Download The Middle East and the World

The Middle East and
the World
22-4
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Setting the Scene
• To David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, the birth of
modern Israel in 1948 was the fulfillment of God’s promise to
the ancient Israelites.
• But to the Arabs then living on the land called Palestine, the
creation of Israel was an illegal “invasion.” The felt the land
was rightfully theirs.
• These conflicting claims to the same land touched off
repeated violence. The Arab-Israeli struggle was one of many
issues that focused worldwide attention on the Middle East.
The Cold War and After
• The Middle East is a strategic region. It commands vital oil
resources as well as key waterways such as the Bosporus, the
Suez Canal, and the Persian Gulf.
• During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet
Union were anxious to have access to the oil and the
waterways.
Superpower Rivalries and
weapons pile up
• In their global rivalry, each of the superpowers tried to line up
allies in the Middle East.
• All of these Arab nations mistrusted their former colonial
rulers in the west and condemned western support for Israel.
• Each superpower sold arms to its allies in the region.
• In the Arab/Israeli War, the United States helped Israel, while
the Soviet Union gave aid to Arabs.
• During and after the Cold War, the Development of weapons
of mass destruction became a global concern.
• Both Israel and Iraq where thought to be building chemical
and nuclear weapons.
The Arab-Israeli Conflict
• After the 1948 war, Israel and its Arab neighbors fought again
in 1956, 1967, and 1973.
• In these conflicts, Israel defeated Arab attacks and gained
territory. In between the wars, Israel faced guerilla warfare
and terrorist activity.
• In the 1967 war, Israeli forces won the Golan Heights from
Syria, East Jerusalem, the West Bank from Jordan, and the
Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula from Egypt.
• Israel refused to give up the territories until Arab nations
recognized Israel’s right to exist.
Palestinian Resistance
• The number of Palestinians in refugee camps had grown since 1948.
Many supported the Palestine Liberation Organization, headed by
Yasir Arafat.
• Its stated goal was the destruction of Israel, which the PLO claimed
had no right to exist on the land they called Palestine.
• For years, the PLO waged guerrilla warfare against Israelis at and
abroad. Bombings, airplane hijackings, and the massacre of Israeli
athletes at the 1972 Olympic games brought demands to the
attention of the world.
• Israel responded to the attacks with force.
Peace Efforts
• Despite the fighting, some steps toward peace were taken.
• Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and Jordan and
Israel reached a peace agreement.
• Israel and the PLO agreed on giving the Palestinians limited
rule on the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
• The promise was to end terrorism which did not end.
• Terrorists groups such as Hamas and Hizbullah kept up their
terrorist attacks, vowing to continue till all the Jews were
destroyed and killed.
Peace Efforts Con.
• As suicide bombings and other attacks increased, more Israelis
came to distrust and fear there Arab neighbors.
• Peace efforts stalled, the violence quickly escalated.
• Under intense pressure to reform, Yasir Arafat agreed to the
election of Mahmoud Abbas as the new leader of the PLO.
• The U.S. pushed the restart peace talks. Still the level of
distrust on both sides remained high.
Divisive Issues
• Several issues blocked a peace settlement.
• Many Palestinians wanted go back to there homeland in Israel
after fleeing to get away from the wars.
• Israel wanted any peace talks to guarantee right of Israeli
settlers living in Palestinian areas.
• Jerusalem was another disagreement.
• It was the home to major religions such as Christians, Jews,
and Muslims and they can’t agree on splitting it evenly.
Civil War in Lebanon
• The government of Lebanon depended on the delicate
balance among Maronites (Christians), Sunni, Shiite, and
Druze Muslims, and others.
• For a while the Maronites held control, until many Palestinians
refugees entered Lebanon.
• Soon the Muslims outnumbered the Christians and stirred
unrest
• Tensions increased as PLO guerillas crossed the border to
attack Israelis.
Civil War
• By 1975, Lebanon plunged into a civil war.
• Christian and Muslim militias battled across the land. Israel
invaded southern Lebanon to destroy PLO, and Syria occupied
eastern Lebanon.
• Massacres were committed by all sides.
• By 1990, Lebanese leaders finally restored order and the PLO
was forced out of southern Lebanon.
• Beirut, the ruined capital was slowly rebuilt and the economy
slowly recovered.
Three Wars in the Persian Gulf
• Border disputes, oil wealth, and ambitious rulers fed tensions
in the Persian Gulf region.
• Iraq’s dictator, Saddam Hussein, sent his forces into Iran to
seize a disputed border region.
• Iraq used its superior weapons and poison gas to stop waves
of Iranian soldiers.
• The war dragged on for eight years and ending in a stalemate.
For both Iraq and Iran the human and economic goal was
enormous.
The 1991 Gulf War
• In 1990, Iraqi troops invaded the oil-rich nation of Kuwait.
• The U.S. saw the invasion as a threat to its ally, Saudi Arabia,
as well as to oil flow from the Persian Gulf.
• President George H. Bush therefore put together an army of
American, European, and Arab powers to drive Iraq out of
Kuwait.
• Less than a month, Iraq was brutally defeated and Kuwait was
liberated from Iraq.
Saddam remains defiant
• Despite the defeat, Saddam remained in power in Iraq.
• He brutally crushed revolts, at times using chemical weapons.
Individuals who opposed him were often jailed, tortured, or
executed.
• The UN took action. To protect minorities in Iraq, the UN set
up no-fly zones and economic sanctions.
The Third Gulf War
• By 2003, the United States and Britain were convinced that
Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and supported
terrorists.
• Without the UN backing, President Bush and British Prime
Minister, Tony Blair decided to invade Iraq.
• The U.S. led coalition quickly toppled Hussein and occupied
Iraq. In December of 03, American forces captured Saddam.
Uncertainties continue
• The Middle East remained a focus of many conflicting forces.
• Nationalist conflicts, clashes between religious and secular
goals, and competition for limited water resources were
among the issues that might spark future violence.
• Terrorism, too, posed a challenges for the region, especially
after 9-11.
• The U.S. pressed nations in the Middle East to move more
strongly against terrorist groups.
Vocabulary
• PLO-Goals where to have a home country and for Jews to
cease from existence.
• Yasir Arafat-former leader of the PLO.
• Yitzahk Rabin-former prime minister of Israel who gave the
Palestinians the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, was
assassinated.
• Ariel Sharon-former prime minister of Israel, violence
escalated quickly when he took office.
• Saddam Husain-dictator who brutally oppressed his people.
• Militia-bands of citizen soldiers
• No-fly zones-areas which aircrafts are not allowed to fly.