Middle East Flashcards
Theodor Herzl
Austrian who founded the political movement of Zionism
Yasir Arafat
Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization since 1969. Along with Israeli leaders, he was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994
Yitzhak Rabin
Was prime minister of Israel from 1974-77.
Oversaw the defense of Jerusalem in Israel’s struggle for independence 1948-49.
Was chief of staff of Israeli military during the Six Day War.
During his second term as prime minister he halted Jewish settlements in occupied territories and sent a negotiator to Oslo to work towards peace with the PLO.
Was assassinated by a Jewish settler opposed to the peace process in 1995
Menachem Begin
Prime minister of Israel from 1977-1983
Zionist leader
1979 signed peace treaty with Anwar Sadat of Egypt ending fighting between the 2 countries
Anwar Sadat
Egyptian army officer and president (1970-81)
1979 signed peace treaty with Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin
Was the first peace treaty between Israel and any Arab nation
Was assassinated by Muslim extremists
Golda Meir
1969-81 was prime minister of the state of Israel
1948 was a signatory of Israel’s independence declaration
Lebanon
An Arabic country directly north of Israel
Didn’t take part in the Arab- Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973
When Jordan ousted the PLO in 1970 the organization and many other Palestinians moved to Lebanon
1975 Civil war broke out over the PLO’s role in Lebanese politics
1982 Israel invaded Lebanon to oust the PLO and secure its border
1983 Israel leaves having forced out the PLO
Golan Heights
A strategic plateau overlooking the Jordan River
1967 Israel captured it from Syria during the Six Day War
Now there are over 30 Jewish settlements here
Syria wants the land returned
West Bank
Territory West of the Jordan River
Claimed by Jordan from 1949-88
Israel captured it in 1967
Is the center of land disputes between Arabs and Israelis
Area is similar to land provided by an earlier UN agreement for Arab settlement
Who was Reza Khan?
Army officer who took control of Iran and set up his own dynasty post WW1
Jerusalem
Holiest place for Muslims, Jews and Christians
Israel captured it during the six day war
Gaza Strip
A territory along the Mediterranean Sea and northeast of the Sinai Peninsula
Israel and Egypt have fought each other for it
Western Wall
A wall in Jerusalem that is a place of prayer and pilgrimage for Jews
Is the only remaining part of the Second Temple of Jerusalem
Dome of the Rock
It is a mosque built over a large Boulder that is sacred to both Muslims and Jews
Muslims believe that this is the sight where the founder of Islam Prophet Mohammad ascended into heaven
Jews believe this is the site where Abraham, the first patriarch of the Hebrew people, prepared to sacrifice his son
Temple Mount or Haram al-Sharif
This is believed by Jews to be the site of solomans temple the 2 ms temple of Jerusalem and the site of the dome of the rock