War and the World
Term 2, Lecture 3
Conflict in the Middle East
Central Thesis:
Conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on land ownership, disputed borders and water
access. A legacy of unending conflict, beginning even before the foundation of Israel in 1948, has
made the final settlement of these questions elusive.
Neighbouring Arab states have become involved in the dispute, often for reasons of national selfinterest or because of domestic pressures.
Further East, a tradition of militarized politics in Iraq and the ambitions of Saddam Hussein clashed
with the revolutionary Islamic ambitions of the Iranians. The legacy of this conflict led to the further
destabilisation of the region and intervention by the Western (and other world) powers. This was
nothing new however: throughout the Cold War the Superpowers backed rival states to maintain
their influence in the region.
The region is central to the fortunes of the world economy because of its abundance of oil. Sadly,
not all of the oil rich states are in favour of democratic politics.
Key Questions:
1. Why is the Middle East the focal point of such long term and persistent conflict?
2. What are the principal landmarks in the region’s past conflicts?
3. Why as the West really been at war with Iraq?
Structure:
 Cultural and religious divisions (in notes)
 Territorial divisions at the end of the First World War (in notes)
1. The formation of Israel and the Arab-Israeli dispute
2. Western relations with the Middle East (including the Suez Crisis)
3. The Arab-Israeli wars, 1967, 1973 and 1982
4. The Iranian Revolution and its regional consequences (USA, Iraq and Afghanistan)
5. The Gulf War, 1990-91
6. Revolutionary politics in ‘Palestine’, Afghanistan, and across the Muslim World
7. The Iraq War, 2003+
1. The formation of Israel and the Arab-Israeli dispute
Situation after 1945
Influx of Jewish immigrants and Arab resistance
Evolution of antagonised ideologies
The Arab-Israeli War of 1948
Israeli victory established the Jewish state, but left Palestinians in limbo
The responses of other states
1
2. Western Relations with the Middle East (including the Suez Crisis)
Growing dispute between the West and Egypt
The Suez Crisis
Results Benefits for Israel and Egypt
The Arab states were still too weak to confront Israel
3. The Arab-Israeli Wars, 1967, 1973 and 1982
Regional arms race
Causes of the 1967 war (water, raiding, faith in allies)
The Six Day War 1967
Results Israeli victory
Yom Kippur War, 1973 Israelis kept their gains
Lebanon Collapse of order in 1970s, Israeli intervention and Civil War
The Civil War that developed 1984-89.
4. The Iranian Revolution and its regional consequences (USA, Iraq and Afghanistan)
The breakdown of the Shah’s regime
The revolutionary rhetoric of Ayatollah Khomeini
The Rise of Saddam Hussein
The Iran-Iraq War, 1980-89
Results
Afghanistan, the shifting regional Balance of power and the inspiration of radical groups
The Gulf War, 1990-91
Saddam Hussein’s reasons for invading Kuwait
The formation of a coalition and Desert Shield
Operation Desert Storm
Results defeat of Iraq but survival of Hussein, the Kurds rebellion, UN responses.
The legacy of the war
Revolutionary politics in ‘Palestine’, Afghanistan, and across the Muslim World
The Palestinian Intifada and terrorist groups
Israeli responses
Attempts to find a settlement
9/11 and US led operations against Afghanistan.
The Iraq War, 2003+
The weapons inspectors and UN relations with Iraq
The strategic situation: Was Saddam Hussein a threat?
The other arguments in favour of intervention: Regime change and democracy for Iraq, oil, the
weapons issue, the UN resolutions.
Arguments against: Evidence of weapons of mass destruction, oil, American interests, fears of
civilian casualties and ambiguity about UN approval
The war Features and Problems
Successes
2
More problems in 2004
An end to the Palestinian Question?
The end of Arafat
The ‘road map for peace’ 2003
Continuing violence
The Gaza withdrawal 2005 and its aftermath.
Conclusions
3