The Soviet Union used its relationship with Europe to gain economic cooperation with the Arab world during the Cold War and its influence in the Middle East by inciting proxy conflicts between the Arab states and their Jewish neighbors. The superpowers interacted with proxy combatants, which factored into the Soviet Union's omission from the Camp David Accords. The policy exposed Soviet dualism; while aiming to reduce their military budget and improve their image of the world stage, they pursued an anti-Israel policy in the Arabian Peninsula.