How far is religion the main cause of the conflict in the Middle East since 1914?

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How far is religion the main cause of the conflict in the Middle East since 1914?

The conflict in the Middle East has been unsolved for years and since then there has been much violence and suffering. Arabs and Jews both have a claim to the land that we now call Israel. In biblical times God promised Abraham the land of Canaan, now Israel if he and his followers spread the word of God. The Jews settled there. “Then the Lord appeared to Abraham and said ‘To your descendants I will give this land’”. (Genesis 12:7). Over the next 700 years different societies had control over the land. When the Romans took control, the Emperor Hadrien pushed the Jews out of Israel and they became a scattered people.

In the early Middle Ages, the Arabs controlled a huge empire covering the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Western Europe. Gradually this declined but the Arabs still kept Palestine. An important religious development took place during the 7th Century when most Arabs converted to Islam, after the death of their leader Muhammed. Jerusaluem, in the heart of Palestine, became a holy Islamic city as many Arabs believed this is where their great leader Muhammed had ascended to heaven. This made Jerusaluem a great religious centre for Arabs.

In 1896 a Jew named Theodor Herzl published the Jewish State which says that the Jewish people needed a homeland. He wanted to call for immediate attention and start the Jews fight for their homeland. It states “Let us Jews be given sovereignty over part of the world big enough to satisfy the needs of a nation.” Both Arabs and Israelis believe that Israel is their homeland. “ O ye Arabs! You all dwell in one land, you speak in one language, so be also one nation and one land!”(An Arab writer 1914). These statements show that both sides have strong opinions and are prepared to fight for their homeland.

The First World War was a turning point for the Jews and Arabs. During the war, the interests of Turkey and Britain determined the fate of the people in Palestine. Turkey declared war on Britain in 1914, they feared the vital oil supplies would be cut off from Persia. Prior to this Britain and Turkey had been allies against Russia. So Britain lead by Sir Henry McMahon decided to enlist the help of the Arabs. To secure the help of the Arabs Britain promised to help them in their struggle for independence from Turkey, as an extract from a letter from McMahon to Sherif Hussein in 1915 shows “…Great Britain towards the aspirations of her friends the Arabs and will result in a firm and lasting alliance, the immediate result of which will be the expulsion of the Turks”. Having made one promise to the Arabs Britain openly made a statement supporting the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine called the Balfour Declaration “Favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”. (From the Balfour Declaration 1917). It was during the years of the First World War, 1914- 1918 that events concerning Palestine began to quicken up. There was a great change in the direction of events. The War brought Britain and Turkey into conflict with each other in the Middle East and Palestine. Britain needed the help of both the Arabs living in the Middle East and Jews living in the USA, it was for this reason that Britain made its “double dealings”.

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When the First World War ended both the Arabs and the Jews were disappointed, as independence was not granted to either side. Palestine became a “mandated territory” governed by Britain. The Jews did not gain independence from the Arabs either, “Arabs will not be removed from their land nor required to leave the country” (Lord Curzon, British foreign secretary). Britain’s dealings with the Middle East were significant because by 1918, the end of the First World War, both sides strongly believed they had the right to live and rule themselves in their own land. They had been encouraged to ...

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