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A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE On September 28, 2000, riots broke out inthe city of Jerusalem. The cause was a visit by an Israeli political leaderto a Jewish holy place at a location on the Temple Mount. Muslims alsohave a holy place on the Temple Mount. They viewed the visit by theIsraeli leader as disrespectful to Muslims. Hundreds of people died inthe civil unrest that followed.

To understand why a simple visit to a holy place would cause suchproblems, it is necessary to understand the deep-seated hostility Arabsand Jews feel for each other. They have an enormous disagreement overthe control of the city of Jerusalem and of the land called the OccupiedTerritories. (See the map on page 480.) In fact, the relations betweenArabs and Jews affect the entire region of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Religious Holy Places Three major monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—were founded in Southwest Asia. All three claim Jerusalem as a holy city.The City of Jerusalem, which covers 42 square miles, hasJewish, Christian, Armenian Christian, and Muslim sec-tions. Followers of all three religions come to the OldCity to visit locations with strong spiritual meaning.

JEWISH PRESENCE For Jews, Jerusalem, the capital ofIsrael, is the center of their modern and ancient home-land. Located in the old part of the city, the TempleMount once housed the religion’s earliest temples.There, King Solomon built the First Temple. The SecondTemple was constructed after the Jews returned to theirhomeland in 538 B.C. Modern Jews come to pray at theholiest site in Jerusalem, a portion of the Second Templeknown as the Western Wall—also called the WailingWall. It is the only remaining piece of the SecondTemple, which was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Romans.

CHRISTIAN HERITAGE For Christians, Jerusalem is thesacred location of the final suffering and crucifixion ofJesus. Towns and villages important in the life of Jesusare found near Jerusalem. Every year, Christians visitplaces like the Mount of Olives and the Church of theHoly Sepulchre by the thousands. When Jerusalem wasunder Muslim control, Christians launched theCrusades to regain the lands and place them under the

The EasternMediterranean

Main Ideas• The holy places of three

religions are found in this subregion.

• There is a great deal ofpolitical tension amongnations in this subregion.

Places & TermsWestern Wall

Dome of the Rock

Zionism

Palestine LiberationOrganization (PLO)

Connect to the Issuesreligious conflictCreation of the nation of Israelled to conflict in the region.

PLACE Christian pilgrims walk on the road to the Mount of Oliveson a holy day—Palm Sunday.

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control of Christians. Eventually,the lands returned to the controlof Muslims and remained thatway until the nation of Israel wasestablished in May of 1948.

ISLAMIC SACRED SITES AfterMecca and Medina, Jerusalem isconsidered the third most holycity to Muslims. A shrine there,called Dome of the Rock, housesthe spot where Muslims believethe Prophet Muhammad rose intoheaven. Jews believe it is the sitewhere Abraham, a Jewish fore-father, prepared to sacrifice hisson Isaac to God. The Dome of theRock and a nearby mosque, Al-Aqsa, are located on the Temple Mount next to the Western Wall.Because these most holy sites are so close together, they have been thesite of clashes between Jews and Muslims.

A History of UnrestThe nations of the Eastern Mediterranean have been plagued with a history of political tension and unrest. The Ottoman Empire, a Muslimgovernment based in Turkey, ruled the Eastern Mediterranean landsfrom 1520 to 1922. But the Ottoman Empire grew weaker and less ableto solve problems with groups seeking independence. By the beginningof the 20th century, its collapse was not far away. The Ottoman Empiresided with Germany during World War I. At the end of the war, theOttoman Empire fell apart. Britain and France received the lands in theEastern Mediterranean as part of the war settlement.

THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM After World War I, Britain and Francedivided the Ottoman lands in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Francetook the northern portion, including the present-day countries ofLebanon and Syria. Britain controlled the southern section, whichincluded the present-day nations of Jordan and Israel. Britain andFrance were supposed to rule these lands until they were ready for inde-pendence. During the time of their control, the French frequentlyplayed different religious groups against each other. Those tensionsremain in the region today. The Syrians hated the French and in the1920s and 1930s rebelled against them. Lebanon became independentin 1943, and Syria gained independence in 1946.

BRITISH CONTROL PALESTINE The land controlled by Britain wasknown as Palestine. In the 19th century, a movement called Zionismbegan. Its goal was to create and support a Jewish homeland inPalestine. Jewish settlers started buying land and settling there. By1914, just before World War I, about 12 percent of the population inPalestine was Jewish. After the war, the British took command of theregion and continued to allow Jewish immigration to Palestine. Early

BackgroundThe League ofNations gave theOttoman lands toFrance and Britain.

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PLACE Muslim visitorsgather at the Dome ofthe Rock, a holy site inthe city of Jerusalem.How did control ofJerusalem changeover many centuries?

Connect tothe Issuesreligiousconflict

What prob-lems mightemerge whenthree differentreligious groupsclaim the samearea as a holyplace?A. Answer Eachgroup may wantexclusive use ofthe area, angeringthe other groups.

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512 CHAPTER 22

on, Arabs and Jews in the region cooperated. But as more and moreJews poured into Palestine to escape persecution in Germany, the Arabsresisted the establishment of a Jewish state. In 1939, to reduce tensionsthe British halted Jewish immigration to Palestine.

As you study the map on this page, you will see that the area con-trolled by the British was divided into two sections—Transjordan andPalestine. The land was divided to relieve tensions between Arabs andJews. An Arab government jointly ruled Transjordan with the British.Britain controlled Palestine, along with local governments that includedboth Jews and Arabs.

CREATING THE STATE OF ISRAEL At the end of World War II, thou-sands of Jewish survivors of the Holocaust wanted to settle in Palestine.Palestine was considered the Jewish homeland. World opinion sup-ported the establishment of a Jewish nation-state. Britain eventuallyreferred the question of a Jewish homeland to the United Nations. In1947, the United Nations developed a plan to divide Palestine into twostates—one for Arabs and one for Jews.

Arabs in the region did not agree with the division. However, the nationof Israel was established on May 14, 1948. Immediately, the surroundingArab nations of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, andYemen invaded Israel to prevent the establishment of the state. Jewishtroops fought back. By the 1950s, Israel was a firmly established nation.The 1948 war was the beginning of hostilities that continue to this day.

1922 Today

�Creation of Israel

SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting MapsPLACE Which bodies of water form a natural boundary between Jordan and Israel?

PLACE Which three areas are occupied by Israel?

Using the AtlasUse the Atlas

on page 480. How was the landIsrael occupied in1967 differentfrom the land itheld in 1948?

B. Answer Israelheld more landand occupiedcertain Arabterritories.

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Caught in the middle of this turmoil were Palestinian Arabs andChristians. Many of these people had roots in Palestine that went backfor centuries. They either fled their homes or were forced into UN-sponsored refugee camps just outside Israel’s borders. The land des-ignated for the Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza Strip is underIsraeli control. In the 1960s, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)was formed to regain the land for Palestinian Arabs. Over the years, thePLO has pursued political and military means to take possession ofArab land in Israel and allow refugees to return to their homes.

Modernizing EconomiesThe nations in the Eastern Mediterranean subregion are relativelyyoung. Most became independent shortly after World War II. Cyprusreceived its independence from Britain in 1960. These nations facemany economic problems. Political divisions, refugees,lack of water, and a weak infrastructure make it difficultto develop healthy economies.

REFUGEES AND CIVIL WARS The creation of Israelproduced a large number of Palestinian refugees.Today, those refugees and their descendants totalalmost 3.6 million people. They are scattered acrossmany of the countries in the region. Some still live inUN-sponsored camps.

Many of the refugees have struggled to find adequatefood and shelter. Many of them are unemployed.Providing education and other services for them is dif-ficult for nations such as Jordan, one of the poorest inthe region—and the one with the largest Palestinianrefugee population.

Civil wars in Lebanon and Cyprus have also causedhuge economic problems. Lebanon, a more developednation, was hard hit by a civil war that lasted from1975 to 1976. The conflict widened to include othernations, and in 1982 Israel invaded Lebanon. SomeIsraeli troops remained in Lebanon until 2000.

MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE All of the nations of theEastern Mediterranean subregion have great potentialfor development. They have a good climate for produc-ing citrus crops and many places for tourists to visit.They are well located for connections to internationalmarkets in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

What many of them lack, however, is an infrastructurethat would support a growing economy. Roads in war-torn areas, for example, must be rebuilt. Especiallyneeded are irrigation systems to make the area bloom.Better communication systems and power sources areneeded for developing high tech industries in the region.Israel has been able to build sophisticated industriessuch as computer software development.

BackgroundThe island ofCyprus has twocountries. One iscontrolled byGreek Cypriotsand one by TurkishCypriots. OnlyTurkey officiallyrecognizes theTurkish republic.

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Palestinian RefugeeCamps

In 1949, the UN authorized the creation of 53 Palestinianrefugee camps. The camps weresupposed to be used only for ashort time until the Palestinianswere resettled. That was over 50 years ago. Today, most of thePalestinians living in the campswere actually born there andhave never been to the landsdesignated for the Palestinianstate.

The camps house upwards of 35,000 people and some asmany as 50,000 people. The UN and other nations providemoney for education and healthcare needs. Since the Israeligovernment restricts all travelfor work, economic opportuni-ties are very limited.

BackgroundA refugee is aperson who leaveshome or countryto find safety inanother location.

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Modern LifeModern life in the Eastern Mediterranean is a curious blend of old andnew. Strong cultural traditions exist but they are combined with changesthat were brought about by modern innovations. Cell phones, comput-ers, and Internet access are increasingly common. One aspect of life herethat remains quite traditional, however, is the dining experience.

EATING OUT, EATING IN Eating in restaurants in Eastern Mediterraneancountries is not as common as in the United States. Some restaurantshave separate sections for men and women. Cafes serving coffee and teaare generally for men only. Most meals are eaten in the home. Familiesand sometimes friends gather to have meals. The last meal of the day isusually served between 8 and 11 P.M.

Typically, a meal begins with small portions of hummus, groundchickpeas mixed with lemon juice and parsley, and baba ganouzh, aneggplant dip served with pita, a flat bread with a pocket. A salad calledtabbouleh, made of bulgur (cracked wheat), parsley, onions, mint, toma-toes, and lemon juice, is common. Chicken or lamb is more likely to beserved as a main course than beef. Many meals are finished with freshfruit or sweets such as kolaicha, a sweet cake made of barley flour, sugar,oil, and cardamom seed. Thick coffee or tea is also served. The host of adinner may not eat with the guests so that he can attend to all theirneeds during the meal.

A VARIETY OF CULTURES Muslim Arabs make up the majority of people who live in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean.However, in several nations, especially Lebanon and Israel, there is avariety of cultures.

This young woman is a member of the Israel Defense Forces.Unmarried Jewish young women are required to serve for two years.They serve in various parts of the armed forces, in jobs such as tankinstructors, helicopter pilots, military police, rescue workers, andoffice workers. They are not permitted to serve in active combat units.Service in the armed forces helps build unity and identity for Israelis.

If you lived in Israel, you would pass these milestones:• You would go to school from

age 5 to age 15.

• At age 14, you would choosebetween going to a technicalschool or a more academicschool.

• You could begin working at age 15.

• You could drive at age 17.

• You could get married at age 17.

• You would enter the armedforces at age 18: men for 3years, women for 2 years.

MakingComparisons

In what waysis the diningexperience in thisregion differentfrom that of theUnited States?

C. Answer In the U.S., manyfamilies eat outregularly. Menand women arenot separated inrestaurants.

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Since the seventh century,Lebanon has been a refuge forboth Muslims and Christians.Many of the Muslims there areShi’ites, as compared to theSunni majorities in many of theother nations in this region. Asmall group of Druze also livein Lebanon. This tightly knitgroup is very secretive about itsreligious practices. The mem-bers live in the mountainousareas of Lebanon and also in Israel and Syria. Christians of the Maronitetradition (Roman Catholics following Eastern Orthodox practices) andthe Eastern Orthodox tradition make up a large minority in Lebanon.Together, these groups present a wide variety of cultures and religiouspractices. The variety makes it difficult to build unity in the country.

Israel is a land with a tremendous variety of immigrants. The major-ity of immigrants are Jewish, and they arrive from all over the globe.They come from the United States, Eastern Europe, the Mediterraneanregion, Russia, and Ethiopia. The focus of Jewish culture helps to drawmost of this diverse group together.

In addition, Israel is home to Arab Muslims of several differentgroups. Bedouins live in the Negev Desert. Druze, Sunni, and a groupcalled Circassians come from the Caucasus Mountains area. Also livingin Israel is a small number of Christians and people following theBaha’i faith. The combination of all these groups brings a variety of lan-guages and lifestyles to Israel.

In the next section, you will learn about countries in this region withethnic backgrounds that are Turkish or Persian.

Places & TermsExplain the meaning ofeach of the followingterms.

• Western Wall

• Dome of the Rock

• Zionism

• Palestine LiberationOrganization

Taking Notes PLACE Review the notes you tookfor this section.

• What are some religious holyplaces found in this subregion?

• What factors have made itdifficult to develop thissubregion economically?

Main Ideas a. How did colonial rule set

up tension in thesubregion?

b. What impact have refugeesand civil wars had on mod-ernizing the economies ofthis subregion?

c. In addition to Muslims,what other groups live inthe Eastern Mediterraneannations?

Geographic ThinkingDetermining Cause andEffect How did the creationof the nation of Israelincrease tension in thesubregion? Think about:

• religious differences

• division of Palestine

See SkillbuilderHandbook, page R9.

MAKING COMPARISONS Review the maps on page 480 and page 512. Create a series of four sketch maps that show how the state of Israel changed between 1922 and 1976. Write a caption on each map describing the change from the previous map.

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EasternMediterranean

SouthwestAsia

Seeing PatternsHow might the

small size of Israeland Lebanonaffect the waygroups of peopleliving there relateto each other?

PLACE A womanwalks along thebeachfront of Beirut, Lebanon. How does Lebanon’srelative locationmake it a refuge for Muslims andChristians?

D. AnswerBecause space isso limited, it maycause frictionbetween groups,or it may forcethem to get alongso that there ispeace.

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