The Middle East Unit 8

A Fictional Scenario This is Janet. This is their house. Janet’s family owned and lived in this house for about 2,000 years Unfortunately, some bad people came and kidnapped Janet’s family and took them away.

A Fictional Scenario This is Cindy. Years later, her family found the house and since it was empty, they moved in. Her family then lived in the house for around 2,000 years and they still live there now

A Fictional Scenario This is Mary. She is the descendant of Janet. This is Lucy. She is the descendant of Cindy. Both Mary and Lucy claim that they are the rightful owners of the house. Who is right?

A Scenario This scenario isn’t really fictitious. Instead of Janet and Mary, we are talking about the Jews Instead of Cindy and Lucy we are talking about the Palestinians. And instead of a house we are talking about a country.

The Palestinian Issue

Arab Independence Great Britain & France controlled much of the Middle East since WW I (were mandates) Egypt & Iraq became independent during WW II Lebanon, Syria, Jordan followed after WW II Pan-Arabism leads to Arab League being formed

Balfour Declaration (1917) British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour said in a letter to a leader of the British Jewish community "view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people"

Formation of Israel Pre-World War II – Zionist Jews desire a homeland The Holocaust boosted European/U.S. support for use of Palestine 1947 - Great Britain turns over Palestine issue to U.N. U.N. plan – partition Palestine into separate Jewish & Arab states Arabs reject plan and attack Israelis

Formation of Israel Israel created on May 14, 1948 David Ben-Gurion - 1st Prime Minister of Israel 1948 - Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, & Transjordan attack & are defeated Foreign aid & effective civilian & military organization helped Israelis 1949 – Israel holds more territory than the original plan called for

Palestine/Israel 1948 – War for Independence 1956 – Sinai Campaign or Suez Canal war 1967 – Six-Day War – Israel gain the Golan Heights, the Sinai Peninsula, and West Bank 1973 – Yom Kippur War – Israel is attacked on a holy – national holiday – Israel comes close to defeat Oil embargo placed on the U.S. by OPEC because U.S. aid helped thwart an Arab victory

Pan Arabism Nationalist notion of cultural and political unity among Arab countries. Led to a cultural and literary renaissance among Arabs of the Middle East. Led to the independence of most Arab states from the Ottoman Empire (1918) and from the European powers (by the mid-20th century).

Camp David Accords (1978) President Anwar Sadat of Egypt offers gesture of peace and official recognition to Israel U.S. president Jimmy Carter invites Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister to Camp David, Maryland Agreement is reached that ends 30 years of fighting: Egypt recognizes Israel & Israel returns the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt