The Middle East Origins of the Crisis

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The Middle EastOrigins of the Crisis
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Background Ancient Empires

• 3500 B.C. - Sumerians settle in Mesopotamia -
  govt, agriculture, laws, social classes,
  military, writing, religion
• 1900-1100 BC - Babylonian Empire
• 1020 BC - Hebrew Kingdom created in Jerusalem -
  first monotheism
• 550 BC - AD 323 Persian Empire dominates region -
  rivals to Greeks
• 600-1099 - Islamic Empire created by Muhammad,
  then led by Caliphs (Abbasid Umayaad)- sharia,
  imams, jizya, hajj, 5 pillars, trade routes,
  expansion into North Africa, sunni vs. shia
• 1099 - Crusades
• 1200-1300 - Mongols - Il Khanite
• 1350-1918 Ottoman Empire - gunpowder, ghazi,
  jannisaries, wars against Safavids
• 1919 - Treaty of Versailles dissolves Ottomans,
  creates European mandates in region, Balfour
  Declaration redraws borders
• 1945 - WWII is over - How will the Middle East be
  impacted???

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In JerusalemTwo Holy Sites

• Judaisms First Holiest Site The Temple of
  Solomon
• Islams Third Holiest Site The Dome of the rock
• The Dome of the Rock is built on top of the
  Temple of Solomon, so neither side will give it
  up

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Zionist Refugees

• Zionism - goal was to re-create a Jewish state in
  Palestine
• Before WWI - Zionists began moving to the mostly
  Muslim region
• Chose area around Jerusalem for ancient ties to
  Hebrews

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The Birth of Israel

• During the WWII, many Jews began moving to
  Jerusalem
• May 14, 1948 - Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion's
  announced that Israel was an independent state
• Sponsored by the West (Euro USA)
• But what about the people who lived there???
• Triggered an invasion by neighboring Muslim
  nations - Israel defends itself

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Israel - Surrounded by Enemies

• 1956 - War in the Sinai (Israel gains land)
• 1959 - Yasser Arafat forms Al Fatah (later
  becomes PLO)
• From the 1940s to today, Israel has been totally
  surrounded by enemy nations

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The Six Day War

• May 1967 - Egypt, Syria Jordan prepared to
  attack Israel again, so Israel attacked
• Israeli technology (American planes tanks) are
  too much to handle
• Israel gains West Bank Jerusalem

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So who should control the area?

• Many different governments have ruled the region
  through history
• It is holy ground for both sides
• Israel took the land in the 1960s will not
  return them
• But, Israel was continually attacked has now
  established homes for 50 years

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The Center of the Problem

• Jerusalem The West Bank
• Israelis vs. Palestinians
• Judaism vs. Islam
• The West vs. The Middle East
• Rich vs Poor