing vveight of the Eastern Bloc no longer existing, the United States, the strongest among the Northern countries, is novv engaged, much more than ever, in setting the agenda of intemational politics both vvithin and outside of the United Nations. That vvorld organization novv has a nevv role mostly in the service of the North. The present imbalanced distribution of povver is a long vvay from vvhat the global situation vvas only a fevv years ago.  
Keywords : The Question, Jerusalem, Cold-War Era