1. Politics of the Middle East
Jordan, Palestine, Israel

3. People Population, 7,930,491 Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Muslim 97.2% (predominantly Sunni), Christian 2.2%

4. History Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Trans-Jordan, Emerit of Jordan
1946 Independence
1948 – 1967 Gained control of the West Bank
1951 Abdullah I killed
1957 End of security pact with UK
1958 Arab Federation of Iraq and Jordan
1965 Land exchange with SA

5. 1967 Six day War, loss of West Bank
1970 Black September
1973 War, 1 Brigade to Syria,
1980s Protests resulting in expanded freedoms
Did not participate in Gulf War 1, Iraq
Israel Jordan Peace Pact October 26, 1994, ending 46-year state of war.
1996 Food riots, IMF ends subsidies, 25% unemployment, 50% public sector employees,
1999 Death of King Hussein
King Abdullah II, political reforms economic cooperation with Egypt, Syria, Israel
2011 Arab Revolutions, protests quelled by some reforms, extended subsidies, reappointment of ministers and early parliamentary elections.

6. Government Parliamentary Multi Party Monarchy King Abdullah II
King is the executive, signs and vetoes laws, may suspend or dissolve parliament. A veto by the king may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of both houses of parliament at his discretion
appoints and dismisses judges, approves constitutional amendments, declares war, head of the military

7. Bicameral assembly
Chamber of Deputies 150 members, elected to 4 year terms by the electorate
15 seats reserved for women, 9 seats for Christians, 3 for Chechens/ Circassians.
approves, rejects legislation with little power to initiate laws.
Assembly of Senators 60 members appointed by the King, 4 year terms
Can be removed by Chamber of Deputies
2013 Talal al-Sharif tried to shoot a colleague with an assault rifle.

8. Palestinian Question
At Present, 1,951,603 Palestine refugees in Jordan 338,000 are still living in refugee camps
1946 Jordan had two towns with more than 10,000 people: Amman (65,754) and Salt (14,479).
1952 After refugee crisis, Amman 108,412 Irbid and Zarqa more than doubled their population from less than 10,000 each to respectively, 23,000 and 28,000
1951 King Abdullah I assassinated at the al-Aqsa Mosque by a Palestinian
Six Day War, 1 Million Refugees

9. Black September Fedayeen: Loose collection of Palestinian resistance
1967 United under the PLO
actions in Jordan including the destruction of three hijacked international airliners and attempted assassination of the king prompted military response
Jordanian victory in July 1971, Fedayeen expelled
Syrian intervention threatens to start regional war
Center of Palestinian militancy relocates to Lebanon

10. Foreign Relations Pro-Western, close ties US, UK Neutrality Gulf War I
European Neighbour Policy, Non-NATO member ally
Iraq, received significant oil subsidies until 2003, now hosts large ex-pat community

11. Palestine

13. Economy Primarily agricultural Employs 90% of the population
Challenges: confiscation of land for military and settler use, blockades restrict export and import of materials
GDP 6.8 Billion 1600 per capita

14. People West Bank 2.5 Million Gaza I.8 Million E. Jerusalem 1.6 Million
Muslim 85%, Jewish, 13%, Christian 2%

15. Government
1994 Palestinian Authority established by the Oslo Accords as an interim government
semi-presidential multi-party republic, with a Legislative Council, an executive President, and a Prime Minister
President and parliament elected by the people
PM is appointed by the President2006 Hamas wins decisive election in parliament
Refusal to abide by conditions placed on the PA Hamas members removed from West Bank positions, Control taken of Gaza

16. Hamas Islamist organisation founded 1987 First Intifada
Goals: Liberate Palestine, Establish and Islamic State
Wings: Social Welfare, Political and Military
Governed by a Consultative Council
15 Member Political Bureau elected by the Council

17. Israel

18. People Populations 8,230,000 76% Jewish, 21% Arab, 3% other
Hebrew and Arabic Language

19. Origins of the Idea
Israel means Jacob in reference to the Patriarch "struggle with God"[
Twelve Tribes of Israel Jacob
From  Canaan were forced by famine to go into Egypt for four generations until Moses lead the Exodus.

20. Zionism nationalist movement that supports the creation of a Jewish
Zionist Congress
Aliyah, Immigration waves, (1884), (1904–14), (1919–1923), (1924–1929)
1903, declined a British offer to establish a homeland in Uganda.
WWII 33% increase of Jews in Palestine
fear that American Jews would encourage the USA to support Germany in WW I resulted in Balfour Declaration

21. Mandatory Palestine
Balfour Declaration 1917, “His Majesty's government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”
Influx of Jewish Migrants,
Jerusalem Riots 1920
White Paper Limited Jewish immigration
1929 Riots
1931, 17% of Palestine Jewish
Arab Revolt
Civil War

22. Government Unitary Parliamentary Republic Knesset 120 members
Universal Suffrage
PM is Head of Government
President performs ceremonial duties
Basic Law of Israel, un-codified constitution
Unstable coalitions
Judicial System - English Common Law and Jewish Law
Marriage and divorce are under religious courts: Jewish, Muslim, Druze, and Christian

23. 20th Knesset

24. Coalition Government 30 Likud 6 United Torah Judaism 7 Shas 10 Kulanu
8 Jewish Home

25. Settlement
382,031 West Bank, 300,000, East Jerusalem 20,000 in the Golan Heights
Considered illegal by international community
UN Vote, 158 of 166, of 171

26. Military Israeli Defence Force
3rd highest ratio of GDP to military spending
Mossad and Shaback
Conscription Men 3 years, Women 2
176,500 active troops and an additional 445,000 reservists
US is expected to provide the country with $3.15 billion per year from 2013–2018
Global Peace Index, ranking 145th out of 153
Has not signed Non-proliferation treaty

27. Foreign Affairs
US has provided $68 billion in military assistance and $32 billion in grants since 1967
diplomatic relations with 157 countries,
3 members of the Arab League Egypt and Jordan, Mauritania recognise Israel