Middle East, 1945-present

The Conflicts Begin

After WORLD WAR I, the Middle East went from being controlled by the Ottoman Empire to being controlled by the MANDATE SYSTEM (1919-1945)

Mandates were established by the League of Nations

Mandates

French mandates

included SYRIA

and LEBANON

British mandates

included JORDAN

and PALESTINE

and IRAQ

DESIRE FOR JEWISH

HOMELAND

ZIONISTS were activists who wanted

the creation of a Jewish nation

(ISRAEL)

With the BALFOUR DECLARATION in

1917, the British had promised to

secure a national Jewish homeland,

but they took no action

ISRAEL and PALESTINE

In 1948, largely as a

result of the

HOLOCAUST during

WWII, the UNITED

NATIONS partitioned

Palestine into two

independent nations,

Israel and Palestine.

The PALESTINIANS

Arabs immediately

declared war, but

Israel won and took

more territory

The Palestinians

ended up with no

territory.

Most Palestinians

became REFUGEES

in other Arab

countries

Suez Crisis 1956

Egyptian

President Gamal

Nasser moved to

take control of

Suez Canal from

Britain

Britain and Israel

forced to

withdraw

War Again

1967 SIX DAY WAR:

Arabs blockaded Israel

(Arabs = Egypt, Syria,

Jordan, Saudi Arabia).

Under Prime Minister

Golda Meir, Israel struck

first, defeated them all

and won more territory,

including Jerusalem, the

SINAI PENINSULA and

GOLAN HEIGHTS

THE PLO

After the Six Day War, Yassir

Arafat formed the Palestinian

Liberation Organization and

became its leader.

The PLO practiced terrorism

and was linked to the attacks

at the MUNICH OLYMPICS

in 1972 in which 11 Israeli

athletes were killed.

War Again!

October 1973: YOM KIPPUR

WAR: Egypt and Syria attack to

regain territory in Sinai

Peninsula and Golan Heights,

but Israel wins again.

Superpowers are

involved: US

supplies Israel;

USSR backs

Arabs.

PEACE??

1978 CAMP DAVID

ACCORDS. U.S.

President Jimmy Carter

negotiates peace

between ISRAEL and

EGYPT, reestablishes

pre-1967 borders

Egyptian President

Sadat was assassinated

in 1981

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, U.S.

President Jimmy Carter, Israeli Prime

Minister Menachem Begin

Palestinian Homeland?

Palestinian uprising known as

INTIFADA began in 1987. It

lasted until 1993. A Second

Intifada occurred from 2000-05.

OSLO AGREEMENTS

1993--U.S. President Bill

Clinton negotiated treaty

between Israel, led by

YITZHAK RABIN, and the

Palestinians, led by Arafat.

Negotiations took place in

OSLO, NORWAY.

Palestinians gained self-

government in Israeli-

owned territories of Gaza

and West Bank.

Rabin was assassinated in 1995.

Arafat died of disputed causes in

2004.

Violence continues

Points of conflict include:

Control of Jerusalem

Palestinian self-determination

Jewish settlements in Palestinian areas

Palestinian Refugees

Arab Spring

Series of uprisings

against dictators/ absolute

monarchs beginning in

December 2010

Rulers forced from power

in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia

and Yemen; civil uprisings

in Bahrain and Syria

Goals of protesters vary

Social media--significant