1. Competitive Nationalism
Historical Legacy
The Arab Empire profoundly influenced medieval Europe between the 9th-12th centuries
*Avicenna-Medical
*Alhazen-Optics
*Al Khwarizmi-Algebra
Omar Khayyam-The Rubaiyat

2. Competitive Nationalism (cont.)
Threefold Struggle
1. Modern Expressions of Nationalism (Arab vs. Arab) Egypt 1922 Sultan Ahmed Fouad took over followed by King Farouk I.
1952 Egypt was turned into a Republic with the “revolution” of Mohammad Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser.

3. Competitive Nationalism (cont.)
Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser took over in a bloodless coup and sought Pan-Arabism (Arab nationalism) 1952
Nationalization of the Suez Canal 1956-An attempt to awaken Arab nationalism

4. Competitive Nationalism (cont.)
Syria and Egypt united to form the United Arab Republic 1958 with Israel in between
Collapse-Two Factors
General Quasim of Iraq rejected Nasser’s leadership and wanted to lead himself
Syria became disenchanted and seceded

5. Competitive Nationalism (cont.)
2. Zionist Movement (Arab vs. Israel)
Theodor Herzl-19th century Austrian journalist launched a Zionist movement for a homeland for Jews. He claimed the Palestine before the 90 AD Diaspora as the new homeland.

6. Competitive Nationalism (cont.)
Balfour Declaration 1917: “

7. Competitive Nationalism (cont.)
Zionists were encouraged; Arabs were incensed.
Holocaust added impetus to the claim because of the deaths of six million Jews at the hands of the Nazis. The moral impulse of the world sided with the creation of a Jewish state.

8. Competitive Nationalism (cont.)
Birth of Israel, May 15, 1948
Palestinians were left homeless---800,000fled; Israel claims that it was a political issue.

9. Competitive Nationalism (cont.)
Western Colonization (Arab vs. the West)
Since Israel is an advanced western-style democracy, it has, in at least psychological terms, taken the place of western colonialism. Thus Israel has a double resentment---not only as a competing form of nationalism but as an agent of western colonialism

10. Four Challenges of the Middle East
Mutual Demonization and de-ligitimization of the “other.” They negate each other and the value of knowing about one another.
Self-Identity and National Narratives/Myths Both sides have exploited the conflict to do what they want. They see themselves as victims and not as actors. By being a victim you give yourself license to do anything.
Slow effort at re-education. Leaders need to do a better job at re-educating their people.
Religion, Culture, and Politics