The modern Middle East World History LHS World History - Mr. Ried

Who? Middle East is comprised of the following countries: - Israel - Iran - Lebanon - Afghanistan - Syria - Egypt - Saudi Arabia - Kuwait - Jordan - Iraq - Other Gulf States (Kuwait, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, *Palestine)

Geographic Area

Birthplace of Three Religions 3 of Humanities Greatest Religions Were Born Here: - Judaism (Jewish) - Christianity (Christians) - Islam (Muslim)

Birth of a new Nation ISRAEL After WWII and the Nazi Holocaust a new nation was born in the area now known as Israel. - Designed and formed by the Allied Nations (includes U.S.) as a promise for mostly displaced Jews - Arab nations refused to recognize Israel as a nation. - Palestine created as a refuge for displaced native Arab people - Palestine not recognized by the UN = PROBLEMS

Israel Text West Bank and Gaza Strip are the Palestinian Territories set aside for native Arabs. Text

Rise of Islamism The term Islamism refers to a group of usually extremist political ideologies based on the Muslim religion. * Sometimes referred to as Radical Islam, Arab inhabitants had for the first time in centuries a common interest and enemy. - Anger and Anti-Semitism gave a path for new: - Arab Nationalists - Palestinian Guerrillas - West Hating Terrorists

Impact of OIL “Historically, Nations that have a vital need for resources they lack (water, wheat, gold, etc) are very likely to face one of two fates... 1.) ... dominate nations that can supply the need 2.) ... be dominated by the nations that supply the need After WWI, Oil has shaped the foreign policy of most european nations and certainly the United States.

Top World OIL Reserves Saudi Arabia - 264.3 Canada - 178.8 (in billions of barrels) Saudi Arabia - 264.3 Canada - 178.8 Iran - 132.5 Iraq - 115.0 Kuwait - 101.5 UAE - 97.8 Venezuela - 80.0 Russia - 60.0 Libya - 39.1

Future of Middle East - Can Israel be accepted? - Can Palestine be accepted? - Can terrorists be stopped? - Who owns the future of this region?