Modern middle east terms

Zionism

a movement started in late 1800s by Herzel to create a homeland for Jews.

Jews had not had a homeland in 1800 years

Balfour Declaration

1917 statements by a British official supporting Zionism;

became a source of strength when Zionists went against earlier promises to Arabs

World War 1

1914 - 1918;

winners: Allied Powers (Britain, France, Italy, Russia, Japan)

Central Powers (Germany, Autria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire);

alliances drew most of Europe into the conflict;

Europeans gained middle eastern lands as a result

Mandates

transfer of control of a country to an Allied Power after WWI

strengthened some allegiences and led to lasting Europe presence in 1919

World War II

1939 - 1945

winners: Allied Powers (Britian, France, US, China, Soviet Union)

Axis Powers (Germany, Japan, Italy

Germany invaded much of Europe

The positioning for power by nations after WWII shaped world events for the next 50+ years

Holocaust

1941 - 1945

Systematic killing of 6 million European Jews

fueled international sentiment for a Jewish homeland

The Cold War

1945 - 1989

Time of deep tension/competition between US and Soviet Union

Decades of action and maneuvers to show power

1948 Arab-Israeli War

neighboring nations attacked Israel on May 14, 1948

Jews proclaimed the independent state of Israel

First Arab-Israeli war (Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq)

Gamal Abdel-Nasser

Egyptian president from 1956 - 1970

modernized the Suez Canal

Nationalist hero; major figure in Arab history

made Egypt one of the most powerful nations

Shariah Law

sacred Islamic law; many middle-eastern nations incorporate it into their laws

opposite western opinions

Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan

Islamic Fundamentalism

strict following of Shariah and the Quran

resistance against secularism

a reaction to western influence

Middle East Oil

discovered in Iran in 1908

industrial revolution

deals made with European nations were unfair for middle east

western nations had the technology to drill and export

OPEC

1960

organization of petroleum exporting countries

14 (7) nations

not all the middle east countries

economic leverage

Venezuela

Suez Canal

1956 Egypt seized control of the canal

Israel defeated Egypt

Britain/France reoccupy

United Nations gives Egypt control

Israel and Egypt had boarder skirmishes prior to second Arab-Israeli War

The six-day war

1967 Egypt closed strait of Tiran

Israel attacked, victory

Gaza strip, Golan Heights, West Bank, Jerusalem

3rd Arab-Israeli war, Egypt and Syria united, Guerillas attack from Syria

PLO

palestinian liberation organization

Founded in 1964 to create a liberated Palestine

Infidels - upraising against Israeli occupation

Yasir Arafat led 1969 - 2004

The Munich Massacre

1972

Palestinian group Black September kidnapped/killed Israeli Olympic athletes

Demanded release of 320 Arab prisioners

11 atheletes killed

Israeli Mossad operation wrath of god launched to kill those responsible

Yom Kippur War

1973 Egypt/Arab nations attacked Israel to recapture “occupied territories” from 6-day war

failed

in cease fire, Israel began talks with Egypt;

Arab league expelled Egypt

Oil crisis of 1973

OPEC reduced oil to pro-Israel countries as a show of power

full embargo on US, Netherlands, and Denmark

global rescession was triggered

OPEC less powerful today

Ayatollah Khoemieni

formally exiled leader of Iran,

returned in 1979

Islamic fundamentalist

Ayatollah started the Iranian hostage crisis—52 hostages held for 444 days

US had supported 1953 revolution and helped install a pro-western leader (Shah Muhammed Reza Pahlavi)

Anwar Sadat

Egyptian President during Yom Kippur War

1977 offered peace to Israel for withdraw

Nobel peace prize

asassinated 1981

Camp David Accords

1979 agreement between Israel (M. Begin) and Egypt (Sadat)

In Virginia,

Steps toward Palestinian state-hood

Jeruselem not included in the deal

Oslo Accords

1993

Israel grants Palestinian limited self-rule in West Bank

Recognition of Israel

Arafat (PLO-Palestine) and Yitzhak Rabin ( Israel)

PLO pledged to stop attacks

Saddam Hussein

president & dictator of Iraq

1979 - 2003

invaded Kuwait

Operation Desert Storm

1991

US-led forces defended Kuwait from Iraq

victory in 42 days

2003 Iraq war

US claimed Hussein supported terrorist and possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)

US invaded

Mujahideen

1972 - 1992

Afghanistan fighters against Soviet Untion

US supported Afghan fighters