What is happening in the Middle East?

SECTION I:
CAUSES OF THE CONFLICT IN THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST
1. In short, what brought about the Arab-Israeli conflict?
2. What is Zionism?
3. What is Arab nationalism?
4. What brought about the rise of Arab nationalism?
5. How did Arab nationalism begin in Palestine?
6. How did the conflict between the Jews and Arabs begin?
7. What were the conflicting positions of Jews and Arabs over Palestine?
8. How did the "great powers" become involved in the conflict?
9. How did the United Nations get involved in the conflict?
   SECTION II:
   CONFLICTING CLAIMS TO THE LAND

10. What is the basis of the Jewish claim to the Land?
11. What is the basis of the Arab claim to the Land?
    SECTION III:
    THE PALESTINIAN PROBLEM

12. Who are the Palestinians?
13. From where did the Palestinians originate?
14. What are the PLO and the Palestinian Authority?
15. How is the Palestinian Authority funded?
16. How has the Palestinian Authority presented its Intifada to the press?
17. Who are the Palestinian refugees?
18. Who caused the refugee problem?
19. Why have the Palestinians continued to be refugees?
20. How is aid to the Palestinian refugees funded?
21. Is the Palestinian refugee crisis the State of Israel's responsibility?
22. Why doesn't Israel want all the refugees to return?
    SECTION IV:
    WAR IN THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST

23. How many wars have been fought in the modern Middle East?

    The War of Independence (1947-48)
    The Suez War/Sinai Campaign (1956)
    The Six-Day War (1967)
    The War of Attrition (1968-70)
    Black September (1970)
    The Yom Kippur/October War (1973)
    The Lebanese Civil War (1973)
    The Iran-Iraq War (1980-88)
    The Lebanon War (1982-85)
    The Persian Gulf (1991)
    The War on Terror (2001-present)
    Warfare with Iraq (1991-present)

    SECTION V:
    THE BATTLE FOR JERUSALEM

24. What is the significance of Jerusalem to the Jews?
25. What is the significance of Jerusalem to the Arabs?
26. What is the conflict over the Temple Mount?
27. Why has Jerusalem become the greatest obstacle to peace?
    SECTION VI:
    THE PURSUIT FOR PEACE IN THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST

28. What was the significance of the Camp David Peace Accords
29. What was the Oslo Peace Process?
30. What caused the breakdown of the peace process?
31. What is the controversy over UN Resolution 242?
32. What is the Saudi Peace Plan?
    SECTION VII:
    THE PALESTINIAN UPRISINGS

33. What caused the first Palestinian uprising?
34. What caused the second Palestinian uprising?
35. Why have there been Palestinian uprisings?
36. What is happening during the second Palestinian uprising?
    SECTION VII:
    THE THREAT OF GLOBAL TERRORISM

37. What events have contributed to the rise of militancy in the Middle East?
38. What was the significance of the Iranian hostage crisis to terrorism?
39. Is Islam a global threat?
40. What is Wahhabism and its relation to terrorism?
41. Who is responsible for the terrorism in Israel?
42. Why was the United States attacked on September 11, 2001?
    SECTION IX:
    THE IRAQI CONFLICT AND ITS AFTERMATH

43. What is the evidence against Iraq for weapons violations?
44. Why didn't the United States remove Saddam Hussein from power during the Gulf War?
45. Is the U.S.-led struggle with Iraq about imperialism and an attempt to control Middle East oil?
46. Does the United States have any goals beyond disarmament in Iraq?
47. How are the U.S. plans against Iraq tied to a larger Middle East plan?
48. Will Muslim states in the Middle East accept democracy?
49. Why does Saddam Hussein want to attact Israel?
50. What effect would the aftermath of a U.S.-led war against Iraq have on Israel?

Seeking a Solution
Index to Sidebars
Notes