Who is responsible for all the problems in the Middle-East, and when did it all start?

Question

I'm not talking about the last few weeks or even years, but I want to know how far back this thing stretches and all the who's, what's and when's associated with this issue !!

Answer 1

Aaaaahhh, the single most contentious question in the entire world! Well, as a military historian, may I be forgiven for going on at length about this?

Ultimately, the modern problems in the Middle East stem from the existence of the state of Israel, to which the majority of the Arab nations are highly antithetic. The creation of Israel in turn reflected the persecution of Jews in many countries around the world over the course of centuries (cf, massacre of Jews in York Minster as far back as 1190), and the desire/need for Jews to escape persecution. However, it also became bound up in the struggle sof what used to be known as the 'Great Powers' (USA, Russia, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, the UK, etc) for overseas colonies and strategic advantages. Ultimately, the world community is responsible for the problems in the Middle East. If Jews weren't persecuted, there would be no need for them to flee and seek their own homeland; if the Great Powers hadn't collectively embarked on the First World War, the opportunities for European interference in the Middle East wouldn't have been quite so many.

However, I would have to pinpoint the interference of the British Government as a key factor in the devleopment of the situation in the 20th Century. Yes, dear old Blighty is culpable once again! During the First World War, both the Allies (the UK, France, Russia, etc) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria, Turkey, etc) were making overtured to the existing Zionest movements, in order to enlist their aid in the world struggle. The importance of this lay in the fact that much of the Middle East was ruled by the Ottoman Turkish Empire (part of the Central Powers), whereas both Britain and France wished to extend their position by the conquest of Turkish territory. Hence, both sides were in a contest for territory, local support and influence in the region.

The British master-stroke came in the form of what is now known as the 'Balfour Declaration'. This was a letter from the British Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour, to Lord Rothschold, an influential leader of Britain's large Jewish community, dated 2nd November 1917. This letter set out the British Government's position regaridng a Jewish homeland, as agreed at a meeting of the full Cabinet on 31 October 1917. The British Government stated that it supported existing Zionist plans for a Jewish 'national home' in Palestine, although with the important condition that nothing should be done to prejudice the rights of existing communities there (eg, the Arabs).

The British (Jewish) journalist Arthur Koestler famously summarized the Balfour Declaration as an event whereby 'one nation solemnly promised to a second nation the country of a third'. Which is pretty much true.

British Governments subsequently played this down, including Winston Churchill who, when Foreign Secretary in 1922, issued a Governmental White Paper which denied that a Zionist State was the intention. However, a number of highly-placed British politicians and civil servants, in the Foreign Office, Dominions Office and Colonial Office, privately believed that the Zionist interpretation of the Balfour Declaration - that a Zionist State would be the eventual outcome - was the most likely interpretation to be adopted by the world at large. Aas it proved, they were correct.

Palestine became a Mandated British Territory (under the uathority of the League of Nations) in 1922. There was an Arab Revolt in Palestine between 1936 and 1939 which was suppressed by British forces. The increasing Jewish population in Palestine provided troops for the Allied cause during WW2. Then, between 1945 and 1948, there was chaos in Palestine. The Jews and the Arabs fought each other and targetted the Briths forces in Palestine, until the British (sensibly, in my opinion) quit in early 1948. The state of Israel came into being on 15 May 1948, and the Israeli forces immediately went to war to defend their homeland from Arab attack, and if possible extend its borders at the expense of their Arab neighbours. There followed wars in 1956 (in which Britian and France also attacked Egypt), 1967 (Six Days' War), 1973 (Yom Kippur War), 1982 (Israeli invasion of Lebanon) and 2006 (Israeli invasion of Lebanon). Until we've reached the state we're in today - undying hatred on both sides, and an inability of the international community to sort it out. Actual or perceived Western partiality towards Israel doesn't help much, and nor does the inability of either the Arabs or the Israelis EVER to consider turning the other cheek.

By way of a digression, I would also note that both the Israelis and the Arabs are Semitic races. That is, their language stems from the same common Middle Eastern language family, and they share a number of ethnic characteristics. It's ironic that the Arabs and Israelis actually have more in common with each other than, say, the Israelis and many of their supporters in the US.

Finally, a counter-factual question: if Israel didn't exist, would the Arab states live in peace with each other, or would they have continuous regional wars over resources and territory?

Answer 2

Your question indicates that you really want to know this, but a definitve answer, laced with adequate historical facts, cannot be given in the short time and space I have here (and I may not be totally correct anyhow -- each person has a different perspective). There are several books with the title, The History of the Middle East, one by Mansfield that is rather recent and another that is 'better', The Middle East, A History, Ochsenwald and Fisher,[It was first written as a college text in the 50s, 60s and has since had extensive editing and been reissued 5 times to keep up with history and reflect very recent archeological information and current events, etc.] Get these and study them extensively. Also, talk to some Moslems, some Jews, some Zoroastrians, some Druhz, some secular Jews and Arabs. Read the Quran and the Torah. Then you may draw your own conclusions.

That said, I will interject my conclusion based upon serious study begun in the 60s. The area commonly called the Mid-East gave birth to a religion which represses the individual, was ravished and repressed by colonialism of the worst sort, divided geographically along borders convenient for those colonialists, and then abandoned to its fate. Until modern ethics and morality actually take root in the repressive Arab regimes remaining in the area, wars will prevail. If Israel (the only modern and true democracy in the area) were magically 'not there', there would still be brutal wars between the various tribal and ethnic groups, and/or sects within the Islamic community, and repressive fanaticism would run rampant throughout the area while children and women would be treated like chatel, the rich would live like the kings they proclaim to be in extreme providence, while the poor lanquish as they always have, barely surviving, slavelike, uneducated, and desparate. Then, when the oil resources run out, millions would require 'saving' by whatever is left of the Western world to keep them from dieing from desease and starvation. Whatever the 'start' was, the past is harsh and brutal; let's hope the future may be better.

Answer 3

It stretches back to the early 1920's. Up until the end of the First World War most, if not all countries in the Middle East were part of the Ottoman Empire. After the war the area was basically carved up by the Allies. In the case of Syria and Lebanon that area was taken over by the French. Iraq, Palestine, Israel and some of the Trucial states were ruled by Britain. It was the Allies who basically decided when giving them independence who would rule them and this would normally be done on a tribal basis. As a consequence they all entered a race from different starting points and we now have a mish-mash of nations. Theocracies, Monarchies, Democracies and of course Dictatorships make up the Middle East and it is their history that prevents them coming together in a union of Arab States. While they may share a religion with their neighbours there is no trust.
It didn't help when Israel was created in 1948 as that gave them all a neighbour that they trusted even less.

Answer 4

Well, I suppose its always been turbulent. The Jews revolted in 70 & 135 AD (or CE if you prefer) & the Romans kicked them out of Jerusalem as punishment, so the Jewish 'state' disintegrated & Jews spread across the world. A millenia or so later, Europeans started the Crusades by trying to 'reclaim' the Holy Lands (Jerusalem etc) from Islam.

Go on to the 19th century & Europe was colonising anything worth colonising. Then World War One came along & the British promised to give the Arabs back their lands if they fought with Britain against the Turks. Which they did, but Britain kept the land & infact decided to give a large lump of it to found a new Jewish state.

This eventually became reality after World War Two, which meant that the Palestinians had to be driven off the land which would become Israel. On top of that, the West has spent the last 50 years propping up corrupt governments in the Middle East to ensure the supply of oil, whilst supporting Israel with money & arms.

Bottom line: its easy to blame the people of the Middle East but much of our current prosperity is built on their misery. And now China & India are after more oil, its only going to get more competitive...

Answer 5

If you want to go ALL the way back, this probably starts 6 or 7 thousand years ago when the Jews stopped being polytheistic (worshipping many gods) and decided to settle on one (monotheism)...Then around 730, some 1300 years ago, the Arabs, feeling left out of this "chosen people of god" business came up with their own one-true-god, and declared that everyone who didn't believe in this one true god (Allah) were infidels and had to be either converted or killed...Then move up to the early years of the 1900's when the countries in the Middle East were carved up and assigned names by the British, who still had an empire then...Then move up to 1948 when Truman decided to recognize a country carved out of the then-Arab lands by a bunch of Zionist terrorists, called Israel...Then you tie that in back to the original idea 6 or 7 thousand years ago, when god (not Allah, but Yahweh) supposedly "gave" the Jews the land of Israel as their own "forever"...So in 1948, what you have is a bunch of religious fanatics (and terrorists) who in effect "stole" the Arab lands based on some idea that some god allegedly promised the Jews this land. Tie that into the Christian religion that buys into the Zionist idea (and were looking for a way to pay back the Jews for their sufferings in WWII), and you have the Christians and Jews in effect stealing land from the Arabs (Muslims)...Then add to that the need for oil (America and Europe) and the willingness of the US and Europe to support despots and dictatorships throughout the Middle East so long as they got their oil, and you have one heck of a mixture.

That's it in a nutshell. If you want all the who's, what's and when's--you left out why's--you'll need at least a few years research and study on your own.

Answer 6

Are you thinking of Israel? The Hebrew Nation lived in the area around 3,000 BC until taken into captivity by Egypt. On their return they had to take their land back, Ever since then wars have been fought over the borders. The Gaza Strip was first settled by nomads from around the Greek islands. King David defeated them in battle, at the time it became known as the 'Land of the Philistines'
As for the rest of the Middle East, Islamic extremists wanting to impose their will on all in the area including the peaceful majority of Muslims. Afghan is a war about drugs, the extremists want the area to grow their drugs in order to sell them around the world as well as impose their law. Everyone who buys and use illegal drugs helps this evil trade. Most of the crime in this country in done to aid the of buying drugs. It is the biggest threat to the world today. (Please note; this is my opinion, there will be many others)

Answer 7

From what Ive read arabs have been infighting for years, they truely dont seem to care about their own people but more about being 'the main man'
Its to much to answer in one question. Exodus by Leon Uris is a book of fiction but with lots of historical facts that might start to give u some idea about the history of the middle east.
(be prepared for some home truths if your american or english)

Answer 8

Man is responsible for all the problems.
It is man's religious intolerance from the beginning of organized religion, particularly in the Middle East where Christianity, Islam and Judaism all started.
All religions share so many similar beliefs and goals; yet each insists that their way is the only way. And they will kill, murder, destroy the other so that their religion can surpass the others.
Secondly, the religious intolerance was "fueled" by the love of oil/petroleum which unfortunately is concentrated abundantly in the Middle East.

Answer 9

The Middle East is responsible for all their own problems.
They continue to fight with each other like animals and shoot each other, They are the only people who can stop it.
America can't. Australia Can't The U.K can't.
Only they can stop it, they have to step up and get over there problems and start building their lives again.

Answer 10

Whoever coined the phrase "The chosen people" and "the Promised Land" might be a good place to start. Of course whoever discovered oil did not help either.