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Availability of
water
determines
where people
live in this area.
Water =
People.
The Middle
East is a
crossroads –
Many
civilizations
have crossed
this area.
North Africa / Central Asia
• Geographically – The Middle East is a
perceptual region – some people also include
North Africa and Central Asian nations because
many countries share common characteristics:
–
–
–
–
–
Islam
Arabic
Similar history
Desert / steppe climates
Level of development
Culture Hearth –
Mesopotamia. This
area is also known
as the Fertile
Crescent (crescent
shaped area of
arable land –
between two rivers
– Euphrates &
Tigris. This area
was probably the
first to domesticate
(take from wild and
make useful to
humans) both
plants and animals.
Mesopotamia is a region, not a
country. The Sumerians
Babylonians, and Assyrians
are from this area
Sumerian Achievements:
•Code of Laws – Hammurabi’s Code
• Writing – Cuneiform
• System for calculating time and angles based on
60 – sexagesimal system
Three religions began in
this region – Judaism,
Christianity, & Islam (the
Abrahamic Religions)
• Monotheism spreads
• Great Famine –
Hebrews flee to Egypt
• Moses leads the
Hebrews back to the
Promised Land.
• Hebrews are Jewish.
Judaism started with
Abraham.
1020 BC –
930 BC
Kings Saul,
David and
Solomon
unify the
Hebrews and
build a
temple in
Jerusalem.
Starting about
100BC – The Silk
Road was a trade
route connecting
China with the
Mediterranean Sea.
Cities grew
along the
trade routes.
586 BC Babylonians conquer and destroy temple. Israelis taken captive
as slaves in Babylon. When return – build second temple.
61 BC – 313 AD Romans ruled Palestine. Destroyed 2nd Temple.
Beginning of Diaspora (Jews living away from Holy Land)
622AD Islam founded and spread across the area.
634 – 1099 Arab rule. Jerusalem sacred to Muslims (site where
Muhammad left the earth to go to Heaven). Arabs would not tolerate
the Jews in the area.
622AD Islam founded and spread across the area.
634 – 1099 Arab rule. Jerusalem sacred to Muslims (site where
Muhammad left the earth to go to Heaven). Arabs would not tolerate
the Jews in the area.
1922 – 1948 League of Nations
(becomes UN) gives Palestine to
Britain. Britain splits land at the
Jordan River into Palestine (Jewish)
and Transjordan (Arab - Muslim)
1938-1945 AD World War II. The
Holocaust – 6 million Jews (1.5
million children) killed by the
Nazis. 2/3 of all Jews in Europe
were killed or died. 500,000 Jews
had moved to Israel by end of
WWII and sentiment for a Jewish
homeland grew worldwide.
Zionism - the international movement
for the return of the Jewish people to
their homeland and the resumption of
Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel
11/29/1947 – UN Resolution 181 states
that there will be two separate
countries in Palestine. Jerusalem
would remain an independent city
under UN control. Jews say YES!
Arabs say NO! Arabs outnumber Jews
2 – 1, but get less land. Jews in Arab
land and Arabs in Jewish land move.
5/14/1948 Israel declares independence. 780,000 Arabs are
displaced. 5/15/1948 – Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and
Saudi Arabia attack Israel. Israel wins and gains Galilee and the
West Bank. Some Palestinian land is claimed by Egypt and Jordan.
Israel YES
Arab Nations
- NO
11/22/1967 - UN Security Council Resolution 242
• Can not keep land won in the war and must withdraw
• end state of war and have lasting peace in region
• Israel, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan must recognize each other and have
defensive boundaries.
• Refugees problem must be addressed and fixed.
1973 - Yom Kippur (October War) – Most
Holy day in Jewish year. Syria and Egypt
(backed by USSR) attack Israel. Egypt
took back Sinai and Syria the Golan
Heights, but Israel rallies and wins war.
9/5-9/17 1978 Camp
David Accords. US
President Jimmy Carter,
Egyptian President Anwar
Sadat and Israeli Prime
Minister Menachem Begin
sign the framework for
peace.
11/4/1979 Ayatollah Khomeini leads
Iran. Iranian hostage crisis.
Diplomats are held until 1981.
4/18/1983 63 killed in US
Embassy bombing in
Lebanon.
10/23/1983 – 241 American
Servicemen killed at the
Marine Barracks in Beirut,
Lebanon. UN forces
withdraw in 1984.
9/20/1984 – 25 more killed
in rebuilt embassy.
12/ 1987 Intifada is launched.
Goal is to end Israel’s
occupation of the Gaza and
West Bank. Arabs under
Israeli occupation will use any
means necessary in this
Palestinian uprising. Also
called the War of Rock
Throwers because the news
often showed many young
people throwing rocks and
home made “Molotov
cocktails” Israel was not able
to stop the uprising that
escalated to car bombs and
suicide bombings.
11/15/1988 Palestine National
Congress (now called Palestine
National Authority) recognizes
Israel’s right to exist and calls for
an independent Palestinian state.
Wants Israel to stand by UN
Resolutions 242 and 338. They
would reject terrorism. US opens
talks with PLO. Israel angry with
US. Suicide bombings from the
Hamas and Islamic Jihad continue.
8/1990 – 4/1991
Persian Gulf War.
Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein
ordered the invasion
of Kuwait. US and
UN coalition unite
against Iraqi
aggression.
Palestinians hope for
Iraqi victory and Arab
unity. Iraq lost.
1990 – 1991 Dissolution of the
USSR – removed Moscow’s
influence on the region. PLO
and Syria left without a
supplier. 100,000 Jews are
allowed to immigrate to Israel.
Many move onto land in the
occupied territories which
upsets Palestinians.
Palestinians would once again
like a nation of their own.
9/13/1993 – Yassir Arafat (PLO
/ PNA) and Yitzhak Rabin
(Israel) sign peace agreement
known as the Oslo Declaration
of Principles – a framework for
peace that included the transfer
of the Gaza Strip and West
Bank area of Jericho to the
Palestinian National Authority.
Israel recognized the yet
undefined state of Palestine.
5/1994 Israel begins to
withdraw from Gaza Strip
11/4/1995 Rabin assassinated
for giving too much to
Palestinians.
September 11,2001
• US attacked by al-Qaeda. US starts war
on terror.
Iraq
• US – Iraq War (March 20, 2003 to December 18, 2011)
OUTCOMES:
• Overthrow of Ba’aath Party government and execution of
Saddam Hussein
• Insurgents, foreign terrorist operations, and sectarian
violence disrupted efforts by allies.
• Allied group tried to make improvements in public
security
• Re-establishment of democratic elections and formation
of a new government
President Jalal
TALABANI
Israel
• Hamas won election in Gaza Strip
• Some Israelis are trying to return land to the Palestinians in
exchange for peace
• Palestinian suicide bombs continue and are met with force by Israel
•
Israel builds “Defensive Fence” Palestinians call it the “Apartheid
Wall” The wall keeps the Palestinians in the refugee camps – not
citizens so no vote. Only allowed into Israel to work.
•
UN Security Council (US has veto power) unanimously passes
Resolution 1515 that calls for a two state solution to the Palestinian
– Israeli conflict.
President of the Palestine
President Shimon
Peres
Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu
National Authority
Mahmoud Abbas
Syria
• Government – Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party
(Same as Saddam Hussein)
• Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
says Syria's President Bashar al-Assad fits
the definition of a war criminal.
• Over 7,500 civilians have died within the last
year in violence.
• Citizens want a constitution & Democracy
President
Dr. Bashar
al-Assad
Afghanistan
• Operation Enduring Freedom October 7,
2001 – present
• US aim to eliminate al-Qaeda
• Taliban removed from power. People
given the right to vote.
• USSR occupied Afghanistan 12/1979President Hamid
2/1989
Karzai
Afghani women in burqas
Iran
• Islamic Revolution 1979 – theocracy established US hostages taken
• Shiite leadership has called for the
destruction of Israel and US
• Iran claims nuclear program is to
produce electricity. US & others are skeptical.
• US proposed sanctions – Iran threatens to close
President Mahmoud
Straits of Hormuz
Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Syyed AliKhameni
Ahmadinejad
Saudi Arabia
• Home of the two most holy mosques in
Islam – Mecca and Medina
• Absolute monarchy – King Abdullah
bin Abdul Aziz. Voting is permitted on
issues, but not on leadership. Citizen
votes are considered, but not always
enacted. 2011-12 reforms granted
women the right to vote, but not to
drive. Shiite minority has very few
rights.
• 2nd largest oil reserves (Venezuela is
#1) and 2nd largest oil exported
(Russia is #1)
Arab Spring
Define: a wave of revolutions and
demonstrations occurring in the
Arab world from Dec. 2010 to
present.
To date, rulers have been forced
from power in Tunisia, Egypt,
Libya, and Yemen.
Civil uprisings have erupted in
Bahrain and Syria
Major protests have broken out in
Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,
Morocco, and Oman
Minor protests have occurred in
Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and
Sudan.