Middle East After WWII

Palestinians

Arab Muslims that live in the Holy Land

Balfour Declaration

expressed British support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine

Israeli War for independence (1948)

Israeli against Arab forces (Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon); Israel won the war, doubled its land, and gained one half of Jerusalem

Suez Crisis (1958)

Israel was denied use of the Suez Canal by Egypt; Israel won

Six Day War (1967)

Egypt and Syria attacked Israel; in six days, Israel took over the Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, and all of Jerusalem

Yom Kippur War (1973)

Egypt and Syria attacked Israel to try to re-gain lost land; Israel held off both countries

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)

terrorist group that opposes the creation of Israel and aims to re-establish Palestine as a Muslim state

Yasser Arafat

leader of the PLO from 1959-2004

Intifada

uprising; widespread campaigns of civil disobedience for Palestinians living in Israel, little progress

Camp David Accords (1978)

Discussion of issues between Egypt and Israel and ended hostilities, with Egypt being the first ME country to recognize Israel as a legitimate country

Islamic Fundamentalism

the belief that governments should create societies that are based firmly on the rules of Islam

Iranian Revolution (1979)

brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power; overthrew the Shah and established Iran as a theocratic state based on Islamic principles; opposed Western influence

Ayatollah Khomeni

Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979-1989

Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)

caused by territorial struggles; Iraqis (Sunni) & Iranians (Shia); US assisted Iraq

Saddam Hussein

military leader in Iraq who enforced a secular government; human rights abuses, persecution of minority groups, political repression

Persian Gulf War (1990)

Iraq invaded Kuwait, threatening its oil industry; US saw Iraq as a threat to ME countries and also oil production and intervened (Operation Desert Storm)

Taliban

Islamic group that rules Afghanistan (from 1996-2001, 2021-); laws that were strictly based on Sharia (Islamic law)

UN Partition Plan for Israel (1947)

Divided Palestine into Jewish and Arab states; Arabs rejected it

Oslo Accords (1993)

agreements signed between Israel and the PLO; aimed to establish a framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a two-state solution; ultimately failed to achieve a lasting peace

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

Iranian Shah who was a pro-Western dictator, secular state, modernization; unpopular due to inequality of wealth, autocratic rule, secret police, etc.

Iraq War (2003)

U.S. invaded Iraq citing weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, Saddam Hussein removed & later executed, led to civil war, rise of sectarian violence, and ISIS

Arab Spring (2010–2012)

Wave of pro-democracy uprisings across the Middle East & North Africa; Started in Tunisia (2010), spread to Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen; caused by authoritarian regimes, economic hardship, lack of freedoms

Arab Spring Egypt

Hosni Mubarak overthrown (2011), later replaced by military-backed regime

Arab Spring Libya

Muammar Gaddafi killed in civil war

Arab Spring Syria

Peaceful protests led to brutal civil war; rise of ISIS; Assad remains in power with Russian and Iranian support

OPEC (1960)

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries—Middle Eastern nations coordinate oil policies