For anyone interested in a slightly broader context of Levant, you've got to read this quick interview with Bernard Lewis. I do think that he confuses the idea of Westernization with that technological progress a bit and I don't necessarily agree with some of his broader conclusions, but whatever you think about him, you have to have some level of respect for the guy. He knows what he's talking about and his ideas are vibrant (though I've been on a Nietzsche kick lately and might be overestimating the simplistic beauty of philology). The interview gives a nice introduction to his ideas on analysis of the politics (if there are any) of the region and should be interesting for anyone trying to understand the goings-on a bit more.