[moxifly7]

Interesting point on Israel pushing for the monarchy to come back.

Democracy in the middle-east does not result in Israel or US aligned governments, but the monarchies have proven more interested in preserving their autocratic dynasties and quite easy and eager to work with Israel and the US to preserve themselves.

[jraby3]

Aside from Israel are there any democracies in the Middle East?

[moxifly7]

My observation was that more democracy in the Middle East is not what Israel or the US is interested in, given that the people's choice there would be overwhelmingly against Israeli and US interests.

They replaced the last democratic choice in Egypt with another military dictator, they keep the widely unpopular autocrat in Jordan on his throne with military and intelligence subsidies, have established and propped up a network of autocratic Gulf states that toe the line...

So yeah, I would not be surprised that Israel and the US would be more than happy to but a scion of the previous Iranian autocratic dynasty back on the throne there.

[tlogan]

Lebanon is democracy. It is true that system is sectarian (power-sharing among religious groups) but still a democracy.

[padjo]

Iran elects their President. Is it a shining example of a democracy, no, but it has a much stronger democratic tradition than say Saudi Arabia. If the US and British hadn't been meddling there for the last 70 years it would probably be a secular democracy now.

[frmersdog]

Israel's a democracy the way the 3/5ths compromise promoted democracy.