The Middle East
Empire, War, Independence, Conflict
Where is the Middle East?
Where is the Middle East?
Where is the Middle East?
History of the Middle East: The
Ancient Empires
• Babylon (609BC-539BC)
• Persia (550BC-330BC)
• Greece (332BC-68 BC)
• Rome (68 BC- 476AD)
• Byzantine (330 AD-1453AD)
Babylonian Empire
Persian Empire
The Greek Empire
The Roman Empire
ISRAEL
ISRAEL
• Israel’s Flag was adopted in 1948
• 1st Introduced in 1891
• Represented the Zionist movement
– Six Pointed Star of David is and ancient Jewish
Symbol
– Blue and White stripes refer to Jewish prayer
shawls.
Regathering Begins
• (1860) Mishkenot Sha’anaim, first Jewish neighborhood
built outside Jerusalem walls.
• (1881) Widespread pogroms (violent mob attack against
Jews) in Russia reinforce Jewish national awakening
• (1894) Theodor Herzl attends the trial of Alfred Dreyfus in
Paris
– Witnesses French anti-Semitism
• (1896) Herzl’ Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State) published.
• (1897) Herzl convenes 1st Zinonist Congress in Basel,
Switerland.
Zionist Movement
• (1916) Sykes-Picot Agreement signed by Britain, France, and Russia
– Secret Wartime agreement between Britain and France to divide the
land of the Ottoman Empire after WWI
– Among the terms, establishment of Arab state in “Southern
Palestine”
– Arabs angry, Britain ruled Palestine like a colony until 1948.
• (1917) Balfour Declaration
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Short note from Britain’s foreign secretary
Establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.
Declaration sped Jewish immigration
Together w/ Sykes-Picot it laid the modern foundation for Middle East
Conflict
POST WWI
• (1919) Versailles Peace Conference
– Jewish-Arab accord: Jews claim Jewish home in Palestine; Arabs claim
Arab state from Iraq to Yemen (Excluding Palestine).
• (1920) San Remo Conference/ League of Nations 1922
– Granted British Mandate over Palestine with aim of encouraging
immigration and settlement of Jews and establishment of national
home.
– Arab riots in Palestine-Rioters demand end to Jewish migration.
• (1921) British decide to install Abdullah in “Trans-Jordan”, haj Amin
al-Husseini appointed grand mufti of Jerusalem
• (1930) British White Paper limits Jewish immigration to Palestine
• (1936-1939) Arab Riots continue, murder 500 Jews, THOUSANDS of
Arabs
Establishing a
Jewish State
• (1937) British Peel Commission asserts that Jewish national
home cannot be built in Palestine, Recommends repartition
of Palestine into small Jewish state (5% of total area) and
Arab state in remainder.
– Peel Plan is rejected by both Arabs and Jews.
– Britain Halts immigration to Palestine.
• (1939) British blockade Palestine against “illegal Jewish
immigration”
• (1941) Huesseni relocates to Berlin with intention of creating
“fascist” Arab state. Pushes for end of Jews and terrorism
against who?
– Moderate Arabs
• (1945) Jews are liberated from death camps
End of British Rule
in Palestine
• The British Mandate over Palestine ends in 1947
– Britain withdrawls
– UN announces resolution to partition Palestine
– A Jewish State and an Arab State
• Jerusalem would be a separate entity administered by the UN
• Impact of UN Resolution 181?
– Palestinian Jews approve, Palestinian Arabs reject along
with the Neighboring Arab states.
– Tension turns to violence.
Declaration of Statehood
• (MAY 14 1948) David Ben Gurion becomes Israel’s 1st
Prime Minister with the Declaration of Israeli
Independence
– The U.S. and USSR recognize it quickly.
• IMPACT:
– Palestinian Arabs with 5 other Arab states launch a war that
Israel ultimately wins
– 700,000 Palestinians fled from their lands.
– Israel expands its borders, Egypt occupies Gaza Strip, Jordan
occupies W. Bank and E. Jerusalem.
– (1948-1952) 800,000 Jews are expelled from Arab states,
absorbed by Israel. 650,000 Palestinians flee and confined to
refugee camps.
Israel:
Conflicts Arise
• 1951- Yasser Arafat begins organizing
Palestinians in Cairo.
• 1956- Sinai Campaign- Egypt nationalizes the
Suez Canal. Egypt blocks Israeli shipping.
– Israel Captures Sinai Peninsula and destroys
terrorist bases on Gaza
– U.S./Soviet pressures Israel to withdraw without a
treaty
– Eisenhower guarantees protection of Israeli
shipping