[dwater]

Many scholars argue that the US uses Israel to destabilize the region so that all other countries besides Israel are unable to form a bloc and resist US hegemony, but perhaps that's what you meant by "keep the region in check".

[xenospn]

Even if Israel did not exist, the regional Middle East governments would not agree on much. And definitely not form a bloc.

[n4r9]

Right now? For sure. But in the 50's and 60's there was a growing pan-Arab movement in the Middle East.

[jumping_frog]

This video is relevant.

US President Joe Biden: “If there were not an Israel, we’d have to invent one.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HZs-v0PR44

[lcnPylGDnU4H9OF]

"We're also going to discuss the iron-clad commitment-- and this is-- I'll say this 5,000 times in my career, the iron-clad commitment the United States has to Israel based on our principles, our ideas, our values. They're the same values. And I've often said, Mr. President, if there were not an Israel, we'd have to invent one."

Added emphasis to clarify the context of the quote.

[immibis]

In fact, that is what happened. There was no Israel at one point in time, so they invented one.

I don't understand why.