1. Modern Middle East Notes
MR. HARDY
RMS IB Middle School
Revised 2018

2. Aim: What events led to the ongoing conflict between Jews & Muslims
Aim: What events led to the ongoing conflict between Jews & Muslims? Do Now: How would your life be different if you lived in a place that suffered from weekly terrorist attacks?

3. Historical Conflicts in the Middle East
Since the start of man’s history, the Middle East has been a “hot bed” of civilization’s development. Religion has consistently played a role in the politics and history of the region. The competition for scarce resources, water, agricultural land, and more recently oil, have driven leaders and nations into conflict.

4. Sources of Modern Middle East Conflict
Religious Differences
Different religions
Sunnis (leader is a member of the Muslim community) vs. Shia’s (Direct descendant of Muhammad)
Ethnic Groups
Persians (Iran) vs. Arabs (Iraq)
Nationalism
Some ethnic groups wish for an independent nation instead of a multi-ethnic one
Kurds- mountain people from Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey (Multiple violent struggles for independence)
Fundamentalism
Belief in following your religion directly, as outline by holy text
Theocratic Government- religion based
Example- 1979, Shi’ite leader Khomeini took over Iran, ended all westernization and instilled fundamentalist beliefs over the government and country

5. BRITAIN & THE BALFOUR DECLARATION
During WWI the British wanted the U.S. to join the war on their side. They thought if they supported the concept of Zionism, a Jewish homeland in Palestine, that influential Jewish Americans might persuade the U.S. to join the war on the Allied side.
The Balfour Declaration of 1917 affirmed the British Government’s belief that Zionism should be supported.
With the help of Arab allies, the British defeated the Ottoman Turks in World War 1, and took control of Palestine officially in 1922.
Following WWII, the British let thousands of Jewish refugees fleeing Europe to immigrate to Palestine.

6. 20th Century Modern Middle East History
Palestine- Arab region lived on by Jewish, Muslim, and Christian people for over 2000 years
1940’s Jewish and Arab terrorist organizations began to kill British soldiers in Palestine in order to drive the British out.
1946 the Zionist terrorist organization, Irgun, bombed the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, headquarters of the British military in Palestine, killing 91 people.
1947- United Nations tried to end disagreement with traditional Arab population and recent Jewish immigrants
The U.N. divides Palestine in to two parts
Part 1 Arab
Part 2 Jewish
1948- Israel Declares its independence as a state for Jewish people
Arab—Israeli Wars
Arab nations, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia & Syria immediately declare war on Israel.
They did not agree with the creation of the Jewish state
Israel wins the first of multiple wars (1948, 1967, and 1973)

7. I. Reason for conflict
A. Palestinians – Arabs who had lived in the area of Israel for 2000 years were forced to move.
B. Palestinians that remained were forced to live in camps to make room for Jews
C. Jerusalem is holy land to 3 major faiths, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
D. Jews and Muslims each want to control Jerusalem

9. Arab- Israeli Wars
Over 700,000 Palestinian Arab refugees fled to other countries during the wars
Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)- goal est. an independent Palestinian State
Throughout wars, constant shifts of territory between Israelis and Palestinians
Peace Attempts
1979- Egypt makes peace with Israel
1993- Palestinian and Israel peace agreement signed
PLO recognizes Israel as a state
Israel gave territory to the Palestinians

12. II. Effects of creation of Israel
A. Palestinians became refugees in other countries
throughout the middle east.
In 1918 at the end of WWI only 8.1% of the population of Palestine was Jewish.
By 2017, 74.7% of the population of Palestine was Jewish.
Source:

13. Map of Palestinian Refugees
According to the map, what was one result of the creation of Israel?

14. B. Terrorism is a constant threat in Israel

15. C. Israel Puts up a wall around Palestinian areas to
prevent terrorist from moving into Israeli areas
Look it up! : What does apartheid mean?

16. Oil in the Middle East
Other than religion, nothing has been more important in the Middle East than oil.
Petroleum was found in Iran in 1908.
Much of the Middle East has huge oil reserves that the rest of the world needs.
Most of the national economies in the region are totally dependent of the production and sale of oil.
OPEC is an international organization whose member countries work to control the supply and price of oil.
Many OPEC member nations have become extremely wealthy.

17. Iran- Iraq War OPEC- Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Made up of Arabian Peninsula countries who wished to control the global economy of oil prices and shipment, 1960
Long lasting dispute over who controlled oil rich territory
Islamic Revolution in Iran- People upset with the Shah (king)
Looked to new leader- Khomeini (religious leader)
Shah overthrown
Changed to Islamic Conservative Laws
1980- Iraq invaded Iran (Led by Saddam Hussein)
8 year war
Over 1 million people died
1988- cease fire agreement signed (written by the United Nations)
No clear winner

18. Persian Gulf War 1990 Iraq invades Kuwait for the oil supply
Saddam Hussein (Iraq’s leader) led the invasion
United Nations- trade embargo to stop Iraq from profiting
January 16th, multi- nation missile attack began on Iraq
US military titled the operation “Desert Storm” to help Kuwait
February 24th- Ground attack begins
Lasted 100 hours
Iraq surrendered
Saddam’s forces left Kuwait
Both Iraq and Kuwait suffered much destruction from the attacks

20. 9/11
On September 11, 2001 the terrorist organization, al Qaeda, headed by Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden attacks the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, DC.
Almost 3,000 people are killed.
Al Qaeda supported a strict Islamic fundamentalism and hated the United State because of U.S. support of the Israeli and the Saudi governments.

21. U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan
In response to the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. and other nations send troops in to Afghanistan to over throw the radical Muslim government of Afghanistan knows as the Taliban.
U.S. coalition forces toppled the Taliban government, and destroyed al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
U.S. military personnel killed Osama bin Laden in 2011.

22. 2nd Gulf War – The Iraq War
2003 – The United States and Great Britain invade Iraq.
Why?
President George Bush claimed Iraq was manufacturing chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. The weapons were called WMD, or Weapons of Mass Destruction.
President Bush also claimed the U.S. was vulnerable to an Iraqi terrorist attack and that Iraq supported al-Qaeda, the terrorist group that attacked the U.S. on 9/11/2001.
Iraqi refused to allow anymore U.N. inspections inside Iraq.
The U.S. and British armies quickly defeated the Iraqi military and overthrew Saddam Hussein’s government.
2006 – Saddam Hussein is executed by hanging.
2011 – The final U.S. and British troops leave Iraq.
No WMD’s were ever found in Iraq.

23. Arab Spring
Starting in Egypt in Feb. 2011, several Middle Eastern governments were overthrown or came under pressure from popular citizen revolts. These revolts became known as the Arab Spring.

24. Arab Spring
Egyptian Revolution - President Mubarak ruled Egypt for 30 years
Country was governed by the military throughout his reign
Mubarek is forced to resign after 18 days of protest
Libyan Revolution - Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, dictator for 40 years
August 2011 Government overthrown Gaddafi captured in October and killed
Algeria and Tunisia also went through popular revolutions in 2011.
All the Revolutions were triggered by high food prices, food shortages, high poverty rates, low literacy rates, and high unemployment.
The main method of revolution was not so much violence as it was social media. Millions of people around the world could see what was going on via YouTube, Facebook, and other social media outlets.

25. Cartoon 1
Cartoon 1

26. Cartoon 2

27. Cartoon 3

28. Syrian Civil War In 2011 civil war broke out in the nation of Syria.
Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was trying to stop peaceful Arab Spring protestors.
The Assad government has used chemical weapons like poison gas, bombed homes, and destroyed much of the country.
Almost 500,000 people have been killed.
4.5 million Syrians have fled the country as refugees.
The fighting continues to this day.
The civil war gave rise to the terrorist organization, ISIL or ISIS.

29. Classwork In your notebook,
Describe the similarities and differences between Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
What are some reasons that make it so difficult for these religions to get along?
Complete the worksheet, Modern Middle East Oil and Religious Conflict worksheet using the History Alive book, pages