“To say that pan-Arabism is “dead” would be inaccurate, because it was never “alive,” in any meaningful sense, in the first place. » Evaluate the views for and against this argument, with particular reference to at least one relevant country. “An Arab nation from the Gulf to the ocean” gives meaning to the term “pan-Arabism” in the Middle East. A notion that Arab nations transcend their state boundaries to form political mergers with other states and achieve "Arab unity". The existence of the Arab states has been tumultuous throughout the decline of the Muslim order, the end of the Ottoman Empire, the Palestinian defeat, the Six Day War, and the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. This essay will critically examine the case of Foud Ajami for one reason. in the Middle East and his assertion that there were six major trends leading to a shift in the balance of power from pan-Arabism to statehood. It will be argued that pan-Arabism was a romantic ideology that Arab states found convenient to support, all in an effort to advance their nationalist agendas. This was never a realistic undertaking physically undertaken by the Arab States and has therefore never been concretely materialized. However, pan-Arabism as an ideology had a place in the Middle East and was therefore alive in an ideological sense. Ajami argues that the universalism of pan-Arabism derived from the universalism of the Ottoman Empire had disappeared after 6 decades. There is no longer a collective Arab crisis and nation states have alternative nationalist goals. A typical example to support his argument would be the example of Egypt. The country must concern itself with relevant political and economic issues. Many face unemployment and the country is on the verge of bankruptcy....... middle of paper ......): 355-73. Jstor. Internet. February 20, 2014. .Hilāl, 'Alī Al-Dīn. Islamic resurgence in the Arab world. New York, NY: Praeger, 1982. Print. Hopwood, Derek. Egypt, politics and society, 1945-1981. London: Allen & Unwin, 1982. Print. Hourani, Albert. A history of the Arab peoples. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP, 1991. Print. Milton-Edwards, Beverley. Contemporary politics in the Middle East. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2000. Print. Schulze, Kirsten E. The Arab-Israeli Conflict. London: Longman, 1999. Print. Yapp, Malcolm. The Middle East since the First World War: a history to 1995. London: Longman, 1996. Print.Hassan, Nafaa. "ARAB NATIONALISM: A RESPONSE TO AJAMI'S THESIS ON THE "END OF PAN-ARABISM". Journal of Arab Affairs 2.2 (1983): n. pag. ProQuest. Web. February 21. 2014.