Understanding the Middle East Crisis

The Background, the Crisis, and the Church

Dr. Todd BradleyWilliamson College

The Arab-Israeli Conflict

But first, a story…

The Arab-Israeli Conflict• This is a complicated subject• Too much to cover in a few hours• There are two sides to this story• The common evangelical position• How does God see it?– Israelis but also Arabs– Issues but also people

• To inform, not to argue• Goal: informed understanding

How Did It All Come to…

THIS?!

OVERVIEW

Theodore Herzl,Father of Zionism

THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT

• The Court-Martial of Capt Alfred Dreyfus

• Theodore Herzl and The Jewish State• The First Zionist Congress, Basel SZ• Political efforts to gain support, funds• WWI and the Ottoman Empire• The Balfour Declaration, 1917• Jewish immigration to Palestine

The Balfour DeclarationHis 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.

Palestine UnderBritish Mandate

-Note Palestine includedboth sides of the JordanRiver

-Transjordan was created from the east bank of the Jordan in 1921 by the UK

-Transjordan gained itsindependence in 1928

United NationsPartition PlanFor Palestine1947

-Orange is Arab Land-Blue is Jewish Land-Greater Jerusalem would be internationally governed

Palestine After 1948 War

Territories controlled by:

-Israel (blue)-Jordan (orange)-Egypt (red)-Jerusalem dividedbetween Jordan & Israel

Israeland

TerritoriesAfter 1967

War-Israel before the war (light blue)-Israel after the war(blue)

Israel Today

-Israeli land prior to1967 War (light blue)

-Territories acquiredafter 1967 War *Gaza Strip *West Bank *Golan Heights

*Sinai returned to Egyptian control after Camp David

QUESTIONS?