UI350 Exam 2
Hamas
"Islamic Resistance Movement"; Palestinian Sunni Islamist group, created in 1987 and in control of Gaza after ousting rival Fatah in 2007.
Hezbollah (Hizbollah)
"Party of God"; Shiite Islamist group and significant actor in Lebanese politics. Hezbollah emerged in 1982 as a militia organized and trained by Iranian Revolutionary Guards to resist Israeli occupation of Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war.
fedayeen
"self-sacrificers" commonly refers to Palestinian guerrillas or militant Shiite commandos.
First Intifada
"shaking off""uprising" 1987-1993. Begun as a relatively organized Palestinian demonstration against Israeli rule in Gaza and the West Bank. Israelis have killed about 1000 Palestinians. Marks existence of unified Palestinian people. Changes political atmosphere of conflict. Brings violence to the heart of Israel. Government needs to make changes in policy. Israel is going to have to talk to PLO.
Theodor Herzel
(1860-1904). Austro-Hungarian writer and founder of modern political Zionism. He wrote Der Judenstaat, 1896, calling for the founding of an independent Jewish nation in Eretz Israel.
Anwar al-Sadat
(1918-1981) President of Egypt, 1970-1981. He was a leader of the 1973 Yom Kippur War against Israel. He signed the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, which led to his winning a Nobel Peace Prize, shared with Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin. The treaty was unpopular among Egyptians and other Arabs and led to Sadat's assassination by Islamists.
Ariel Sharon
(1928- ). Prime minister of Israel, 2001 intil 2006, when he became comatose following a stroke. Under Sharon as prime minister, Israel withdrew unilaterally from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and constructed a controversial "security fence" in the West Bank.
Yasser Arafat
(1929-2004). Palestinian Arab nationalist, chairman of PLO, founder and leader of Fatah, and president of the Palestinian National Authority. He shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin "for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East."
Mahmoud Abbas
(1935- ). Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization since succeeding Yasser Arafat in 2004, leader of the Fatah faction, and president of the Palestinian National Authority since 2005. He is also known by the honorific Abu Mazen
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
(1956- ). Elected president of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2005 and reelected in 2009 in a disputed election. An outspoken critic of the United States and Israel, Ahmadinejad has also actively promoted Iran's nuclear program, insisting it is for peaceful purposes, though many observers are connected that its goal is nuclear weapons.
Al-aqsa Intifada
(2000-2005) Period of spontaneous Palestinian-Israeli violence following Ariel Sharon's visit to the al-Aqsa Mosque in 2000. Has to do with relations between 2 countires is breaking apart and we have Israeli election occurring. When Sharon goes to visit temple mount it makes a statement and a mass riot stirs up. Toll death is 3000 Palestinians, 1000 Israeli's, and 46 foreigners.
1. A scholar once noted: "Postwar historical developments in the Middle East have generally revolved around milestones, or turning points, such as the 1967 Six-Day War, the Iranian Revolution, the Persian Gulf War, and the Intifada(s) to name just a few. Each of these has had an impact not only upon the peoples of the region, but also how the region is viewed by the rest of the world." CHOOSE any one of the events mentioned by the scholar and ASSESS the impact that it has had within the region.
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12. Explain how Israeli-American relations affect American-Iranian relations
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Palestinian National Authority
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Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
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Dreyfus Affair
..., 1894 - Dreyfus was a Jewish officer in French army. Charged with giving secrets to the Germans. Courtmarshaled despite protestations of innocence and sent to Devil's Island, a penal colony off coast of S. America. Shortly afterwards, a Colonel Georges Picquart was made head of Intellegence in army and re-opened the case. Found lack of evidence and new suspect, a Major Esterhazy, came to light. Re-trial opened whole new can of worms as the anti-Semitism that had probably made Dreyfus the innocent victim to start with now surfaced on large scale in France. Writer Emile Zola wrote an article, J'ACCUSE, which indicted the military and Catholic-Conservative elite for victimizing Dreyfus. Case talked about throughout Europe and America. Finally, Dreyfusards had victory in 1906 - pardon issued but NOT an overturning of conviction. Amounted to defeat of ultraconservatives, monarchists and clericals. Government renewed its anti-clerical campaign and in 1905 it abrogated Napoleon's 1801 Concordat. The Zionist movement was founded in response to the obvious anti-Semitism in this affair.
Palestinian Civil War
..., Britain says to create 2 separate nation states in power, 1 for Jews- 1 for Arabs. Both sides reject offer and war continues.
Khuzestan
..., Iranian region that is the lowland extension of the alluvial floodplain east of the Tigris River and the Shatt al-Arab, located between the Zagros Mountains and the Iraqi border.
"security fence"
..., The barrier is built mainly in the West Bank and partly along the 1949 Armistice line, or "Green Line" between Israel and Palestinian West Bank. Opponents of the barrier object that the route substantially deviates from the Green Line into the occupied territories captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. They argue that the barrier is an illegal attempt to annex Palestinian land under the guise of security., In 2002 Israel decided to build a fence around the west bank to keep out Palestinian suicide bombers
Pashtunistan
..., These people are a stateless nation in the rugged terrain of western Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. They represent a plurality in Afghanistan. Their region is home to the Taliban, although many others support the Afghan or Pakistani governments.
Shatt al Arab
..., the merging of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers that flows into the Persian Gulf, IRAQ; CONFLUENCE OF TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES RIVERS; IMPORTANT GEOPOLITICAL ZONE
11. Describe the 3 major demographic divisions in Iraq. Which would you say is the most important division in Iraq today?
1. Arab Shia 2. Arab Sunnis 3. Kurds Yambert: Chapter 16, Page 199 Background Knowledge: "Iraq's borders remain continuous both from within and from without. Though about 75 to 80 percent of Iraq's population is Arab, Kurds make up almost all the remainder." Kurds: Populate the mountainous regions of Northern and Eastern Iraq Identify with Kurds in neighboring states Seek greater autonomy within Iraq, if not outright independence Sunnis: Populate Northern and Western Iraq as well as urban areas Allies with other Sunni, Arab states Displaced in the political realm due to stance on violence, etc. Shiites: Populate Southern Iraq Keep connections with Shiite religious leaders in Iran Yambert: Chapter 16, Page 202-206 Background Knowledge: Factors in splitting demographics include the ethnicity (linguistic) differences as well as religious divisions between Shia and Sunni Muslims. 1. Arab Shia Formed shortly after Muhammad's death due to different views on succession or choosing of the caliph. Shias, the minority, took the side of Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, as they believe in hereditary succession. Shias are generally more united and have stronger leaders than their counterpart. The Shia are the largest single religious community in Iraq today, outnumbering the Arab Sunnis three to one and making up the majority of the overall populace. 2. Arab Sunnis The majority in the group that formed shortly after the Prophet's death. Sunnis accept all caliphs who have held office, regardless of the selection process. Sunnis tend to be more secular and usually live in urban areas, which leaves the Sunnis with a weak common identity. This sect does not give special religious authority to their leaders like the Shias do. They follow the sunna, or customs of the Prophet, as well as the Sharia, which is the Islamic law and ritual directive derived from the Quran and the sunna. This methodology leads to a more loose structure. The Sunnis dominate political and social life despite being the minority. They keep connections with neighboring states' Sunni population and are politically dominant, especially in the emerging Iraqi state of today. This group identifies with nearby Arab states and the secular philosophies and nationalism that they represent. 3. The Kurds The Kurds are the most difficult group to conform due to language barriers amongst the various social levels. The group also has a strong ethnic and national identity well into the 20th century. Other factors keeping Kurds from being assimilated include their numbers, geographic concentration, and mountain inaccessibility. Kurds are seen as orthodox Sunnis. More recent destruction of the Iraqi countryside along with war has caused a migration of these people from rural to urban life.
Operation Entebbee
A daring rescue raid issued by Israel when in the 1976 Palestinian hijackers seized a French plane and forced it to Uganda. The success of the raid led to the virtual end of hijacks of this type.
Al-Qa'ida
A network of militant, fundamentalist Sunni Islamic groups pursuing global jihad. Al-Qaeda was responsible for the 9/11 attacks on New York City and Washington, DC, 1988 founding; a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad and a strict interpretation of sharia law. It has been designated as a terrorist organization; . Its goal is remaking the world and imposing its radical beliefs on people everywhere. Fringe form of Islamic extremism, rejected by majority of Muslims
8. What were some of the consequences of the 1991 Gulf War (the Persian Gulf War)?
After the Gulf War, the United States established what was thought to be permanent military presence in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar in order to establish military force in the area. This idea wasn't popular with Russia or China because to them it seemed like the US was being more imperialistic than preventative/protective. The US's Western allies also didn't like this development, because they believed that the West as a whole should be unified in confronting the Middle East. The Arab countries thought they could handle any conflicts they had within the region themselves, and did not want military presence/intervention from the U.S. Pan-Arabism was weakened within the region because it seemed that it was now clear that individual Arab countries put their own national-interests before the Arab states collectively. Yet, Pan-Arabism also seemed to be strengthened, when they Arab countries realized that they could work together as a whole during conflicts such as the Iraq War. The Gulf countries existing on the winning side put forth effort to create a political coalition called the Gulf Cooperation Council. This war lead to many countries to think as Iraq as as a "rogue state", and resulted in the effort of international isolation to punish and prevent Iraq from doing something synonymous of this in the future. Iran and Iraq flip-flopped in international views. Iraq was now seen as the threat to stability, while Iran (who stayed neutral during the war) was seen as the opposite. The war also potentially increased Islamic extremism with the region. MAYBE WORK ON THAT LAST SENTENCE LOL IM TIRED
Camp David Accords (Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty)
Agreements in 1978 between Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, as mediated by US president Jimmy Carter, leading to Israel's withdrawl from Sinai in return for normalization of relation with Egypt. Begin and Sadat shared the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize in consequence.
Fatah
An important group within the PLO, currently the largest faction of the PLO. The Fatah was established by Arafat and others in the mid-1950s in the West Bank. Founded originally as a Palestinian guerrila group in 1954 by Yasser Arafat. It was the first truly Palestinian group to be formed in the sense that it was committed to remaining independent of Arab regimes in the region. In general, Fatah is seen as nationalist group dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestine. The Fatah has been the largest group within the PLO and its leader has always served as the chairman of the organization. Historically the Fatah and its military arms were responsible for a number of attacks within Israel and could be seen as a Terrorist group.
Sabra and Shatila massacre
During the Lebanese War (1982) the Israeli Defense Forces were criticuzed as assisting the massacre in Lebanon as they surrounded the camps with tanks, monitoring checkpoints even while Christian militias killed between 700-3500 Palestinians., The mass killing of mostly Palestinians by a Lebanese Christian Phalangist militia that took place in September 1982 during the Israel-Lebanon war. While Israel did not actively participate they facilitated the massacre and were seen as responsible by the Lebanese due to the little effort they showed to stop it.
Partition Plan
Established by the UN Resolution 181. UN controls Jerusalem. Was a conflict of the 48 war in which Palestinians leave land willingly because how much is going on with expectation to return. Some were forced out, have ability to return.. War of independence. Civil war quickly gets started and partition plan never goes into effect.
3 no's
Israeli Position at the End of the Six-Day War: There must be complete peace or complete war.Arab Position at the End of the Six-Day War: NO - Recognition of Israel NO - Concessions to Israel NO - Peace with Israel
Zionism
Jewish nationalist ideology seeking to create and then maintain a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, the land promised by God to the Jews in the Hebrew Bible. Pg 185
aliyah
Mass immigration. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Jewish settlers came to Palestine in a series of waves. Initially the Jews that came to Palestine were from Eastern Europe, looking to escape the various things occurring there.
Madrid (Peace) Conference of 1991
Meant to bring about resolution between Israel and Arab.
4. Briefly outline the positions of Israel's two traditionally major political parties in Israel with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, along with that of Israel's new party - Kadima.
Palestinians and Israeli Jewish. pg 178
UN Security Council Resolution 687
Passed on April 3, 1991 at the 2981st meeting of the UN Security Council. In summary, the following sanctions were imposed upon the country of Iraq. Called for a cease-fire in the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait. Restore friendly relations between Kuwait. Recognize the border between Iraq and Kuwait. Allow UN inspectors to go to Iraq and enforce the border sanctions. Withdraw all troops from Kuwait Cease operations in the production of biological weapons. Disclose to inspectors all locations and types of biological weapons. This is to be done within 15 days of adoption. Have inspectors come on site and dismantle any weapons facilities found within 90 days of adoption. Iraq is prohibited from acquiring new weapons of mass destruction or research to develop new weapons. Dismantle any nuclear weapons and production facilities within 45 days Return all seized Kuwaiti property to Kuwait Iraq is held responsible for damage done to other nations and must pay any foreign debts incurred during their occupation of Kuwait Iraq may only trade its resources for food to feed its citizens and medicine. Member nations of the UN may not offer weapons for sale to Iraq. Return or disclose the fate of all POWs captured during the occupation of Kuwait and earlier to their native countries. Iraq may not sponsor or support any act of international terrorism.
Road Map for Peace
Peace process proposed in 2002 by the Quartet (the US, Russia, the UN, and the European Union) with the ultimate goal of a viable Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. Arafat is locked down in his quarters. Sharem rejects road map, it would involve settlement freeze. Accepts some steps of map.
Iran Contra Affair
Political scandal that came to light in 1986, revealing that the Ronald Reagan administration had secretly provided arms to Iran for that country's aid in securing the release of American hostages held by Hezbollah in Lebanon and had subsequently transferred the proceeds of the arms sales to anticommunist Contra insurgents in Nicaragua.
UN Security Council Resolution 242
Resolution adopted in 1967 in the aftermath of the Six Day War. It asserts that "a just and lasting peace in the Middle East" requires Israel to withdraw from all territories occupied in the recent conflict. It also advocates "respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of every State in the area.
3. Describe the basic objectives of US foreign policy within the Middle East. Have these objectives changed since September 11, 2001? (Be sure to address both the Bush and Obama administrations.)
The Bush Doctrine emphasized 3 elements: 1) preventive war (can depose foreign regimes that represent a potential or perceived threat to US security, even if the threat is not immediate) 2) spreading democracy around the world, especially in the Middle East, in order to combat terrorism 3) a willingness to unilaterally pursue US military interest. The Obama Administration and the Obama Doctrine has emphasized negotiation and collaboration vs. confrontation and unilateralism. It is also associated with the need for mutual respect and mutual interest as the main guides for US foreign policy. But, inreality, how different is this foreign policy different from its predecessors? For example, even though Obama Admin has emphasized the need for negotiation and collaboration, the president has also declared that he would support strikes in Pakistan at al Qaeda targets with or without Pakistan government approval. And after initially attempting to open negotiations with Iran, the President now supports expanded sanctions on the country. So even though the two policies are different the continuities remain given our primary objectives for foreign policy in the Middle East. Our desire for a specific kind of regime change and our continued presence
5. Explain how at least 1 of these events impacted both the Palestinians and Israelis (and by implication their conflict): the Six Day war (1967), the 1987 Intifada, the 1982 Lebanon War, or the Al-aqsa Intifada.
The Israeli Defense Forces were criticized as assisting the massacres at the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon as they surrounded the camps with tanks, monitoring checkpoints even while Christian militias killed between 700-3500 Palestinians. The Lebonese War started mainly to do with politics. Lebanon was divided by different religious sects. (pg 193 in Schweddler has more information
6. What are the Oslo Peace Accords? Describe the problems associated with the Oslo process from both the perspectives of the Israelis and Palestinians. Why did this process eventually fail?
The Oslo Accords were a set of agreements between Israel and Palestine that were an attempt to establish peace between the two nations. The Oslo Accords noted that the Palestine Legislative Organization (PLO) must be fully recognized by Israel as a functioning government representative of its people (though it remained limited in its power). In exchange for this, Palestine was required to recognize Israel's right to exist as a state itself. Palestine also agreed to stop the destruction and terrorism they were putting upon Israel. Although there was also discussion of an establishment of making an Palestinian nation-state, ultimately Palestine was left to only govern certain cities existing in the West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip in it's entirety. With this came the emergence of of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). Now that Palestine had a functioning government and areas to rule, they wanted Israeli forces to leave the newly established Palestinian regions. These regions were ruled in different levels, each having a varying degree of Israeli presence. Major cities in the West Bank, such as Jericho and Bethlehem, were almost fully under the rule of Palestine (including security and civil administration), this was the first level referred to as Area A. Towns existing in Area B, were governed by the Palestinians, but had Israeli security. In the third and final area, Area C, Israel had ultimate control over everything, with the exception of education and health that the Palestinians were responsible for. Some issues that developed during the time of this agreement was the determination of borders, the question of Palestine existing as an independent state, the Palestinians' Right of Return, a security settlement between the two groups, and finally the determination of who was to possess Jerusalem. WHY DID IT FAIL.
10. Describe the Palestinian collective identity.
The creation of the PLO with the support of the Arab League marked a move by Palestinians toward independence from the Arab regimes. Palestinians and many within the international community viewed the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Pg 178/9
2. Describe the various issues around which the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is centered. Of these issues, which do you find to be the most crucial to the establishment of peace within the region?
The first issue revolving around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the issue of territory. The goal of most Palestinians and Israelis is to achieve to existing nation-states, but the territory that each state would receive is where the issue lies. The territory most important to these groups is Jerusalem; the Palestinians want it split between themselves and the Israelis, while Israelis want it kept in one-piece, concerned about the Jewish Holy Sites that would be under Palestinian rule (and vise versa for Palestine with Muslim and Christian Holy Sites). There are also Jewish settlements existing in the West Bank (predominantly Palestinian) that are in question. Another issue is the agreement on how to equally distribute resources such as water and fossil fuels. If there is an unequal or unfair balance between the two (not necessarily for this reason) there is an chance of economic collapse. The argument arises as to whether one or the other should share their resources with the other state, and if so, how much access would be allowed for that now dependent country. The third issue is the right of return which involves the refugees of Palestine. The Palestinians believe that they have the right to return to the land they fled during past crises, and although Israel can afford for a number of Palestinians to return, the sheer number would be detrimental to Israel. In the case that Palestinians were not to be able to rightfully return, the demand to be compensated for their loss, though it as yet to be thoroughly determined how the compensation should be distributed. The question of Palestinian citizenship is another issue. Since Palestine is technically not a state of it's own, and if the Palestinian Authority were to grant it's own citizenship it would not be recognized by Israel, the last way for Palestinians to gain citizenship is through Israel. Yet Israel is hesitant to grant citizenship to Palestinians coming into the country through right of return, because the Palestinians would then be the dominant group within Israel. The last issue revolves around Philistines' sovereignty and how limited it should be. If Palestine were to become it's own state, Israel wishes to control the borders, airspace, limit the Palestinian military, for reasons that involve the fear of the Palestinians gaining power and turning on the Israelis themselves. CHOOSE WHICH ONE U LIKE...
7. Discuss the regional impact(s) of the Iranian Revolution.
The revolution brought to power a regime expressly devoted to Islam as its guiding factor. The Iranian Revolution is the vents culminating in the overthrow of the Iranian monarchy under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and the establishment of an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979. After the Iranian Revolution it allowed Iraq a chance to redress the territory disputes that had mostly been resolved in the 1970s in favor of Iran. The new Iranian regime appealed to Muslims everywhere to restore the authority of Islam in society, and this appeal might have had a special attraction to the Shiite majority in Iraq, which was under the rule of Iraq's secular nationalist government that was dominated by Sunni Muslims. (Pgs 248-250 Yam)
14. Describe how Iran's regional foreign policy has shifted since the Iranian Revolution.
The revolution put an end to the pro-western foreign policy orientation of the shah's regime and ushered in a new era. Pg 271 Yam
9. Discuss 4 major impacts of the Iraq War (Second Persian Gulf war). How would you assess the cost of this war?
The war (namely American action) fueled once weak radical Islamic groups to become powerful and influential. These groups were able to gather tremendous support due to the unpopular opinion of the West. -With the rising popularity of the Islamic groups came the rise of internal strife upon those who supported Western views. -With the defeat of Hussein in this war, Iran was able to become one of the driving military forces. After the Iraq's defeat after the First Persian Gulf War, they were still able to hold substantial power, though were isolated from much of the world, but after their second defeat in the Second Persian Gulf War, Hussein's regime fell, resulting in Iran's rise in power.-The "no fly zones" in Kurdish parts of Iraq, established in the Second Persian Gulf War allowed the Kurds, to establish their own political and military systems. The Kurds had the desire to create their own nation-state, with these creations, the Kurds were became less dependent from Iraq. -The Gulf Cooperation Council, whose original goal was to form a coalition similar to Europe's, was deemed ineffective due to it's inability to solve the problem of Iraq.
Dual containment
US foreign policy aimed at controlling military buildups and restraining other perceived threats to US interests in the Middle East posed by Iraq, Iran, or both, Bill Clinton's (1993-2001) policy approach
Green Line
Used in relation to demarcation lines established by 1948 armistice agreements. Arab's are insistent on calling them demarcation lines not boarders. If acknowledge as boarders then they are acknowledging Jewish states. The armistice line established between Israel and its neighbors in 1949, following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The line divide Israel from its neighbors and from the territories captured in the 1967 Six Day War, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. The Green Line is significant as a possible boundary between Palestinian and Israeli states in a two-state solution. Ultimately goes and divides Jerusalem in half.
13. Explain what is meant by the proposed "Grand Bargain."
Yambert - Chapter 24, Page 284 George W. Bush's Administration refused to reply to the Iranian initiative labeled as a, "Grand Bargain," because the Administration insisted that Iran was dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the sponsorship of terror. Some, like the chapter's author, find it faulty to have declined this negotiation set forth by reformist President Mohammad Khatami, which proposed: -U.S. would end all hostilities towards Iran -U.S. would recognize Iran as a legitimate power in the region -Iran would stop material support to Palestinian opposition groups, i.e. Hamas -Iran would pressure Hezbollah to become "a mere political organization" within Lebanon -Iran would accept a comprehensive, two-state peace with Israel -Israel would withdrawal to pre-1967 boundaries -Iran would offer full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in exchange for full access to peaceful nuclear technology
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS)
types of economic sanctions
