Conflict in the Middle East: Modern Issues

                                                

    

Background

Ground Zero for Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

Judaism: Israel = Biblical “Promised Land”

“Ownership” changes hands frequently.

Muslims capture area in 640

Crusades 1100-1200 bring new Christian immigrants

Ottoman Turks control from 1500’s-1900’s.

British take control briefly after WWI

Modern state of Israel created in 1947

Background

• The essential basis for conflict in this region stems from three different (but similar) religions claiming the same holy sites (esp. Jerusalem).

• For several centuries the region has seen war and conflict, with Islam, Christianity and Judaism all having had their “turn” in power. Additionally, rival factions within Islam seek power and influence.

• Modern issues arise from attempts to strike a balance that all groups see as fair. However, as new leaders and factions emerge, bloodshed and violence often follow…

KEY THEMES

• Arab/Israeli conflict

• Western intervention in Mid East issues

• Rise of Islamic terrorism

• Oil and economic factors

ARAB/ISRAELI CONLFICT

Rise of Nazism brings flood of new Jewish settlers to Palestine from Europe in 1930’s.

UN votes to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states in 1947, giving the Jews 55% of the land west of the Jordan River and designating Jerusalem as an international enclave.

Almost immediately, disputes begin as to how this will be implemented…

ARAB/ISRAELI CONLFICT

Israel was at war almost constantly during the 50’s- 80’s with Egypt, Syria and Lebanon trying to take territory.

Always of concern was the status and fate of the Palestinian population of Israel.

Several terrorist organizations rose up during this time to advance their own agendas… (PLO, Hamas, Hezbollah)…

Terrorist Attacks in Israel

ISRAEL RETALIATES

Peace Accords

Camp David 1979 Egypt recognizes Israel’s right to exist. Israel returns Sinai to Egypt.

Oslo Accords 1993 Israel and PLO accept each other’s right to exist. Allows limited Palestinian self-rule in Gaza and

Jericho. Establishes framework for settlement of Gaza and West

Bank issues.

ISRAEL/PALESTINE NOW

Israel frequently uses military force to crack down on Palestinian rebels.

Israeli military often accused of brutality which earns retaliation by Palestinians.

Israel maintains its right to defend itself.

Israel not recognized by many Muslims.

Majority of Palestinians in poverty.

                                                                                  

Israel / Palestine: Arab / Jewish Population (1914-2000)

Palestinians2,300,000

Israeli Jews370,000*

*Includes 190,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and 180,000 Jewish Settlers in East Jerusalem

West Bank (2004)86%

14%

Palestinians1,350,000Israeli Jews7,500

Gaza Strip (2004)

99%

1%

ISRAEL/PALESTINE NOW

Israel’s solution to the Israeli/Palestinian “problem”…

build a BIG WALL

Following 2000, more and more Israelis supported complete physical separation from the Palestinians. The majority of the Israeli public assumed that the Separation Wall would follow the Green Line and become the border between Israel and Palestine.

However, due to pressure from the extreme right wing in Israel, the route of the Separation Wallwas changed to include Israeli settlements.

LEGENDThe green line

Palestinian territoryIsraeli territory

Wall underconstruction

The planned and suggested path of the Wall will leave some 500,000 Palestinians outside the Wall, but inside the Green Line. In order to prevent these Palestinians from moving freely outside the Wall, a sub-system of smaller enclaves will be constructed outside the main Wall.

Palestinians who live in these small enclaves will be allowed in or out of them only according to the instructions of the Israeli army.

LEGENDThe green line

Palestinian territoryIsraeli territory

Wall underconstruction

Approved pathof the wall

Suggested pathof the wall

Enclave underconstruction

Suggestedenclave

What does the wall look like? Here it is!

Security Wall

Temporary security measure?

Route to further annexation of “Palestinian land”?

Justifiable?

Hamas Victory in Palestinian Elections

Fundamentalist group that wants to establish an Islamic state on what it considers "historic Palestine," including modern-day Israel. Political wing won a landslide victory in Palestinian parliamentary electionsCharter calls for Israel’s destruction Should Hamas be recognized by the international community?

WESTERN INTERVENTION

Why did the West become involved?

Which American leader began this process?

What has been the outcome?

Lebanon, 1983

In 1983, the U.S. deployed marines to Lebanon to assist that government ‘s stand against internal enemies.

Lebanon is one of the Mid-East’s only democracies: U.S. felt an interest in preserving this government, a potential ally, in the Mid- East

The pretext to intervene came in an invitation from the Lebanese government itself…

Terrorist Attacks

On April 18, 1983, a van carrying explosives was driven through the front of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. The explosion killed sixty-three men and women, including seventeen Americans.

Then…

In the early morning of October 23, 1983, the First Battalion, 8th Marines Headquarters building was destroyed by a truck laden with explosives. The resulting explosion and the collapse of the building killed 241 Marines, sailors, and soldiers.

Aftermath of the blast

Reagan’s Words“Well, it's true, Lebanon is a small country, more than five-and-a-half thousand miles from our shores on the edge of what we call the Middle East. But every President who has occupied this office in recent years has recognized that peace in the Middle East is of vital concern to our nation and, indeed, to our allies in Western Europe and Japan. We've been concerned because the Middle East is a powder keg; four times in the last 30 years, the Arabs and Israelis have gone to war. And each time, the world has teetered near the edge of catastrophe.

The area is key to the economic and political life of the West. Its strategic importance, its energy resources, the Suez Canal, and the well-being of the nearly 200 million people living there - all are vital to us and to world peace. If that key should fall into the hands of a power or powers hostile to the free world, there would be a direct threat to the United States and to our allies.”

Televised from the Oval Office

Washington, D.C., October 27, 1983

Aftermath

Unfortunately, the U.S. presence in the Mid-East had so offended certain extremist groups, that they felt justified in using violence to advance their political aims.

The U.S. government had unwittingly misread the international politics of the time, and placed U.S. forces into a dangerous environment.

The attacks in Lebanon set a precedent for other groups to attack U.S. civilians and military personnel up to the present day.

As a consequence, other Western nations also experienced such acts, with the terrorist groups targeting any and all allies of the U.S.

Terrorism in the MID EAST

What is a terrorist?

A terrorist is a person who uses the threat of violence to achieve political aims.

Common Strategies: Propaganda Kidnapping Executions Bombings Hijackings

What is a terrorist?

A terrorist's goal is to frighten people into doing or believing what the terrorists want…

If the terrorists blow up a train, and you refuse to travel on trains, then the terrorists have achieved their aims.

Usually, terrorists try to get maximum press coverage. So, bizarre and sick acts are often chosen to excite the media (who usually buy into this tactic).

International Terrorists

There are many foreign terrorists groups.

Some of them are loosely affiliated (i.e., working for a similar cause).

Some groups are enemies of each other.

Terrorist groups are varied and diverse.

AL QAIDA

Resent the U.S. for its presence in the Mid –East…

“War on Terror” brought Al Qaida to its knees during 2000’s

Osama Bin laden finally killed by U.S. forces in 2010.

Osama Bin Laden makes a propaganda video

Quirks of history…

He was offended buy the U.S. Presence on Arab soil and he vowed that one day he would take revenge on the U.S. and its allies for this “invasion”

He would put together an organization known as Al Qaida. And later he would act on his plans…

Osama’s revenge, 9/11 2001