Creating Modern Middle East Brief history of creation of nations in the Middle East

The Beginning An empire called the Ottoman Empire controlled what is now most of Southwest Asia. Ottomans joined the Germans and Austrians in World War I against the Allies of France, England, and Russia. When the Allies won… they had plans to divide the Ottoman Empire.

The Division England controlled what is today Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine (Israel). France controlled Syria and Lebanon. The main area of the Ottoman Empire became independent Turkey. The rest of the Arabian peninsula became united independently under Arab control.

Mandate A Mandate refers to land governed by an outside nation or power on behalf of the League of Nations (today the UN) until the area is ready to be stable independently. England controlled their areas as part of mandates. After World War I many European Jews began to return to their homeland (Jerusalem) which was in Arab controlled Palestine. This area was safe for Jews under the British Mandate.

Creation of Israel Many Zionists (Jews that moved to Palestine) put political pressure on Western Europe to create a Jewish state. Palestinians (Arabs) believed their right to decide their own political future (self-determination) would lead them to join the Arab states of Arabia. After World War II (1945), Jews that were survivors of the Holocaust had no place to go.

Conflict Arabs were not interested in letting the Jews have more (or any) of their land because of what the Nazis had done. Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen created the Arab League and announced their support of Arab Palestine. In 1947, England withdrew from Palestine and turned the dilemma over to the newly formed world organization the United Nations.

Israel The United Nations debated for months and finally decided to create two nations out of Palestine… one Jewish and one Arab (Islamic). Jerusalem (holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims) would be designated an international city. The Jews accepted the UN plan, but the Arabs were furious.

Israel The UN plan gave more than half the total land of Palestine to the Jewish state. Most of the upland and desert areas were Palestinian. The Jewish state would then be named by its first leader… Israel. The Arab League went to war with Israel, but lost due to the support of the West (including the U.S.) Egypt and Jordan divided what was left of Palestine after the war and the Palestinians were left with no country at all.

Israel Today Conflict between Israel’s government and Palestinian Arabs has consumed the country since the late 1940’s. Israel has one of the strongest militaries (air force) in the world… because of support of the west. Agriculture technology has transformed desert into crops using drip irrigation. Mining in the Dead Sea region has also helped the economy.