“How the Middle East Got That Way”

United Kingdom of Israel… The United Kingdom of Israel existed during the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon from 1020 BCE to 930 BCE. The old kingdom is the basis of modern Zionist territorial claims to land in the Middle East and an important factor in Israel-Palestine disputes. Jewish tribes were expelled from Palestine in 586 BCE by King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian Empire and the area became predominantly Arabic and Islamic after the seventh century of the Common Era. Palestine became a province of the Ottoman Empire (1301).

Roman Empire… In the first century AD, Jews lived across the Roman Empire in relative harmony. Rebellion in Judaea Although Judaea was ruled by the Romans, the governors there had practiced relative religious tolerance. However, Roman tactlessness and inefficiency, along with famine and internal squabbles, led to a rise in Jewish discontent. In 66 AD, this discontent exploded into open rebellion. Four years later, the Roman army had crushed the revolt, but had also destroyed the temple. The sacred treasures were seized and shown off in a procession through the streets of Rome. The temple in Jerusalem remained the spiritual center of their worship. The temple had been rebuilt three times. The first was when it had been destroyed in 587 BC by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylonia. The second was when it had been plundered and wrecked by Judaea’s foreign rulers. The third time, it had been rebuilt by Herod the Great in 20 BC. Destruction of the temple The destruction of the temple fundamentally changed the nature of Judaism. Taxes that were once paid to the temple were now paid to Rome, and the Jewish tradition of worshipping in the temple was over. With only the Western Wall remaining of the temple in Jerusalem, the local synagogues now became the new centers of the Jewish religion. Jewish Diaspora By the end of the first century BCE, Rome had taken over the eastern Mediterranean and the Jewish population was spread through many cities of the east. In the third and fourth centuries CE there were substantial Jewish settlements in most major eastern cities and many western provinces as well.

Treaty of Versailles After such a devastating war, the victorious Western Powers imposed a series of harsh treaties upon the defeated nations: –Germany –Ottoman Empire These treaties stripped the Central Powers of substantial territories and imposed significant reparation payments. As a direct result of the war, the German, Austro- Hungarian, and Ottoman Empires ceased to exist. Treaty of Sèvres on August 10, 1920, ending hostilities with the Allied Powers; but shortly thereafter a Turkish War of Independence began. The new Republic of Turkey, established in its aftermath, signed a superseding Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, effectively partitioning the old Ottoman Empire.

Treaty of Versailles Iraq Sunni/ Shi’a/ Kurd 1921: UK put King Feisal (outsider) on throne 1958: Socialist Baath RevolutionTransJordan 1921: Feisal’s Bro Abdullah put on throne (Grandfather of current king) 1951: Abdullah assassinated Palestine … Leb. 1943: Carved out of Syria by France

WWI begins Ottoman Empire falls apart UK met with Husayn Ibn’ Ali, ruler of Mecca and Medina In exchange for help in WWI, UK said they would support Arab independence &… Sykes-Picot Agreement: UK said Arab state would only be Saudi Arabia and Yemen: ARABS BETRAYED? Balfour Declaration: UK support of a JEWISH homeland. See Declaration Allied victory in WWI: Ottoman Empire defeated MANDATES: UK: Palestine/ Trans-Jordan/ Iraq France: Lebanon/ Syria Jewish Migration to Palestine Iraq, Jordan and Syria receive independence. What about Palestine? End of WWII (Holocaust): Mass Jewish migration into Palestine. (Palestine still 70% Arab)Holocaust Ethnic TensionsEthnic Tensions: UK throws problem at the UN. Result? PARTITION! See Map

UN Partition and Israeli Independence UN divides Palestine –½ Jewish –½ Arab –Jerusalem an international city 5/14/1948:  Israel declares independence  Arab countries immediately attack  ARAB ISRAELI WARS!  Results?  Today, Palestine is no longer an independent country 2005 Israel: 80% Jewish 20% Arab

Balfour Declaration Foreign Office November 2nd, 1917 Dear Lord Rothschild, I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet. "His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country." I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation. Yours sincerely, Arthur James Balfour

Population of Historic Palestine YearNon-Jewish PalestiniansJewish Population ,908 (97%) 13,942 (3%) ,840 (95%) 36,267 (5%) ,568 (85%) 137,484 (15%) ,339,763 (69%) 602,586 (31%) –Source: McCarthy, Justin, The Population of Palestine, Columbia University Press: New York, 1990, pp. 10, 35.