1. The Middle East
Unit 8

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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?

5. 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.

6. The Palestinian Issue

7. 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

8. 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"

9. Formation of Israel Pre-World War II – Zionist Jews desire a homeland
The Holocaust boosted European/U.S. support for use of Palestine
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

10. Formation of Israel Israel created on May 14, 1948
David Ben-Gurion - 1st Prime Minister of Israel
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

11. 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

12. 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).

13. 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