Name:______Date:______

What do you think of when you hear the term “Middle East”? (List everything you associate in the box below)

1. Using the map, why do you think the Middle East is called the “Middle East”?

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2. What continent is south west of the Middle East? ______

3. What continent is north west of the Middle East? ______

4. What continent is east of the Middle East? ______

5. What are some of the biggest countries in the Middle East? ______

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6. What are some of the smallest countries in the Middle East?______

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7. As you may have heard there has been a lot of political, social, cultural and economic conflict in the Middle East throughout history. Why do you think religion has been a big part of this?

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8. Locate Israel on the map.

A Short History of Israeli and Palestinian Conflict
After World War II in 1948, the United Nations gave land to the Jewish people of the world so they could live together in peace. The decision to do this was based on a document created just after World War I called the Balfour Declaration. This land, Israel, includes holy places for the Jewish religion and is surrounded by Muslim countries. Another name for the land now called Israel is Palestine. Palestinian Muslims lived on the land at the time that the United Nations gave it to the Jewish people. The Palestinians and neighboring Arabic nations did not accept the creation of Israel. "Hoping to annihilate the new Jewish state, the armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq invaded... thus starting the 1948 Arab-Israeli War."
Portions of the land given to the Jewish people, or taken over by them when they won wars when Arab states attacked, are also holy for Muslims. Certain portions of Jerusalem controlled by Israel, called "East Jerusalem," are very important to Muslims. For religious reasons, Palestinian Muslims believe that they must gain control of East Jerusalem as part of any lasting peace settlement.
Further, Palestinians view themselves as living in an occupied nation, where invaders (Israelis) have placed them under military rule. To fight back, Palestinians have built a terrorist network to attack innocent Israeli civilians. Israelis feel they must continue to control Palestinians with military force to protect themselves against more terrorist attacks.

Comprehension Questions:

a. After what war did Israel become a recognized country? What year? ______

b. What was the decision to grant Israel statehood based on? ______

c. What did the land where Israel called before the formation of the Israeli state? ______

d. What is the main difference between Israel and the surrounding countries? ______

e. What was the war called that happened after the formation of Israel? ______

f. Why are the Palestinian Muslims upset about the existence of Israel? ______

Why do you think this conflict continues to be a problem today? Is there an easy solution that works for everyone? Why or why not?