Global Issues Chapter 3

Nationalism, Religion & Violence

-"us" v. "them" mentality. -Violence often increases when nationalism/religion overlap (two most powerful forms of identification in world) -Ex. Gandhi's "Quit India" movement was nonviolent effort, as well as the Philippine People Power Revolution.

Second Intifada

-Al-Aqsa intifada -Sparked by the killing of six unarmed Palestinian demonstrators at the al-Aqsa Mosque when the Israeli defense minister Ariel Sharon came to visit. -Increased militarization of the Occupied Territories. -Excessive use of violence on both sides which facilitated the rise of extremist elements within Palestinian society. -Hamas increasingly resorted to terror attacks against Israeli citizens.

WWI and the Palestinian Arabs

-Arabs were under control of Ottoman Empire during WWI. British turned to Arabs by promising independence if they helped the British in the war effort. Oil had also been discovered. The British signed an agreement with the French (Sykes-Picot Agreement) in 1916 to divide the Middle East into spheres of influence, which went against the British's earlier promises to the Arabs (including the Balfour Declaration) -British decided to support a Jewish homeland in Palestine in the Balfour Declaration. Palestine soon fell under the control of the British. -Treaty of Versailles gave mandates to France and Britain to divide up the region into states, allowing the Jewish National Fund (agency of the Zionist movement) to start buying land in Palestine for Jewish settlers.

Evolution of Nationalism

-Belonging to larger countrywide community. -Previous arguments by Locke and Rousseau about people governing themselves v. kings or queens (popular sovereignty). -French Revolution and American Revolution strengthened ideas about popular participation. -Nazi Germany nationalism. -increase in number of states (now 196 countries) due to decolonization

Different Perspectives on Nationalism

-Civic or ethnic -Exclusive -Civic is seen as "good" nationalism. -Considered the most powerful political force of the 20th century. -Can liberate, oppress, or empower people.

Zionism

-Desired to create homeland for Jews. Response to the violent persecution of Jews at hands of Europeans. -Russian persecution of Jews led to first wave of Jewish emigration to Palestine. -Father of Zionism Theodor herzl believed only solution would be the creation of a Jewish homeland, in Palestine. The original inhabitants of Palestine, the Canaanites, saw the new immigrants as a threat.

WWII and Palestine

-During war, border were closed to Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust. Post-war, nations felt sympathy for the Jewish people. -UN decided to partition Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. -Palestinians felt that they were being forced to give up their land to compensate European Jews for crimes committed by Europeans. Fighting broke out (three Arab-Israeli wars)

Obstacles to Peace

-Israeli settlements -Palestinian refugees' right of return -Occupation of East Jerusalem (Holy land) -Terrorism

Anti-State Nationalism

-Oppose what they see as an illegitimate state. -Often anti-colonialism (Indonesia in opposition to the Dutch colonists)

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

-Palestinians united by strong historical, territorial, and anticolonial forms of nationalism. -Israelis united by strong religious nationalism. -1950 "Law of Return" -Palestinians do not enjoy full rights of citizenship even though they have lived there for centuries.

Effects of Hamas Election

-Provided social services to Palestinians. -EU withheld all financial support, because of three conditions: recognize Israel's "right to exist," renounce violence, and accept the terms of all previous agreements between Palestine Authority/Israel. -Israel invaded Gaza in 2008 (Operation Cast Lead). Highlighted divisions between Hamas and Palestinian Authority in West Bank that was led by Fatah.

Nationalism and the Future

-State system and nationalism are relatively young. Nationalism and state sovereignty vs. globalization. -States may find it more difficult to control borders against external elements. -Globalization may lead citizens to identify with groups in other countries based on religion, popular culture, etc. more than they do in their own countries.

Pro-State Nationalism

-Supports the existing state. -Is guided by the ruler of the state and is termed official nationalism -Link between unified people and their legitimate government.

Civic Nationalism

-Western experience -Citizenship instead of ethnic linkages. -Nation-state is seen as the core, as its role is to promote principle that a society is united by territoriality, citizenship, and civic rights/legal codes transmitted to all members of group. -All members are equal regardless of ethnicity or race. -Anybody can become a member, so it is more inclusive than ethnic nationalism.

Occupation of Israel

-reoccupied all Palestinian areas -Arafat (leader of Palestine) was held responsible for failing to control extremist groups. -Israel built wall to the West Bank maintaining that it was to protect its citizens from attacks. It was slo an attempt to confiscate additional Palestinian territory. -Wall separated Palestinian communities from hospitals, schools, and farms. -In 2004 the International Court of Justice ruled that the wall violated international law, but Israel continued to build it. -Abbas was elected to replace Arafat as president of Palestine, which brought an end to the second intifada. -Hamas won a majority in the Palestine Legislative Council elections in 2006, a sign of Palestinian resentment.

Ethnic Nationalism

Draws its ideological bonds from the people and their native history. -Collective memory, common language, and values, shared religion, myth, and symbolism. -Dependent on blood ties, bonds to the land, and native traditions.

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)

Formed by exiled Palestinian nationalists. -Helped unite Palestinians living in multiple territories and gave voice to their national independence.

Empire

Large swaths of lands, encompassing many groups or nations

Feudalism

Peasants had to answer to nobles or kings, who were loosely ruled by an empire. -Thirty Years' War was ended by the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 which established modern states that were to govern themselves.

State/Country

Political unit that has sovereignty over a geographical area.

Imagined Community

Shared identity of nationalism--most citizens of a country will never actually get to know one another.

Nationalism

Shared sense of identity based on important social distinctions that has the purpose of gaining or keeping control of a group's own destiny.

Nation-State

Single nation within the boundaries of a single state. -Combines concepts of state, territory, and nation. -Ex. North and South Korea, or Kurds.

Sovereignty

State is self-governing

First Intifada

Uprising in West Bank/Gaza Strip. -Extremist groups on both sides.