In the Middle of the Middle East

A long history of religious, cultural, economic, political, and sovereign rights.

Background of the conflict

- Ancient rivalry between Abraham’s sons Isaac and Ishmael

- Jews are given the Canaanite land by God circa 1250 BCE.

- Assyrians (722 BCE) Babylonians (586 BCE) conquer the land

- Rome annexes into its empire-138 BCE. Jews were sent into exile and were without a country for centuries.

- Dome of the Rock was established on the site of the old Jewish temple. circa 700 AD

- Various kingdoms vie for control until the Ottoman Empire from 1516 to post-WWI.

- Mass migration of European Jews into Palestine in the early 1900s.

- Jews and Arabs live in relative harmony for centuries.

- 1948 Establishment of the nation of Israel with help from the United Nations

- 700,000 Palestinians were expelled and became refugees.

- Palestinians are now restricted to certain areas of the new Israel.

- Continued conflict as rights to the land continues up to the present-day Hezbollah war.

Israel and the United States

- Support for Israel to defend itself.

- Truman’s support as a strong military buffer to the Soviet Union’s expansion

- Impact of the defense of the flow of oil, mainly through the Suez Canal

- The economic impact on the U.S.

- Foreign aid-largest recipient of US aid.

- The political influence of Israel via contributions.

- Religious affiliation of end-times prophecy.

Why it matters as we navigate life

- Religious

- Relational

- Points of view

- Economic

- Global

- Conflict

- Grudges

- The Land

- Sense of justice

- Politics

- Entitlement