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– 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 Rulein 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