The Eastern Mediterranean

510-515-Chapter22 10/16/02 11:28 AM Page 510 Main Ideas The Eastern • The holy places of three religions are found in this Mediterranean subregion. • There is a great deal of political tension among nations in this subregion. Places & Terms Western Wall A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE On September 28, 2000, riots broke out in Dome of the Rock the city of Jerusalem. The cause was a visit by an Israeli political leader Zionism to a Jewish holy place at a location on the Temple Mount. Muslims also Palestine Liberation have a holy place on the Temple Mount. They viewed the visit by the Organization (PLO) Israeli leader as disrespectful to Muslims. Hundreds of people died in the civil unrest that followed. Connect to the Issues religious conflict To understand why a simple visit to a holy place would cause such problems, it is necessary to understand the deep-seated hostility Arabs Creation of the nation of Israel led to conflict in the region. and Jews feel for each other. They have an enormous disagreement over the control of the city of Jerusalem and of the land called the Occupied Territories. (See the map on page 480.) In fact, the relations between Arabs and Jews affect the entire region of the Eastern Mediterranean. PLACE Christian pilgrims walk Religious Holy Places on the road to the Mount of Olives Three major monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam— on a holy day—Palm Sunday. were founded in Southwest Asia. All three claim Jerusalem as a holy city. The City of Jerusalem, which covers 42 square miles, has Jewish, Christian, Armenian Christian, and Muslim sections. Followers of all three religions come to the Old City to visit locations with strong spiritual meaning. JEWISH PRESENCE For Jews, Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is the center of their modern and ancient homeland. Located in the old part of the city, the Temple Mount once housed the religion’s earliest temples. There, King Solomon built the First Temple. The Second Temple was constructed after the Jews returned to their homeland in 538 B.C. Modern Jews come to pray at the holiest site in Jerusalem, a portion of the Second Temple known as the Western Wall—also called the Wailing Wall. It is the only remaining piece of the Second Temple, which was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Romans. CHRISTIAN HERITAGE For Christians, Jerusalem is the sacred location of the final suffering and crucifixion of Jesus. Towns and villages important in the life of Jesus are found near Jerusalem. Every year, Christians visit places like the Mount of Olives and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by the thousands. When Jerusalem was under Muslim control, Christians launched the Crusades to regain the lands and place them under the 510 CHAPTER 22 510-515-Chapter22 10/16/02 11:28 AM Page 511 control of Christians. Eventually, the lands returned to the control of Muslims and remained that way until the nation of Israel was established in May of 1948. ISLAMIC SACRED SITES After Mecca and Medina, Jerusalem is considered the third most holy city to Muslims. A shrine there, called Dome of the Rock, houses the spot where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad rose into heaven. Jews believe it is the site where Abraham, a Jewish fore- father, prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac to God. The Dome of the Connect to the Issues Rock and a nearby mosque, Al- religious Aqsa, are located on the Temple Mount next to the Western Wall. conflict Because these most holy sites are so close together, they have been the What prob- site of clashes between Jews and Muslims. lems might emerge when three different A History of Unrest religious groups claim the same The nations of the Eastern Mediterranean have been plagued with a PLACE Muslim visitors area as a holy history of political tension and unrest. The Ottoman Empire, a Muslim gather at the Dome of place? government based in Turkey, ruled the Eastern Mediterranean lands the Rock, a holy site in the city of Jerusalem. A. Answer Each from 1520 to 1922. But the Ottoman Empire grew weaker and less able group may want How did control of exclusive use of to solve problems with groups seeking independence. By the beginning Jerusalem change the area, angering of the 20th century, its collapse was not far away. The Ottoman Empire over many centuries? the other groups. sided with Germany during World War I. At the end of the war, the Ottoman Empire fell apart. Britain and France received the lands in the Eastern Mediterranean as part of the war settlement. THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM After World War I, Britain and France Background divided the Ottoman lands in the Eastern Mediterranean region. France The League of took the northern portion, including the present-day countries of Nations gave the Ottoman lands to Lebanon and Syria. Britain controlled the southern section, which SW ASIA France and Britain. included the present-day nations of Jordan and Israel. Britain and France were supposed to rule these lands until they were ready for independence. During the time of their control, the French frequently played different religious groups against each other. Those tensions remain in the region today. The Syrians hated the French and in the 1920s and 1930s rebelled against them. Lebanon became independent in 1943, and Syria gained independence in 1946. BRITISH CONTROL PALESTINE The land controlled by Britain was known as Palestine. In the 19th century, a movement called Zionism began. Its goal was to create and support a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Jewish settlers started buying land and settling there. By 1914, just before World War I, about 12 percent of the population in Palestine was Jewish. After the war, the British took command of the region and continued to allow Jewish immigration to Palestine. Early The Eastern Mediterranean 511 510-515-Chapter22 10/16/02 11:28 AM Page 512 Creation of Israel 1922 Today Beirut Beirut British mandate Present day Israel Damascus Damascus LEBANON French mandate LEBANON Occupied by Israel SYRIA GOLAN SYRIA Sea Sea HEIGHTS Haifa IRAQ Haifa IRAQ Mediterranean Mediterranean r r e e v v i i R R Tel Aviv- WEST n Tel Aviv- WEST n a a Yafo BANK d Yafo BANK d r r o Amman o Amman J J Jerusalem Jerusalem GAZA STRIP PALESTINE Dead Dead Sea Sea N N ISRAEL W E W E TRANSJORDAN JORDAN S S EGYPT EGYPT Arabia SAUDI ARABIA SINAI SINAI PENINSULA PENINSULA 0 50 100 miles 0 50 100 miles Gulf of Gulf of Aqaba 0 50 100 kilometers Aqaba 0 50 100 kilometers Lambert Conformal Conic Projection Lambert Conformal Conic Projection SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps PLACE Which bodies of water form a natural boundary between Jordan and Israel? PLACE Which three areas are occupied by Israel? on, Arabs and Jews in the region cooperated. But as more and more Jews poured into Palestine to escape persecution in Germany, the Arabs resisted the establishment of a Jewish state. In 1939, to reduce tensions the British halted Jewish immigration to Palestine. As you study the map on this page, you will see that the area controlled by the British was divided into two sections—Transjordan and Palestine. The land was divided to relieve tensions between Arabs and Jews. An Arab government jointly ruled Transjordan with the British. Britain controlled Palestine, along with local governments that included both Jews and Arabs. CREATING THE STATE OF ISRAEL At the end of World War II, thou- B. Answer Israel sands of Jewish survivors of the Holocaust wanted to settle in Palestine. held more land and occupied Palestine was considered the Jewish homeland. World opinion sup- certain Arab ported the establishment of a Jewish nation-state. Britain eventually territories. referred the question of a Jewish homeland to the United Nations. In 1947, the United Nations developed a plan to divide Palestine into two states—one for Arabs and one for Jews. Using the Atlas Arabs in the region did not agree with the division. However, the nation Use the Atlas of Israel was established on May 14, 1948. Immediately, the surrounding on page 480. Arab nations of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and How was the land Israel occupied in Yemen invaded Israel to prevent the establishment of the state. Jewish 1967 different troops fought back. By the 1950s, Israel was a firmly established nation. from the land it The 1948 war was the beginning of hostilities that continue to this day. held in 1948? 512 CHAPTER 22 510-515-Chapter22 10/16/02 11:28 AM Page 513 Caught in the middle of this turmoil were Palestinian Arabs and Christians. Many of these people had roots in Palestine that went back for centuries. They either fled their homes or were forced into Background UN-sponsored refugee camps just outside Israel’s borders. The land des- A refugee is a ignated for the Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza Strip is under person who leaves Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) home or country Israeli control. In the 1960s, the to find safety in was formed to regain the land for Palestinian Arabs. Over the years, the another location. PLO has pursued political and military means to take possession of Arab land in Israel and allow refugees to return to their homes. Modernizing Economies The nations in the Eastern Mediterranean subregion are relatively young. Most became independent shortly after World War II. Cyprus received its independence from Britain in 1960. These nations face many economic problems.

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