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Politics of the Middle East
Jordan
People
• Population, 7,930,491
• Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
• Muslim 97.2% (predominantly Sunni),
Christian 2.2%
• Literacy rate: 95.9%
Economy
• DDP $40.02 billion
• per capita $6,100
• Unemployment: 14% official rate, unofficial
30%
• Services 77.4%, industry 20%, agriculture 2.7%
• Exports: $7.914 billion
History
• Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,
Trans-Jordan, Emerit of Jordan
• Occupied 1916
• 1946 Independence
• 1948 – 1967 Gained control of
the West Bank
• 1951 Abdullah I killed
• 50s – 60s The Experiment with
Liberalism
• 1957 End of security pact with
UK
• 1958 Arab Federation of Iraq
and Jordan
• 1965 Land exchange with SA
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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 46year 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
Arab Spring protests quelled by some reforms,
extended subsidies, reappointment of ministers and
early parliamentary elections.
Government
• Parliamentary Multi Party Monarchy
• King Abdullah II
• King is the executive, signs and vetos 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
• 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.
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
• 1966 700,000 refugees
• 1967 Six Day War, an additional 300,000
Black September
• Fedayeen: defeat Zionism, liberate Palestine
establish a secular, democratic, nonsectarian
state.
• 1967 United under the PLO
• actions in Jordan including the destruction of
three hijacked international airliners
prompted military response
• Jordanian victory in July 1971, Fedayeen
expelled
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
Israel
People
• Populations 8,230,000
• 76% Jewish, 21% Arab,
3% other
• Hebrew and Arabic
Economy
• $286 Billion GDP
• $35,658 per capita (25th)
• exports electronics, software, computerized
systems, communications technology, medical
equipment, pharmaceuticals, fruits,
chemicals, military technology, and diamonds
• exports $64.74 billion
Origins
• 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.
• period of the three
Patriarchs, Kingdom of
Israel 11th C BCE
Government
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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
Zionism
• nationalist movement that supports the
creation of a Jewish homeland in the
territory defined as the Land of Israel
• Late 19th C in Eastern and Central
Europe
• Zionist Congress
• Aliyah, Immigration waves, (1884),
(1904–14), (1919–1923), (1924–1929)
• WWII 33% increase of Jews in Palestine
• 1903, declined a British offer to
establish a homeland in Uganda.
• fear that American Jews would
encourage the USA to support Germany
in WW I resulted in Balfour Declaration
Occupied Territories
• 1967, West Bank, East
Jerusalem, Golan Heights, Gaza
Strip
• Sinai returned to Egypt.
• 1982 and 2000 South Lebanon
• civilian law in the Golan and EJ
incorporated as sovereign
territory
• inhabitants have permanent
residency status and the choice
to apply for citizenship.
• West Bank under military and
Palestinians in this area cannot
become citizens.
Settler Communities
• 382,031 West Bank,
300,000, East Jerusalem
20,000 in the Golan
Heights
• Considered illegal by
international
community
• UN Vote, 158 of 166,
160 of 171
Gaza
• 2005,unilateral disengagement plan, Israel
removed all of its settlers and forces from the
territory.
• does not consider Gaza to be occupied
territory and declared it a "foreign territory".
• 2007 Hamas elections border crossings by
land sea an air heavily restricted
• Egyptian border
• 2014 Gaza Campaign
Military
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Israeli Defence Force
3rd highest ratio of GDP to military spending
MID, 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
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
• India, strong military, trade and technological
partnerships
• Azerbaijan, 2012 1.6 Billion arms deal, 2005
5th largest trading partner
Politics of the Middle East
Egypt
People
• 87 Million (15th)
• Most populous in the ME and
3rd in Africa
• 76% under 25
• Majority Ethnic Egyptians
• Bedouin Arabs, Berbers,
Nubians
• 91% Muslim, 9% Christian
(Copts)
Economy
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GDP $262 billion
6,600 per capita
Agriculture (29%), Industry (24%), Services (47%)
Unemployment 10%
Tourism, 1% of world total
Political instability from 2011 weakened the
tourist industry especially in Upper Egypt but has
begun to recover
Government
• 2014 Constitution
• Semi Presidential Republic
• President elected every 4 years,
may serve 2 terms
• 567 seats 27 selected by the
president
History
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1517 Conquered by the Ottomans
1798 Invaded by Napoleon of France
1867 Autonomous vassal state
1882 British Invasion
1914 British protectorate
1922 Revolution and Independence
Parliamentary government
1952 Free Officers Movement
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1956 Suez Nationalised
1967 Six Day War
Sinai Occupied
Emergency Law 1967 – 2012
Some constitutional rights suspended,
censorship, street demonstrations and nonapproved political organizations
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1970 Anwar al Sadat President
1973 October War
1978 Camp David Accords
1979 Peace Treaty
1981 al Sadat assassinated, Mubarak President
1997 Luxor massacre
25 January 2011, demonstrations
24 June 2012 Muhammad Morsi, President
26 March 2914, Abdel Fatah al Sisi
Al Nasser, Pan Arabism
• 1952 Free Officers Movement
• Opposition to Western security arrangements
• Egyptian Arab Nationalism
• Struggle with Iraq over leadership
• Arab Cold War
• 1955 Baghdad Pact:
Pakistan, Iran, Iraq,
Turkey, UK
Suez Crisis
• 1951 Anglo Egyptian Treaty abrogated
• ‘Playing the Superpowers’. Recognition of China,
Arms deal with USSR
• US withdraws financial support for Aswan Dam
• Nationalization, Alexandria Speech, Ferdinand de
Lesseps
• 1956 Tripartite Aggression, Britain, France, Israel
• Retake Suez and overthrow Nasser
• Diplomatic Pressure US,
USSR, UN forced
withdrawal
• US blocked UK IMF
Loans and threatened
Israel with sanctions
• Saudi Arabia oil
embargo on UK, France
• Canal re-opened April
1957 after the last IDF
troops left Egypt in
March
1967 Six Day War
• Nasser, “The battle will be a general one and
our basic objective will be to destroy Israel“
• Crushing defeat for the Arab coalition
• Loss of Sinai Peninsula
• 1970 Nasser dies
• Anwar al Sadat becomes president
Sadat, Post-Nasserism
• Corrective Revolution,
Purge of Nasserists in
government and security
• Political and Economic
Reforms, including multi
party system
• October war 1973, crossing
of the Bar Lev Line
• Egypt First Policy
• 1978 Camp David
• Shunned by Islamists and
Arab states
• Assassinated by Egyptian
Islamic Jihad 1981
Mubarak, Islamists, Revolution
• Normalized relations with Arab Neighbours
• Established pragmatic relations with the West
• Inclusion of moderate Islamists, managed the Muslim
Brotherhood
• 1997 Luxor attack
• 1992-1997, Deaths 1,200
• head of the counter-terrorism police a speaker of
parliament, over 100 Egyptian police
• Crack down on militant groups
• 2011 Failed to quell street protests
• 11 February 2011 resigned
Islam and Politics
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Hassan al Banna, Muslim Brotherhood 1922
Al Azhar founded 970
The Ulema
Sayid Qutb executed 1967
Ayman al Zawahiri