In the readings thus far, the text identified many early American interests in the Middle East from geopolitical to missionary. Using the text and your own research, compare these early interests with contemporary American interests in the Middle East.

In particular, how has becoming 1) a global hegemon after WWII and 2) the concurrent process of ‘secularization’ transformed American foreign policy thought and behavior toward Israel and the Middle East region generally? What themes have remained constant and what appear new? Would you attribute changes more to America’s new geopolitical role after WWII, or to the increasing secularization of American society?  Explain carefully and think critically.

students must support their assertions with at least 2 scholarly
citations in Turabian format.