Lesson 2: The Middle East

Lesson Focus

Explore how the creation of new nations and political shifts after WWII fueled decades of conflict, shaping the modern Middle East and its global relationships.

People to Know

Gamal Abdel Nasser, Golda Meir, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Saddam Hussein

Learning Objectives

• Understand the key issues and events, from Israel's creation to major wars, that have defined the Arab-Israeli conflict.
• Analyze how movements for self-rule led to revolutions and wars in key countries like Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
• Examine the influence of Islam on regional society and culture, including the rise of Islamic activism and its political impact.

Following World War II, growing sympathy for the Zionist movement led the United Nations to act.

In 1947, the UN approved a resolution to divide the Palestine Mandate into Jewish and Arab states. On May 14, 1948, leaders announced the new State of Israel.

Arab states rejected the plan and invaded, but they were defeated. The war created a lasting Palestinian refugee crisis and also caused the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Jews from nearby Muslim countries.

Egyptian Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser rose to power determined to unite Arab nations and oppose Israel.

In 1956, he seized the Suez Canal from Britain and France, sparking the Suez War. Although attacked, Nasser gained political victory when the U.S. and Soviet Union forced the invaders to withdraw. He used this prestige to promote Pan-Arabism (Arab unity).

Note that his efforts ultimately failed, partly because wealthy Arab states were suspicious of sharing oil revenue.

Continuing tensions led to more major wars. Fearing an imminent attack, Israel launched preemptive strikes in 1967.

In just six days, the Six-Day War ended with an Israeli victory, resulting in its occupation of the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. In 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack, but forces under Prime Minister Golda Meir repelled them.

This conflict led to the 1978 Camp David Accords, where Egypt officially recognized Israel.

Frustrated by their failure to achieve statehood, Palestinians adopted new tactics to fight for self-rule.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), led by Yasir Arafat, used guerrilla warfare and terrorism. In the 1980s, a popular uprising called the intifada erupted in Israeli-occupied territories.

Pay special attention to how this pressure led to the Oslo Accords of 1993, where the PLO recognized Israel in exchange for the creation of a Palestinian Authority with limited autonomy.

Movements for self-rule and religious identity caused turmoil across the Middle East.

In Iran, popular opposition to the shah's pro-Western government led to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, establishing an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In 1980, Iraq's Saddam Hussein invaded Iran, starting a brutal eight-year war. In Afghanistan, the Taliban seized power in 1996 after a long civil war.

These events created anti-Western governments and provided a base for terrorist groups like al-Qaeda.

Deep political and religious divisions fueled instability throughout the Middle East after World War II.

The creation of Israel in 1948 and the rise of competing ideologies like Pan-Arabism sparked decades of conflict, including the Six-Day War and the Palestinian intifada. This turmoil also drove the Iranian Revolution and the brutal Iran-Iraq War.

These conflicts reshaped the region, created lasting refugee crises, and impacted global politics through oil shortages and the rise of groups like al-Qaeda.