The Middle East Conflict
“A Troubled Past”
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What caused the conflict between
the Israelis and the Arabs?
Israel was created by a
United Nations action
in 1947.
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Why can’t a lasting peace be reached?
The Palestinian
Arabs demand
an independent
state in Israel.
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Middle East Leaders - Egypt
Gamal Nasser
Pres. of Egypt
1956-1970
* Overthrew King Farouk
•Modernizes Egypt Aswan Nile Dam Project
Nile River
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Middle East Leaders - Egypt
Gamal Nasser
Pres. of Egypt
1956-1970
* Overthrew King Farouk
•Modernizes Egypt Aswan Nile Dam Project
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Middle East Leaders – Egypt
Anwar Sadat
President of Egypt
1970-1981
Goal: to get the Sinai
Peninsula back
Goal: make peace with Israel,
breaks ties with USSR
Assassinated by own countryman for trying to make
peace with Israel
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Middle East Leaders - Egypt
Hosni Mubarak
Pres. of Egypt
1981-present
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Middle East Leaders – Israel
Golda Meir
Prime Minister
1969-1974
Yitzak Rabin
Prime Minister
1974-1977
Menachem Begin
Prime Minister
1977-1983
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Middle East Leaders – Israel
Ariel Sharon
Prime Minister, 2001-2006
goes into coma in January 2006
Ehud Olmert
Prime Minister
since April 14, 2006
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Middle East Leaders – P.L.O.
Palestinian Liberation Organization
(established 1964)
Yasser Arafat
Leader
1964-2004
Goal: Regain the Palestinian
State
Method: TERRORISM
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Middle East Leaders – P.L.O.
Palestinian Liberation Organization
Mahmoud Abbas
Leader
2004-present
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What is O.P.E.C.?
Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries
It controls the production (amount) and price
of most of the oil produced in the world.
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O.P.E.C. Member Nations
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Since the UN Partition Plan was put into place, there have
been several major wars and many more intermittent
battles.
1st Arab- Israeli War
When: 1948-1949
Who: Israel vs. Palestinians, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Causes: UN Partition Plan – creates State of Israel
Results:
1) Israel doubles in size
2) Palestine disappears
3) Divided Jerusalem – Israel/Jordan
4) Palestinian refugees (fled to Gaza & West Bank)
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2nd Arab- Israeli War
Suez –Sinai War
When: 1956
Who: Israel , Britain, France vs. Egypt
Causes: Nasser takes control of the Suez
Canal - had been under control of
Britain/France
Results:
1) Egypt gets Suez Canal
2) UN troops move into Sinai (along
Egypt/Israel border)
3) Straits of Tiran now open to Israeli shipping
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3rd Arab- Israeli War
(6 Day War)
When: 1967 (June 5 – starts)
Who: Israel vs. Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria
Causes: Egypt closes the Straits of Tiran –
Israel attacks Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq
Results:
1) Israel gets Occupied Territories (Gaza, Sinai,
Golan Heights, West Bank)
2) PLO becomes stronger and more prevalent
3) Arabs bitter:
NO negotiations, NO recognition, NO peace
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4th Arab- Israeli War (October War)
(Yom Kippur War – highest of Jewish Holidays)
When: 1973 (lasts only 3 weeks)
Who: Israel vs. Egypt & Syria
Causes: Egypt and Syria, supported by USSR, attack
Israel to get land back
Results:
1) Ends in cease-fire
2) OPEC oil embargo against U.S.A.
3) UN troops to Sinai to watch border
4) Egypt showed they could fight and regained half of
Sinai
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Camp David Summit
When: September 1978 (finalized in April 1979)
Who: Israeli President Begin, Egyptian President
Sadat, U.S. President Carter
Where: Camp David, Maryland (Presidential Retreat)
Results:
1) Israel agreed to withdraw its armed forces from the Sinai
2) Evacuate civilians and restore it to Egypt
3) normal diplomatic relations between Israel & Egypt
4) Israel gained free passage through the Suez Canal and
other nearby waterways ( Straits of Tiran)
5) Egypt gained free passage between Egypt and Jordan
6) Israel also lost the Abu-Rudeis oil fields in western Sinai
their only long term commercially productive wells
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Operation “Peace for
Galilee”
When: June 1982
Who: Israel vs. PLO in Lebanon
Causes: PLO attacks on Israeli
settlements along border
Israel launches full-scale invasion of
Lebanon to destroy PLO bases
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Operation “Peace for Galilee”
Results:
1) Israel reaches Beirut (capital) within a
week, by end of June has captured most of
southern Lebanon and besieged PLO and
Syrian forces
2) US intervenes to end siege in August
Israel agrees to withdraw provided PLO
and Syrian forces do also
3) Sept. 15 – Lebanese Pres. Gemayel
assassinated, Israel re-occupies Beirut and
gives orders to “cleanse” Palestian
Refugee Camps – hundreds are killed
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Oslo Accords
When: August - September 1993
Who: Israeli President Rabin, PLO Leader
Arafat
Where: Oslo Norway
Results:
1) Israel agrees to recognize PLO
2) PLO will renounce terrorism
3) Agree to a 5-year plan of Israeli withdrawal of Gaza
and West Bank and self-governance by PLO in those
areas
4) Creation of Palestinian National Authority (PNA)
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What is the current status?
Sinai: part of Egypt since Camp David Summit 1978
Gaza: Israel has withdrawn, but threatens to intervene as
Hamas continues to strike Israeli settlements across the
border
Hamas
Golan Heights:
(Arabic:
still‫حماس‬
needs
‫;حركة‬
to be
acronym:
resolved between
Arabic: ‫حركة‬
‫االسالمية‬
Syria/Israel,
‫المقاومة‬,but
or Israel
Harakat
considers
al-Muqawama
it to “annexed”alIslamiyya or "Islamic Resistance
West Bank: agreed to be shared with the PNA governing all
Movement,"[1]) is a Palestinian Sunni Muslim
Palestinians – Israel began construction of the Israeli West
militant organization
Bank barrier in 2000
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U.S. Involvement
1991 – US puts together a coalition of countries
to protect Saudi Arabia from attack by Iraq – they
had already invaded Kuwait
“DESERT SHIELD”
The operation to liberate Kuwait was called
“DESERT STORM”
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U.S. Involvement
2001 – Terrorists attack the World Trade Towers
and the Pentagon
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U.S. Involvement
2001 – Terrorists attack the World Trade Towers
and the Pentagon
2003 – US invades Iraq for the second time
Mission: capture Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
WMD’s:
Reasons:
nuclear, biological, and chemical
1)Iraq supports terrorist activities
2)US govt. believes Iraq has weapons of mass
destruction (WMD’s)
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Mideast Today- Iraq
In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq to prevent the continued production
of weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. claimed that Iraq was supporting terrorism
and that it was important to attack before Hussein got nuclear weapons. Ultimately,
they wanted to remove Saddam Hussein from office.
The U.S. involvement with Iraq spans many decades. In 1990 Iraq invaded
the neighboring country of Kuwait. They claimed Kuwait was part of their territory.
They claimed that Kuwait was cross drilling and stealing their oil. Furthermore, they
claimed that Kuwait was exceeding OPEC quotas driving down prices, hurting Iraq’s
economy. The U.S. engaged in a military action called Operation Desert Shield to
protect Saudi Arabia’s oil. Operation Desert Storm was a coalition of nations that
aimed to drive Iraq out of Kuwait under UN direction. The coalition was very
successful. Under a cease-fire, Iraq had to destroy all weapons of mass destruction
and allow UN weapons inspectors to investigate. They were not to build weapons of
mass destruction. They were limited with two no fly zones to protect the Kurds in the
North and the Shiites in the South. Finally they were faced with punishments that
limited their oil sales and limited their imports and exports to necessities.
Hussein kicked out the UN weapons inspectors in 1998, which prompted the
U.S. to take action. In 2003, the U.S. wanted to invade. The U.S. had no major allies
because nations were afraid that an invasion would further destabilize the Mideast. The
U.S. has sent in over 200,000 troops and experienced over 3000 casualties. The war in
Iraq has cost the U.S. between $30-50 billion. Now that the U.S. has ousted Hussein
from office, it is unclear who will replace him and what should be done with the
imprisoned dictator.
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War on Terrorism
The U.S. is currently engaged in a so-called War on Terrorism. Terrorism is
the act of violence for a political goal. One of the major terrorist groups in the Mideast
is Hamas, which is a radical break off group of the PLO. They are involved in an intifada
with the goal of driving Israel out of Gaza and the West Bank. As of 2003, the leader of
the PLO was Yassar Arafat and the leader of Israel was Ariel Sharon. Neither of these
men remains in office.
On September 11, 2001 terrorists attacked the Pentagon in New York City, the
World Trade Center in Washington D.C. and aimed for other targets. Investigation found
that Al Quida, led by Osama bin Laden was responsible for the attacks. Bin Laden, is a
Saudi whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Al Quida is also responsible for the
first attack on the WTC in 1993 and the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and
Tanzania, and the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen. Since 2001, Al Quida has
carried out many other attacks throughout the world.
In 1995, these terrorists called for a jihad or holy war against the U.S. They
are against the U.S. because of our support of Israel and our continued presence in the
Mideast. Furthermore, they are against the American capitalist system that has yielded
our country great wealth. Since 2001, the U.S. has been engaged in a war on
terrorism. In response, there has been tighter airport security and the government has
tied to better organize itself to protect against terrorism. After the attacks, the
President created a new Cabinet position for Homeland Security.