Today’s LEQ: How have regional issues contributed to conflicts in the Middle East?

1600

1880

1920

Current

Brief History of the Middle East  Ottoman Empire dominant ruling power from 1299 until losing WWI (became Turkey)  In 1920, League of Nations established mandate system of French and British control for 25 years

Creation of Israel  At end of the 19 th century, an international movement of Jews who called themselves Zionists declared Palestine to be an appropriate homeland  Anti-Semitism (prejudice/hatred towards Jews) was growing in Europe and Jews began to emigrate to this area  After the persecution of Jews during WWII, international sympathy contributed to the support for a Jewish state in Palestine

U.N. Partition Plan  In 1947, the U.N. voted to partition Palestine into two states, one for Jews and the other for Palestinians Jerusalem was to be an international zone  The Jews agreed; Arabs did not

 All surrounding Arab States declared war on Israel in  Arab-Israeli War won by Israel, Israel took 70% of Palestine. (50% more than UN intended)  Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians become refugees

 Map 1: Proposed division between Israel and Palestine according to U.N. Partition Plan  Map 2: What Israel actually gets after winning the first Arab- Israeli War  Break for Activity: Israeli & Palestinian Claims to Land

Arab-Israeli Conflict  Since Israel was established in 1948, most Middle Eastern countries refused to recognize its right to exist and a series of conflicts and wars have followed  1964, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) formed; pledged to destroy Israel, replace with Palestinian state

Six-Day War  In 1967, Egypt demanded that U.N. troops leave Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula  Expecting a large- scale Arab attack, Israel struck first & quickly defeated Arab forces  Map 3: Israel took control of the Golan Heights, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and East Jerusalem

Yom Kippur War  Determined to win back territory, Egypt and Syria launched surprise attack against Israel in 1973; OPEC declares oil embargo on countries supporting Israel  After weeks of fighting, both sides agree to a cease-fire

A Peace Agreement  Egypt and Israel make peace in 1978 in an agreement known as the Camp David Accords  Egypt recognized Israel, and Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt  The treaty ended 30 years of hostility between Egypt and Israel

The Conflict Remains Unresolved   As Egypt & Israel made peace, Palestinians still struggled for nationhood  Extremists on both sides have undermined peace process between Israel & Palestine  In 2005, Israel agreed to hand over Gaza and parts of West Bank to Palestinians  But, tensions grew when Hamas (Palestinian militant group) won control of Palestinian parliament in 2006  Violence still continues today