The Middle East

Background

• Late 1800s– Zionism: Jewish Nationalist Movement

– Want independent state in homeland• World Response– Sympathetic because of Holocaust– UN divides Palestine into Jewish and

Arab state• Jerusalem under international control• Jews Accept, Arabs reject• UN passes

First Arab-Israeli War

• Israel declared democratic state May 14, 1948• Next day Arab countries (Egypt, Syria, Lebanon,

Transjordan) invade• Dec. 1948 Arabs defeated • Results– Cease-fire (no permanent peace)– No Arab state (other countries control land)– Huge refugee population (700,000)

Problems in the Middle East

Oil

• 2/3 of known oil • Most apart of Organization of Petroleum Exports

Countries' (OPEC)– Regulate production– Maximize revenue

• Helpful to modernize– Build military– Maintain power– Threaten neighbors

Islamic Fundamentalism: reorder society, Believe Muslim

countries too influenced by West

Israel:UN mandated, not all recognize

Six-Day War 1966• Egypt– Tells UN to remove troops

(UN does)– Moves towards war

• Israel – Preemptive airstrike on

Egyptian airfields (destroy planes)

– Moves troops in: takes land, ends war

Yom Kippur War 1973

• Egypt/Syria surprise attack on Jewish Holiday– Israel unprepared– Egypt gains land

• Israel ask US for help– US assists, cease fire– OPEC embargoes oil (prices rise)

Camp David Accords 1978

• Egypt wants peace• US, Egypt, Israel meet in Camp David,

Maryland• Camp David Accords– Egypt recognize Israel– Israel returns land

Palestine-Israeli Conflict1969-1993

• UN plan– _________________________– _________________________

• Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)– Guerilla attacks – Street fighting

• Israel responds with heavy military presence and police force

Arab state and Israel stateOther countries occupy land

Palestine-Israeli Conflict1993

• Oslo Accords– Israel gradually give land to Palestine– Must sign by 1998

• Extremists don’t respond well– Hamas (extremist group) conducts suicide bombings– Israeli fanatic assassinates Rabin

• Back to fighting

Palestine-Israeli Conflict2000’s

• 2004: Israel withdraws troops from disputed land• 2005: Land back to Palestine• 2006: Hamas win control of Parliament • 2015: Hamas controls Parliament

Iran• Rapid industrialization• Iranians threatened by change, betrayed• 1978 protests begin• 1979 Iranian revolution– Anti-western foreign policy– Seize US embassy• 66 hostages (until 1981)• Canadian Caper / Argo

Iraq

• Sadam Hussein – Builds Military– Accuse Kuwait of drilling– Invades Kuwait

• World response:– UN economic stations– US leads coalition – Persian Gulf War

Post Persian Gulf War

• War lasts a few weeks• UN– Continues sanctions– Demands destruction of biological and chemical

weapons– Bans nukes

• Iraq does not listen

Iraq – 2000s

• 2001: US believes housing weapons– Inspection reveals none– US still invades, Hussein out of power

• US attempts to create democratic government• 2005: 1st multiparty election in 50 years