Chapter 30 New Directions Section 3 – War and Peace in the Middle East

A Vital Region Middle East: called the “cross- roads of the world” (?) Birthplace of 3 religions (?) Tensions among religious groups have led to violence. Crusades (?), Israel-Arab/ Palestinian conflicts. Currently focus of attention: 1.Oil reserves 2.Terrorist activity US tries to balance conflicting interests – support for Israel and keeping ties with Arabs who control oil and oppose Israel

Israel and Its Arab Neighbors Late 1800s – European Jews began arriving in Palestine (region near Mediterranean coast). They hoped to create a Jewish state (to avoid persecution) in the ancient home of their people. Settlers increased in the 1930s by those fleeing Nazis, and in the late 1940s by those who survived the holocaust. Problem – There were already people living there. Each group (Jews, Arabs) began attacking the other to get them to leave – Jewish residents of Palestine announced the creation of the state of Israel. The United Nations, the United States, and other nations recognized Israel. Arabs who lived in Palestine and Arab nations around Palestine refused to recognize Israel. The Arab nations attacked Israel. Israel won the 1948 war and added to its territory. During and after the war, more than 500,000 Arabs fled Palestine and were put in refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. It is 51 years later and they, and their descendants, are still there (Israel won’t let them back in – against international law (?), and the Arab states won’t let them settle there).

Israel and Its Arab Neighbors, continued Israel won two more wars (1967, 1973) against its neighbors and expanded its land to include “occupied territories” (?) The US supported Israel in the 1973 war with arms and supplies. Because of that, Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut off oil shipments to the US. (Remember the gas lines I talked about during the 70s?). OPEC also slowed down production, causing shortages and higher oil prices all over the world. Oil embargo was lifted in Camp David Accords – 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab head of state to ever visit Israel. Peace talks began between Egypt and Israel. When talks looked like they might break down, President Carter invited both Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to Camp David (?). After 2 weeks, Israel agreed to give the Sinai Desert back to Egypt in return for Egypt recognizing Israel. As a result, Sadat and Begin signed a peace treaty in 1979.

The Palestinians Palestinians continued to wage a guerilla war against Israel. Most Palestinians live in the occupied territories or in refugee camps. They wanted to live in their homeland under a Palestinian government. Many supported the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The leader of the PLO, Yasir Arafat, said that the PLO’s goal was to destroy Israel – Palestinians began protesting in the streets – after 2 years of meetings, peace agreement reached. PLO agreed to recognize “the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security” and to give up violence as a means of dealing with Israel. Israel agreed to grant limited self-rule to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and in Jericho (on the West Bank) – Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan (formal state of war for 46 years) – Israel allowed Palestinians to set up a government covering some areas of the West Bank. Arafat became head of the Palestinian National Authority. Radicals tried to stop the peace process. Arab groups launched a series of suicide bombings in Israeli cities. A Jewish student assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin who had signed the peace agreement with the PLO.

Tensions with Iran Since WWII (?) US had supported Iran’s ruler, Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, in part because he was anti-communist. However, he was a harsh, undemocratic ruler. Devout Muslims also objected to his trying to make Iran like western countries – a revolution forced the shah to flee. Ayatollah Khomeini, a religious leader, took over. November 1979, President Carter let the shah enter the US for medical treatment. Iranian revolutionaries took over the American embassy in Tehran (capital of Iran). Took 53 American hostages and held them for 14 months.

First Conflict with Iraq August 1990 – Saddam Hussein, dictator of Iraq, invaded Kuwait with 100,000 troops. Why Kuwait – and why would we care? President Bush (1) thought that Hussein might be trying to take total control of the middle east oil. He sent American troops to Saudi Arabia to prevent Iraq from attacking there. He convinced the UN (?) to start a trade boycott (?) on Iraq. US and allies demanded Hussein withdraw from Kuwait by 1/15/91. On 1/16, UN launched an air attack on Iraq. “Desert Storm” – 28 nations (including Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt) joined US in bombing Baghdad, capital of Iraq. Within 24 hours, Iraqi air defense and air force was useless. By end of February, UN troops had driven Iraqis out of Kuwait. This first Persian Gulf War lasted only 6 weeks – Hussein stopped allowing UN inspectors to look for illegal biological and chemical weapons. He allowed it again after President Clinton sent American warships close to Iraq. UN economic sanctions continued, causing hardships.