“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 points of view for and against this topic, with particular reference to at least one appropriate country. “An Arab nation from the Gulf to the Ocean” gives meaning to the term “Pana-Arabism” in the Middle East. A notion that Arab nations transcend their state borders to form political mergers with other states and achieve “Arab unity.” The existence of Arab states was tumultuous during the decline of the Muslim order, the end of the Ottoman Empire, the Palestinian defeat, the Six-Day War, and the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. This essay will critically examine Foud's thesis Ajami for a raison d'être 'état in the Middle East and his assertion that there were six major trends leading to the alteration of the balance of power away from pan-Arabism and towards towards the state. It will be argued that pan-Arabism was a romantic ideology that Arab states found convenient to support, all in advancement of their nationalistic state agendas. It was never a realistic undertaking undertaken physically by Arab states and therefore was never alive in a tangible sense. 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 nationalistic goals. A case in point to support his thesis could be the example of Egypt. The country has pertinent political and economic issues to deal with. Many face unemployment and the country is on the verge of bankruptcy....... middle of paper ......): 355-73. Jstor. Network. 20 February 2014. .Hilāl, 'Alī Al-Dīn. The Islamic revival 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 Near 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): page no. ProQuest. Web. 21 February. 2014.