The Palestinian Problem

In AD 72 the Roman Government forced the Hebrews, (the Jews), out of Israel. – This was done in reaction to their defiance and refusal to adopt Roman culture.

People who eventually became Arab Muslims then controlled Israel for the next 1900 years. The land was known as Palestine and these people are called Palestinians.

After the Balfour Declaration in 1917 Jewish people began moving back to Palestine and buying land from the Palestinians.

After WWII the UN divided Palestine and created the nations of Israel, as a homeland for the Jewish people.

Palestinian woman and children fleeing. In 1948

Almost immediately the Palestinians and their Arab/Muslim neighbors began a war.

Palestine was never a sovereign nation. With the support of the UN and especially the US, Israel was able to withstand the attacks.

In 1967 Egypt, Jordan, and Syria attacked Israel. Israel won this war quickly and took additional land areas that once belonged to other countries: – The West Bank- Palestine – The Gaza Strip- Palestine – The Golan Heights- Syria – The Sinai Peninsula- Egypt

Palestinians who did not wish to live under Jewish control fled to neighboring countries, primarily Jordan. Today, Palestinians have lost control of their former land and now live under Israeli control

The PLO, Palestinian Liberation Organization, is a political organization working for the return of Palestine to its “rightful” owners.

Zionist- People who support the nation of Israel as a homeland for Jewish people.

Why does the US Support the Nation of Israel? President Truman of the US informed his ambassador to the UN to support the establishment of the nation of Israel. He did this for two reasons:

1.He believed that this move would help “settle” European countries.

2.He believed that the Jewish people had suffered enough and this would be a solution to their suffering. (The state department advised against the support of establishing the nation of Israel. They felt it would cause problems in the Middle East for years to come.)

Today there is much support for the nation of Israel among conservatives and religious leaders. Biblical beliefs lead Christian churches and organizations to support the Jewish people.

US Aid

Terrorism Extremist groups around the world, lacking the political or economic power to make changes, sometimes resort to acts of terrorism to make their cause known. These groups are found in almost every region and culture, even the US

Why is the US a Target for Muslim Extremists? They oppose the US support of Israel. Without US support, the Israeli government could have been overthrown. They are opposed to the US presence in and influence in the region. (Economic and Military) The US represents western culture, which is believed to be a destructive of Arab/Muslim culture. They opposed their own countries trade alliance with the US and other western countries.