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WHY IS THERE FIGHTING IN THE MIDDLE EAST?
The Jews and the Palestinians
For years, Palestinians and Israelis have been trying to live peacefully with one another. But most Israelis are
Jews and most Palestinians are Muslims. In addition to practicing different religions, they have different
languages and customs. With so many contrasts, it is difficult to set aside disagreements and peacefully share a
country they both call home. To understand the root of their conflict, we must look at the history of the two
peoples:
In biblical times…
The area known as the Middle East is the home of three major world religions. In order of age, they are
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three trace their roots back to a man named Abraham. His life and family
are described in the book the Jews call the Torah and the Christians call the Old Testament. The story of
Abraham is also in the holy book of Islam, which is called the Qur’an (or Koran).
The stories say that Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, who had different mothers. Ishmael was an
ancestor of Mohammed, the founder of Islam. Many people in Palestine see him as their forefather. Isaac had a
son Jacob, also called Israel, who was an early leader of the Jewish people. The modern day country of Israel
has his name.
According to the holy books, Isaac’s mother, Sarah, and Ishmael’s mother, Hagar, were jealous of each other.
The resentment was passed down through their children and their children’s children. For centuries, these two
groups have fought over land that is important to their religions. In many ways, the trouble in the Middle East
is a family feud between cousins.
In modern times…
At the beginning of the 20th century, Palestine which is present-day Israel, was controlled by the British.
During WWI, the British promised the people of Palestine that in exchange for their support in the war, they
would let the Palestinians create an Arab kingdom there. The problem was that the British had also promised
the Jews the same.
During World War II, nearly six million Jews were killed by the Nazis. Many Jewish survivors wanted a safe
place they could call home. They chose Palestine and started moving there because of its importance to their
faith. The Arabs who lived there were not happy about the Jews moving in and that was when the seeds of the
current conflict were planted.
In 1947 the United Nations voted to split Palestine into two countries, one for
Jews and one for Arabs. In 1948 Israel was created…Arab countries protested and war broke out.
In the 1980’s Palestinians and Israelis still were not getting along. The Palestinians began a movement to
reclaim their land. This became known as the intifada. To prevent more bloodshed, world leaders urged Yasser
Arafat, leader of the Palestinians, to accept a solution in which Palestine and Israel could exist together. Arafat
and Israeli leader Yizhak Rabin finally signed an agreement in 1993 (under President Clinton) which gave
Palestinians control of two regions: the Gaza Strip and the West Bank of the Jordan River. (Rabin was
assassinated in 1995 by a Jewish extremist for making the agreement). The problem was that Jews still lived in
these areas and were reluctant to leave, so this actually led to more violent clashes between Israelis and
Palestinians. Today groups such as Hamas continue to fight for the Palestinian cause. The situation remains
very volatile today and as you know is in the news constantly.
Fighting in other areas of the Middle East…Muslim vs. Muslim
Much of the fighting in other parts of the Middle East, such as Iraq, Lebanon, Iran, etc, stems from the worlds
support of Israel. Many Arabs are upset, mostly with the United States, for supporting the Israelis which they
see as “occupiers of Muslim land”. Many Arabs believe the United States and other nations have no business in
the region. Osama Bin Laden cites the U.S. Military Base in Saudi Arabia as the reason he began his “crusade
against the United States.”
Fighting also goes on between members of the Islamic faith who fight over exactly how the religion should be
practiced and interpreted. They are divided into two groups: the Sunni Muslims (80%) and the Shi’a Muslims
(Shites), who tend to be more orthodox or “by the book” when it comes to practicing the religion.
Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam (Islam translated means “submission to God”). The word
Sunni comes from the word sunna which means the tradition of the Prophet of Islam, Mohammad. The
difference in the two groups is rooted in who went on to be the religious leader when Mohammad died since he
did not have any sons. His best friend Abu Bakr was chosen to lead the faith (the Caliph) and consequently the
line of succession continued. The Sunni’s believe this, the way it happened, was and is the correct way for the
religion to progress. They believe that the leader, or Imam, should be chosen based on faith, not on the basis of
decent from Mohammad.
The Shi’a on the other hand, felt that when Mohammad died only someone in his bloodline should have become
the leader. They believe it rightfully belonged to a man by the name of Ali, who was Mohammad’s cousin and
husband to his daughter. Today they still believe that only those with blood linked to Mohammad should
become leaders. Aside from this, both groups practice the religion differently in small ways, yet essentially the
same. It is similar to the struggle between the Protestants and the Catholics…same religion, just different
interpretation.
Today the struggle between Sunni Muslim and Shi’a Muslin has also become very political, with each group
wanting more political control than the other in various countries such as Iraq.
WHY IS THERE FIGHTING IN THE MIDDLE EAST?
1. What is the religion of most Palestinians? _______________________________________
2. Of the three religions, which is the oldest? ______________________________________
3. The holy book of Islam is called the _____________________________________ and the name of their
founder is ____________________________________.
4. What was the problem with the “promise” the British made after World War I?
5. In what year was the State of Israel created?____________ Why?
6. ____________________ is the Palestinian movement to reclaim land they feel is rightfully theirs.
7. Since 1993, which two geographic areas do the Palestinian’s control?
1.
2.
8. Much of the protesting/fighting in the Middle East stems from the world’s support of ____________
9. In your own words (3 to 4 sentences), describe the difference between the Sunni and Shi’a Muslims.
10. If someone were to ask you “why is there fighting in the Southwest Asia (Middle East)?”, what would you
say/how would you explain it?