The Middle East 1974 - 2001
Background Briefing: After the Yom Kippur War
Sadat (Egyptian President) hoped to use the ‘psychological victory’ of the Yom Kippur War to lessen Egypt’s dependence on the USSR and to end the struggle with Israel. Egypt had a declining economy and Sadat called on Syria, Jordan and the Palestinians to join Egypt in Geneva to negotiate a peace settlement with Israel. He hoped for an Arab recognition of Israel and a formal renunciation of the liberation of Palestine as an unconditional Arab aim. Israel agreed to attend as long as no representative from the PLO was present. They met for one day without a word being exchanged: Syria refused to attend.
1974 Timeline
January 1974: Henry Kissinger, (US Secretary of State) believed that he could be the one to bring peace to the region. In January 1974, he succeeded in getting Egypt and Israel to sign disengagement accords:
Israel agreed to withdraw troops from the west bank of the Suez Canal
Egypt agreed to a major reduction of troops east of the Canal
The establishment of a UN buffer zone.
February 1974: US renewed full diplomatic relations with Egypt (after an 8 year hiatus)
May 1974: Israel and Syria reach an agreement where Israel withdrew from part of the Golan Heights with the creation of a UN buffer zone. Syria’s President Hafeez al-Assad agrees to prevent Palestinian terrorist attacks from being launched from Syria. The US resumed diplomatic relations with Syria.
October 1974: Arab League recognises the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinian people.
To do: Essay plan
Evaluate the impact of the 1973 war on the struggle for peace in the Middle East
1. The Camp David Accords
Activity 1: The Camp David accords. September 17 1978,
The Camp David Accords were negotiated between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, with U.S. President Jimmy Carter serving as a mediator during a 13-day summit at Camp David in the United States.
The accords consisted of two main agreements:
A framework for peace between Egypt and Israel, which led to a formal peace treaty in 1979 that included a phased withdrawal from the Sinai peninsula with a full restoration of the ‘area of Egypt’ .
A framework for broader peace in the Middle East, between Israel, Egypt, Jordan and representatives of the Palestinian people that included a plan for Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Key outcomes of the Camp David Accords:
Establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Israel, end 30 years of conflict.
The return of the Sinai Peninsula, occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War, to Egypt.
Opening of the Suez Canal to Israeli ships.
Both countries received substantial US financial and military assistance after signing.
To do: Research questions
Prepare a briefing for the UN observers to the meeting on the outcome of the Camp David accords.
What were the matters that the two leaders agreed to?
What were the matters that the two leaders did not address?
How did the Arab League respond to the Accords?
How did the Palestinians respond to the Accords?
Extra: Assess the potential impacts of the Accords on the wider Middle East. (What was Syria’s role?)
Resources
2. The Palestinians
Activity 2. Who represents the Palestinians 1. Is it the PLO?
After 1967, 40% of all Palestinians lived in territory controlled by the Israeli government.
The Palestinian Liberation organisation (PLO) is a political and military body formed in 1964 by the Arab states to manage both the Palestinian groups and opposition to the Israelis. After 1967 the PLO was dominated by al-Fatah, led by Yasser Arafat. The activities of its radical factions led to increasing tension in host countries. In 1970 Black September group assassinated the Jordanian PM and hijacked three airplanes, executing the passengers. These events triggered a civil war in Jordan when King Hussein with a newly established military government launched an attack on the “fedayeen” – the PLO commando forces. During the Jordanian civil war, King Hussein’s appeals to the US for military support were coordinated with Israeli preparation to come to his assistance if needed. After their defeat, the PLO moved to Lebanon and Syria.
To Do: Create a folio that explores the history of the PLO in 6 events.
You are encouraged to use primary sources (Minimum 1 quote per event) to illustrate your folio.
The PLO is established by the Arab states (1964)
The role of the PLO during and after the 1967 six day war.
Black September and the Jordanian Civil War
Munich Olympic games massacre.
Arab leaders recognise PLO as sole representative of the Palestinian people. Why?
Mr. Arafat’s speech to the UN in 1974. What were his aims?
Extra
Use evidence from current news articles to explain why International organisations recognise the PLO while considering the Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organisations?
Who represents the Palestinians 2: Is it Hamas?
Hamas is a Palestinian Islamic political group and militant organisation founded in 1987. Its main goal is the liberation of Palestine from Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in the region. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and several other countries due to violence against Israeli civilians and a refusal to recognise Israel's right to exist. The group is responsible for suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and other acts of violence against Israeli targets. Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and is a major faction in Palestinian politics.
Questions
Describe the political philosophy of the Hamas movement in three points.
Debate
Explain why Hamas actions against Israel are justified.
Explain why the actions of Hamas against Israel are unjustified and negative for Palestinians in the Gaza strip.
Who represents the Palestinians 3: Is it Hezbollah?
Hezbollah is a Shi’a Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon. Founded in 1982 to resist the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, Hezbollah evolved into a significant political and military organization with support from Iran. The group is responsible for multiple attacks against Israel and is considered a terrorist organization by many countries, including the United States and Israel. However, Hezbollah also operates social services and has significant influence in Lebanese politics, serving in the Lebanese government and parliament.
Questions
Describe the political philosophy of the Hezbollah movement in three points.
Explain the role that Hezbollah plays in Lebanese politics.
Why does Lebanon have such a large Palestinian population?
Hezbollah: History, Organization, and Ideology - Thought Co.
3. The Intifadas
Activity 3. The first intifada
The intifada refers to two popular uprisings of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip aimed at ending Israel's occupation of those territories and creating an independent Palestinian state.
The first intifada began in December 1987 and lasted until the Madrid Conference in 1991. It was a largely spontaneous, prolonged period of protest, civil disobedience, boycotts, strikes and occasional acts of violence by both the Palestinians and the Israelis. The protests were mostly nonviolent, but often met with violent repression by Israeli forces. The Intifada was triggered by a number of factors, including the failure of the Camp David Accords to bring about a final resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and a growing sense of frustration among Palestinians who wanted to secure their own sovereign state.
One of the main achievements of the Intifada was to draw world attention to the plight of Palestinians under the occupation, in particular the brutal measures used by the Israelis against the uprising. Rabin, now seen as a leading Israeii peacemaker, saw that shooting Palestinians played badly with international public opinion and gave the Palestinians the moral high ground.
A controversial view of the PLO's role in causes of the Intifadas
To do: questions
How did the first intifada influence global perceptions of the Palestinian cause?
The second Intifada
The Second Intifada (2000 - 2005) was a response to the collapse of the peace process in 2000 and was characterised by significantly increased violence. Over 5,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis died and tens of thousands were injured. The cause of the Second Intifada is a topic of debate, with some citing the failure of the Oslo Accords and others pointing to the visit of Ariel Sharon to the Temple Mount. The conflict also involved the abduction of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah in 2006, which led to a second Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
To do: questions
Research opportunity: How did the character of the second intifada differ from the second intifada?
Why do you think the second intifada developed as it did?
Sources - The Intifadas
Sources Analysis Answer Guide
Don’t forget: Quote often and begin your response with name of the author, not the Source number. Put the source number in brackets at the end of the quote/paraphrasing.
For example:
This is supported by Jones who states that 'History students would be more popular at parties if they used this method.' (Source 3)
SACE Sources advice
More successful responses:
were well-structured
contained relevant evidence from sources when required.
Less successful responses
provided responses without reference to any evidence from the source
stated that sources are limited without reasoning
did not address the nature of sources clearly
did not explain how the nature and origin of the sources were a strength or limitation
did not include of the source in the response.
Source 1. Reflections of a Lebanon Relief Officer. Halperin. S. Jerusalem letter viewpoints. 1982
'It will never happen. They won't let it happen'. They is the Begin government. This response is the same whether my for appeals for help are addressed to Jewish federations or to Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The plight of the Palestinian refugees in the camps of South Lebanon is acknowledged by all as genuine. But cynicism paralyses constructive action.
When they are assured that my organisation could deliver badly needed winter clothing, blankets and kerosene heaters. The response is one of incredulity, disbelief and distrust. "Everything is political. Begin and company would never let help from us reach the camps. The response is the same from all Aid groups working in Northern Israel. I wonder, no less cynically, if my listeners are secretly hoping that the humanitarian crisis can then be blamed on the Begin government or whether distrust is so ingrained that humanitarian impulses are totally squelched?
Questions
Use information from the source to describe the outlook of Aid workers in the Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon in 1982. (2)
Source 2. Intifada: then and now. T Kafala. BBC News Interactive, 2000
When the 1987 Intifada broke out in the Jebalia refugee camp in Gaza, it spread like wildfire to all areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It lasted, with varying levels of intensity, until 1993. It came as a complete surprise to both the Israelis and the PLO, at the time in exile in Tunisia. It also kept the Israeli occupation army at full stretch. Youths confronted the soldiers with stones and petrol bombs but unlike the current violence, the demonstrators were at no stage armed with guns. Much of the Palestinian resistance was non-violent. It included demonstrations, strikes, boycotting Israeli goods and the civil administration in the occupied territories, and the creation of independent schools and alternative social and political institutions. Rabin, now seen as a leading Israeii peacemaker, saw that shooting Palestinians played badly with international public opinion and that Palestinians were able to maintain the moral high ground because they were unarmed.'
Questions
What role did the PLO play in the first intifada? (2)
Source 3. The Oslo Accords and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process. US office of the historian
On September 13, 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Negotiator Mahmoud Abbas signed a Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, commonly referred to as the “Oslo Accord,” at the White House. Israel accepted the PLO as the representative of the Palestinians, and the PLO renounced terrorism and recognized Israel’s right to exist in peace. Both sides agreed that a Palestinian Authority (PA) would be established and assume governing responsibilities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over a five-year period.
Questions
To what extent does the information in Source 2 support the information in Source 3? (3)
Source 4. 'The Peace Process — Key Speeches by Israeli Leader', Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa
In November 1995, the Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin spoke at a peace rally in Tel Aviv. During his speech he was assassinated by a militant Israeli settler. The following is an excerpt from the speech Rabin made just before he was assassinated.
'In coming here today, you demonstrate , .. that the people truly desire peace and oppose violence. Violence erodes the basis of Israeli democracy. This is not the way of the State of Israel, I want to say bluntly, that we have found a partner for peace among the Palestinians as well. Without partners for peace, there can be no peace. This rally must send a message to the Israeli people and to Jewish people around the world, to the many people in the Arab world, and indeed to the entire world, that the Israeli people support peace. For this, I thank you.'
Questions
How useful is Source 4 for an historian studying the Israeli Palestinian peace process? (4)
Source 5. 'Abu al-Abed', Voices from the Conflict, BBC News Online, 2002
' ... If I am called upon to conduct such operations like many others, I will not hesitate ... My family support me in this. Let me make this clear. We are ready to accept death over the life we lead. The Oslo process came along, we gave it a chance, but it gave us nothing. We will not go back to Oslo, only for Israel to invade our land again in a matter of hours. This is a war of liberation, and it is a war, we can see that Israeli society is afraid, and more than a million Israelis have left the country. These are achievements, and if we continue on this path Israel will fall soon... We will not accept the creation of two states in Palestine, because Palestine is ours.
Source 6. Hamas: The Islamic Resistance Movement in the Territories. Survey of Arab affairs. 1992
As a result of its Islamic religious viewpoint, Hamas believes that "the soil of Palestine is sacred," that every Moslem must take action to liberate all of Palestine" from the Jews. The objection of Hamas to any territorial compromise with Israel is expressed in Article I of its charter. The Islamic Resistance Movement believes Palestine to be the sacred property of all Moslems until the end of days. Neither Palestine nor any part of it can be conceded. Hamas is opposed to any kind of autonomy because the final goal of Jihad is a Palestinian Islamic state from the 'River to the sea', striving to 'fly the flag of Allah in every part of Palestine'. The movement's rejection of territorial compromise with Israel is also evident in the leaflets which it distributes in the territories attacking the 'traitorous views' of Arabs who support concession of any part of Palestine.
Questions
To what extent are the views in Source 5 supported by the views in Source 6? (4)
4. DIY source analysis
Make your own sources
Download the questions here. DIY sources
You will need to find a selection of sources on our topic.
5. Middle East peace process
Camp Belair Accords
You are invited to represent your group at the Camp Belair Peace Conference.
Prepare your negotiating position.
Who do you represent?
What is your historical position?
Which UN plan are you hoping to enforce?
Prepare a list of demands with detailed rationale for each.
What are you willing to cede to get the Belair Accords signed?
6. The Iran Iraq War 1980 - 1988
Activity 5. Understanding the geopolitics of the Iran Iraq War
On September 22, 1980, Iraq launched an all-out invasion of Iran. It began with airstrikes against the Iranian Air Force, followed by a three-pronged ground invasion by six Iraqi Army divisions along a 400-mile-long front in the Iranian province of Khuzestan. Saddam Hussein expected and easy victory and that the ethnic Arabs in Khuzestan would rise up in support of the invasion, but they did not, perhaps because they were predominantly Shi'ite.
World renowned experts will be presenting at our conference. (See the slideshow for details)
The main players
Iraq’s goals
Iran’s goals
The USA’s goals
The USSR’s goals
The organisers have asked that you remember to use the following in your presentation:
○ Quotes from historical sources
○ Historical documents - analysed
○ References
○ Relevant images / maps etc
○ Fun Facts