Conflicts in the Middle East

Main Idea
Regional issues in the Middle East have led to conflicts between
Israel and its neighbors and to conflicts in and between Iran and
Iraq.

Reading Focus
• How have regional issues contributed to conflicts in the Middle
East?
• What were some key events in the Arab-Israeli conflict?
• What caused a revolution in Iran?
• How have conflicts in Iraq affected that country?
 Regional Issues
Over the last few decades, major conflicts have erupted in the Middle
East. Issues that have contributed to the conflicts include the presence
of huge oil reserves, the growth of Islamism, and the conflict between
Israel and its neighbors.

Oil in the Middle East Oil Revenues

• About two-thirds of world’s known
oil reserved located in Middle East
• Reserves have been great source
of wealth for Saudi Arabia, Iran,
Iraq, Kuwait, other countries
• Most members of Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries
• OPEC attempts to regulate
production of oil exports to
maximize revenues
• Oil revenues allowed Middle East
governments to modernize
countries, promote industrialization,
economic, social development

However, oil has also been a source of conflict.

 Importance of Oil

Oil as source of conflict in Middle East

• Some governments have used oil revenues to build up
military, maintain power, threaten neighbors
• Oil wealth has caused internal clashes within countries,
societies
• Region’s strategic importance as source of oil has led
outside nations to become involved in Middle Eastern
affairs, politics
 Growth of Islamism
Islamists
• Movement to reorder
government, society according
to Islamic laws
• Islamists believe Muslim
countries have strayed from
true Islam, followed Western
models of political, economic
development
Conflicts, Violence
• Egypt, Iran, Iraq have seen
growth of Islamism; has led to
conflicts within society,
government
• Some extremists have used
violence to bring about
changes, have attacked
regional governments, their
allies, innocent civilians
Conflicts with Israel
• 1948, Israel established; since then most Middle Eastern countries
have refused to recognize its right to exist
• Some countries have repeatedly attacked Israel, funded militant
groups that conduct raids, terrorist attacks against Israelis

Expansion of Israel
• Series of wars between Israel, neighbors has led to expansion of
Israel
• Israel controls more land now than in 1948 when created
• Result: many Palestinian Arabs live under Israeli control; another
source of tension, conflict in region
 The Arab-Israeli Conflict
The Arab-Israeli conflict that began in 1948 has continued through the years.
In 1967 and again in 1973, war erupted. Six years after the 1973 war, Egypt
and Israel singed a peace agreement, but unrest among Palestinian Arabs in
Israel remained a major problem.

War in 1967, 1973 Israeli Attacks Six-Day War

• 1967, Egypt • Israel expected large- • In Six-Day War Israel
demanded UN scale Arab attack, took control of Golan
remove troops from decided to strike first Heights, Sinai
Gaza, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza
• Launched air strikes
Peninsula Strip, West Bank,
against Egypt, Syria,
East Jerusalem
• Egyptian troops Jordan; destroyed
moved into Sinai to most of airplanes on • Took control of land in
close off Gulf of ground West Bank, Gaza
Aqaba, Israel’s route with large Palestinian
• Ground troops moved
to Red Sea population
in, defeated Arabs
 Egypt Strikes Back
Yom Kippur War
• Egypt, Syria determined to win territory back, launched Yom Kippur War,
surprise attack against Israel in 1973
• Took name from Jewish holy day when attack began
U.S. Support
• At first Arab troops made gains in war; Israeli’s government, led by Golda
Meir, not fully prepared for attack; needed military support from U.S.
• With support, Israeli forces regrouped, pushed back Egyptian, Syrian armies
Oil Embargo
• Both sides agreed to cease-fire after weeks of fighting
• During war, Arab members of OPEC declared oil embargo against countries
supporting Israel
• Price of oil around world rose dramatically as result of refusal to sell oil
 A Peace Agreement
Until the late 1970s, no Arab nation had recognized Israel’s right to
exist.

Camp David Peace Treaty

• 1977, Egyptian president
Anwar Sadat made
momentous declaration: Egypt
wanted peace with Israel
• U.S. president Jimmy Carter
invited Sadat, Israeli prime
minister Menachem Begin to
Camp David, presidential
retreat in Maryland
• 1978, Sadat, Begin reached
agreement known as Camp
David Accords
• Egypt recognized Israel; Israel
returned Sinai Peninsula to
Egypt
• Treaty ended 30 years hostility
between Egypt, Israel
 Palestinian Unrest
• Egypt, Israel made peace; Palestinian Arabs continued struggle for
nationhood
• 1947 UN partition plan had called for two states in Palestine—a
Jewish state, an Arab state
• After 1948 Arab-Israeli war, land set aside for Arab state occupied by
Israel, Egypt, Jordan

Palestinian Nationalism Palestinian Resentment

• 1964, Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO) formed
• Pledged to destroy Israel, replace
with Palestinian state
• 1969, Yasser Arafat became leader,
PLO launched guerilla attacks
against Israel
• In effort to stop attacks, Israel
invaded Lebanon, 1978 and 1982
• Tensions building also in West
Bank, Gaza where Israel had
begun building settlements
• 1987, Palestinian resentment
began rebellion called intifada
 Tenuous Peace
Intifada
• Palestinian youths battled Israeli troops in widespread street violence
• Israel responded with military, police resistance; fighting continued to 1990s
• 1993, Arafat, Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin negotiated Oslo Accords

Oslo Accords
• Oslo Accords called for Palestinians to gradually gain control over governing
West Bank, Gaza
• Israel, PLO supposed to sign permanent peace agreement by 1998

Undermining Peace
• Extremists on both sides worked to undermine peace process
• Militant group Hamas launched suicide bombings in Israel
• 1995, Rabin assassinated; relations between Israeli, Palestinian leadership
soured
 Continuing the Conflict
• 2000—second intifada began
• Palestinian youths joined by Palestinian security forces with guns
• Hamas sent suicide bombers into Israel to attack civilians
More Fighting Hamas in Control
• Israelis countered by sending • 2004, Israeli prime minister Ariel
troops backed by tanks, fighter jets, Sharon withdrew Israel from Gaza,
helicopter gunships into cities in parts of West Bank
West Bank, Gaza • 2005, Gaza turned over to
• 2004, Arafat died, succeeded by Palestinians
Mahmoud Abbas • 2006, militant Hamas won control
of Palestinian parliament
Armed conflict also erupted when Israeli soldiers were kidnapped along borders
with Gaza and Lebanon. Israel launched air strikes to secure its borders.
 Revolution in Iran
Different Kind of Conflict
• Different kind of conflict erupted
in Iran
• Revolution ousted shah,
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Society Changed
• By 1970s, Iran had changed
from traditional rural society
• Had become more
industrialized, urban society
Westernization of Iran
• Shah had close ties with
Western governments, oil
companies
• Iran westernized, foreign
influence grew
Islamists Opposed Shah
• Many Iranians felt threatened by
rapid change, others felt
betrayed by corrupt government
• Islamists opposed shah
because of ties to West
 Rise of Khomeini

1978, Iranians began to protest against shah’s rule

• Protests inspired by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Shia
religious leader
• 1979, unable to calm unrest, shah fled Iran
• Iran became Islamic republic with Khomeini as leader,
during Iranian Revolution
 Khomeini’s Reign
Khomeini’s Reign American Hostages

• Under Khomeini, government • 1979, Iranian revolutionaries

suppressed political opposition, seized U.S. embassy in Tehran,
enforced strict social religious took 66 Americans hostage
values
• Iranians demanded shah be
• Foreign policy strongly anti- returned to Iran, stand trial
Western, especially after shah
• Shah left U.S., but Iranians held
went to U.S. for medical
hostages until January, 1981
treatment
 Conflict in Iraq
As Iran’s new government was dealing with the hostage crisis, it found
itself at war with its neighbor, Iraq.

Iran-Iraq War Persian Gulf War

• 1980, Iraq attacked Iran
because of border disputes
• Also Iran called for revolution
among Iraq’s Shiite population
• War long, costly; as many as
500,000 dead on both sides
• Iraq used chemical weapons
• 1988, both sides agreed to
cease-fire
• After cease-fire, Saddam
Hussein continued to build up
Iraq’s military; already had
largest army in Arab world
• 1990, Iraq accused
neighboring Kuwait of drilling
into Iraqi oil field, stealing oil
• Hussein used this as excuse
to invade Kuwait
Sanctions
• In effort to end Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, UN passed economic
sanctions against Iraq; sanctions failed
• Result: U.S.-led coalition launched Persian Gulf War
• Attacked Iraqi forces in Kuwait; Kuwait freed within weeks

Weapons
• After war, UN continued economic sanctions, insisted Iraq destroy
chemical, biological weapons, agree not to develop nuclear weapons
• Inspectors had been sent to verify Iraq’s weapons had been
destroyed
• Iraq failed to fully cooperate with UN weapons inspectors
 The Iraq War
• After attacks of September 11, 2001, some U.S. leaders believed
Saddam Hussein posed a greater threat to America than before
• Hussein might have deadly weapons he could give to terrorists

Weapons Inspections Growing Insurgency

• UN weapons inspections did not
find stockpiles of chemical,
biological, nuclear weapons
• Iraq again did not fully cooperate
• Some U.S. officials convinced
Hussein hiding weapons
• 2003, another U.S.-led coalition
invaded Iraq, forcing Hussein out
• Efforts to restore peace thwarted
• Growing insurgency targeted
coalition forces, Iraqi allies,
innocent civilians

Insurgent attacks by different groups from both inside and outside Iraq
caused a greater number of casualties.
 Coalition Government

Meanwhile, coalition worked to create new,

democratic government in Iraq
• 2004, power transferred to Iraqis
• 2005, Iraqis voted in country’s first multiparty election in
fifty years
– Later approved new constitution to make Iraq Islamic
federal democracy
• Continued violence, potential for civil war made country’s
future highly uncertain