Transcript Middle East

Middle East
• Key Ideas– Three Main Religions
• Judaism (oldest)
• Christianity
• Islam
– Sunni
– Shia
• Similarities
– Montheistic
– Prophets
» Abraham
» Jesus – “founder” Christianity
» Muhammad – Founder of Islam
– Sacred Texts
» Judahism – Torah
» Chrsitianity – Bible (Old & New Testemant)
» Islam- Quran
– Sacred Cities
» Jerusalem – All 3 hold this city sacred
» Mecca (Makka) - Islam
Middle East
• Languages
– Arabic
• Most parts of the Middle East
– Hebrew
• Israel
– Persian
• Iran
Middle East
Israel-Arab Conflict
• Creation of Israel (1948)
– Sykes-Picot (1917)
– Balfour Declaration (1917)
– Zionists
• Jewish people who wanted the creation of a Jewish state
• Just happens to be in the same place where the Palestinians
(who are Arab) are living (Palestine)
– Israel is established in 1948
• Palestinians are forced to move to Refugee Settlements in
the neighboring Arab Nations (Egypt / Jordan / Syria)
• Or Refugee Settlements in the Gaza Strip and The West Bank
• Leads to an almost immediate war between Israel and these
Nations
Middle East
Israel-Arab Conflict
• Israel and wars with
their Neighbors
– Egypt / Jordan / Syria
• Impact of the Wars
– Israel gains control of
• Gaza Strip (Egypt)
• West Bank (Jordan)
• Golan Heights (Syria)
• These Areas are still a
source for conflict
Middle East
Israel-Arab Conflict
• Palestinians (who are Arab & Islamic)
Middle East
Israel-Arab Conflict
• Palestine
– Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)
• Yasir Arafat – Leader for almost 50 years until he died
• Began his leadership calling for the destruction of Israel
• As he grew older (& hopefully wiser) soften his position and
was working on ways to co-exist with Israel
– Self Government in Gaza and West Bank????
• When he died left no leadership to follow allowing for more
extremist groups such as Hamas to take the leading role of
Palestinian Liberation
– Hamas much more violent throughout Israel
» Terrorist Attacks
» Suicide Bombings