French President Emmanuel Macron (R) shakes hands with Qatari officials during a meeting in Doha on December 7, 2017.
(AMMAR ABD RABBO/AFP/Getty Images)
France has been involved in the Middle East in one way or another for centuries, starting with the Crusades. The modern phase of its activities in the region began just after World War II, as France's collapsing empire gave way during the Cold War to a web of alliances in the Arab world and beyond. France prioritized relationships in its former colonies, such as Tunisia, to protect its sphere of influence from both the global threat of Communism and from what it saw as an Anglo-American challenge to its own independent foreign policy. After its defeat in Algeria in 1962, the country took a back seat to the United States and United Kingdom's leadership in the Middle East. But today France is setting the stage for a comeback in the region. Under the guidance of French President Emmanuel Macron -- just over halfway through his first year in office --...
