Chapter 22

There is disagreement over the control of Jerusalem and the Occupied Territories (p. 480) Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, West Bank

Jerusalem is where King Solomon built the First Temple

Jews come to pray at the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) which is a portion of the Second Temple destroyed by the Romans

Jerusalem is the sacred location of the final suffering and crucifixion of Jesus

Christians launched the Crusades to regain the holy lands from Muslim control

Muslims regained the lands until Israel was established in 1948

Jerusalem is third most holy city to Muslims after Mecca and Medina

Dome of the Rock is located there, which Muslims believe is the spot where Muhammad rose to heaven

Jews believe it is the site where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac to God

Because these sites are so close together, there have often been clashes between Jews and Muslims

Ottoman Empire (Turkey) ruled the Eastern Mediterranean from 1520 to 1922

When it sided with Germany during WWI it soon collapsed

Britain and France received the lands in the Eastern Mediterranean as part of the war settlement

Why would Europeans be interested in the Middle East?

France controlled the northern portion Britain controlled the southern section France frequently played different religious

groups against each other Britain controlled Palestine; Zionism was

created Zionism’s goal was to support a Jewish

homeland in Palestine (p 512)

At first, Arabs and Jews cooperated More Jews migrated into Palestine to escape

German persecution Arabs began to resist the establishment of a

Jewish state 1939, to reduce tensions, Britain halted

Jewish immigration into Palestine

At the end of WWII, survivors of the Holocaust wanted to settle in Palestine

Palestine was considered the Jewish homeland

The UN divided Palestine into two states – one Arab and one Jewish

Israel was established on May 14, 1948 Surrounding Arab nations invaded Israel to

prevent its establishment

Palestinian Arabs and Christians were caught in the middle

During the war many of them were forced to flee their homes or live in refugee camps

PLO was formed to regain land for Palestinian Arabs and allow them to return to their homes

Because many countries did not receive independence until after WWII, political divisions, refugees, and weak infrastructures make economic development difficult

Jordan is one of the poorest nations in the region and has one of the largest refugee populations

Civil wars in Lebanon and Cyprus also cause economic problems

Roads in war-torn areas have to be rebuilt Irrigation systems are needed Better communications systems and power

sources for technology are needed How is life different in Israel? See page 514

“Growing up in Israel”

Some restaurants have separate sections for men and women

Most meals are eaten at home (see p. 514) How are these meals different from the

U.S.? Lebanon has Christians, Eastern Orthodox,

Shi’ites, and Catholics living in the region Israel has many Jewish immigrants Bedouins nomads that live in desert regions Variety makes it difficult to build unity

Clashes over land Kurds (stateless nation) occupy what they

call Kurdistan (Turkey, Iraq, Iran) It is an area of ethnic and religious diversity

Mesopotamia (Fertile Crescent)– “land between rivers” Hittites brought knowledge of weapons

Persians brought ideas on government Languages: Turkish, Farsi, Arabic Religion: majority of Muslims are Sunni,

most Iranians are Shi’ite

Iraq invades Kuwait 1990-91 for oil starting the Persian Gulf War

September 11, 2001 – war on terrorism led to clashes over leadership in the Middle East

U.S. declared war on Iraq 2003 for fear of national security

Overthrow of the Taliban – were protecting Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda terrorist networks in Afghanistan

Oct. 7, 2001 Operation Enduring Freedom: goal was to seize terrorist financial assets and destroy infrastructure

March 2002 Taliban removed from power, transitional government headed by Hamid Karzai (President of Afghanistan)

Saddam Hussein’s overthrow – UN ordered him to destroy chemical and biological weapons

March 2003 – believing Hussein continued to develop weapons, operation Iraqi Freedom launched to stop Hussein’s ability to wage war

Already have limited agricultural land Oil and natural gas resources can help

generate money to update transportation, communication, power plants, water, and sanitation

Iran is still recovering from war with Iraq (1980-1990)

War and political problems (esp. in Iraq and Afghanistan) prevent countries from improving economies

Economic restrictions imposed on war-torn nations limit trade

Divisions exist between those who want to adopt modern lifestyles and those who want to preserve traditional ways