Arabs and Israelis Fight Over Land

Since Israel was established in 1948, the country has fought Arab forces and gained and given

back lands belonging to neighboring countries. The PLO has led a struggle to gain homelands for

Palestinians, often using suicide bombers. Progress toward peace has been made since prime

minister Ariel Sharon launched a plan to withdraw Israeli settlements form Gaza and since

Mahmoud Abbas took Yasir Arafat’s place as head of the PLO.

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Regional ConflictsSection 3: Conflicts in the Middle East

Witness History Audio: Two Peoples Claim the Same Land

Color Transparency 198: Israel and the Occupied Territories

Note Taking Transparency 187

History Interactive: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Civil War Ravages Lebanon

When Muslim Palestinians migrated to Lebanon, the balance of people of different religions was

tipped. Religious tensions erupted into civil war in 1975. Although the war ended in 1990, the

country’s fate seems tied to peace among its neighbors.

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Regional ConflictsSection 3: Conflicts in the Middle East

Iraq’s Long History of Conflict

For centuries, Sunni Arabs held power in Iraq. They repressed the Kurdish minority and the Shiite

Arab majority. Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein had U.S. support in a war with Iran over territory.

When Hussein invaded Kuwait, however, the U.S. and a coalition of other countries sided with

Kuwait and drove Iraq out. They also set up no-fly zones in Iraq to protect the Kurds and Shiites.

Iraq was forbidden to develop weapons of mass destruction, but would not cooperate with

inspectors from the UN. In 2003, U.S.-led coalition forces occupied Iraq and then imprisoned

Hussein. Efforts to rebuild the country have been thwarted by guerilla attacks.

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Regional ConflictsSection 3: Conflicts in the Middle East

Color Transparency 197: Ethnoreligious Groups in Iraq

QuickTake Section Quiz

Progress Monitoring Transparency

QuickTake Chapter Test

Regional Conflicts: Section 3Color Transparency 198: Israel and the Occupied Territories

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Regional Conflicts: Section 3Note Taking Transparency 187

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Regional Conflicts: Section 3Color Transparency 197: Ethnoreligious Groups in Iraq

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Regional Conflicts: Section 3Progress Monitoring Transparency

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