INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................4
GUIDING QUESTIONS............................................................................................................................................ 4
MENA-REGION...................................................................................................................................................... 4
FRAMING MIDDLE EAST........................................................................................................................................ 5
EMPIRES..............................................................................................................................................................7
EU IMPERIALISM.................................................................................................................................................... 7
FALL OF THE OTTOMANS....................................................................................................................................... 7
EGYPT : MODERNIZATION AND DE-FACTO INDEPENDENCE................................................................................... 8
BORDERS.............................................................................................................................................................9
GUIDING QUESTIONS............................................................................................................................................ 9
WWI (1914-1918).................................................................................................................................................. 9
ARAB STATES ⟷ EMERGENCE STATES............................................................................................................... 11
ISRAEL................................................................................................................................................................. 12
POST-WWI........................................................................................................................................................... 12
KEY FEATURES POST-WAR SETTLEMENT.............................................................................................................. 14
SETTLERS...........................................................................................................................................................15
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 15
COLONIALISM...................................................................................................................................................... 15
ZIONIST MOVEMENT........................................................................................................................................... 16
BATTLE BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND PALESTINES...................................................................................................... 17
PALESTINE........................................................................................................................................................... 18
RESISTANCE.......................................................................................................................................................19
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 19
ARAB COLD WAR : REGIONAL DIVISIONS............................................................................................................. 19
ROLE OF THE US AS A MIDDLE EASTERN POWER................................................................................................. 19
PAN-ARABISM..................................................................................................................................................... 20
DECLINE PAN-ARABISM AND END "ARAB COLD WAR"........................................................................................ 20
CASE OF EGYPT..................................................................................................................................................22
REVOLUTION....................................................................................................................................................... 22
EG 'INDEPENDENCE'............................................................................................................................................ 23
, END OF THE EGYPTIAN MONARCHY.................................................................................................................... 23
NASSERISM.......................................................................................................................................................... 24
SUEZ CRISIS / TRIPARTITE AGRESSION (1956)...................................................................................................... 25
FUNDAMENTALISM...........................................................................................................................................26
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 26
TERMINOLOGY.................................................................................................................................................... 26
EGYPTIAN MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD.................................................................................................................... 28
SAUDI ARABIA AND THE WAHABIS...................................................................................................................... 31
IRAN AND THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION.................................................................................................................. 32
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................................... 33
OCCUPATION : PALESTINIAN – ISRAELI CONFLICT..............................................................................................34
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 34
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................. 34
EU POSITION........................................................................................................................................................ 35
RISE OF HAMAS................................................................................................................................................... 35
OSLO PEACE PROCESS......................................................................................................................................... 36
US AND ISR (2000s)............................................................................................................................................. 37
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS IN ISRAEL................................................................................................................ 38
TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT............................................................................................................................... 38
WAR : GULF WARS.............................................................................................................................................39
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 39
CONTEXT : US IN THE ME..................................................................................................................................... 39
CONTEXT : IRAQ (AND KUWAIT).......................................................................................................................... 39
FIRST GULF WAR (1990 – 1991)........................................................................................................................... 40
AFTERMATH........................................................................................................................................................ 41
SECOND GULF WAR............................................................................................................................................. 42
REACTIONS.......................................................................................................................................................... 43
TAKING STOCK OF AM UNIPOLAR DECADE.......................................................................................................... 43
REVOLUTION & COUNTERREVOLUTION.............................................................................................................44
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 44
,SOCIAL CONTRACT & ARAB UPRISINGS............................................................................................................... 44
ARAB UPRISINGS (2011)...................................................................................................................................... 45
TUNISIA............................................................................................................................................................... 47
EGYPT.................................................................................................................................................................. 49
COUNTER-REVOLUTION : SAUDI-LED................................................................................................................... 51
2019 UPRISINGS.................................................................................................................................................. 51
, INTRODUCTION
GUIDING QUESTIONS
What is the “Middle East”? Why do we use this term?
Are Middle East and North Africa a region? If so, what makes it a region?
Are other terms to describe it? Are there there more appropriate terms to describe it?
Why are the terms “Arab” and “Muslim” often equated? Why is that problematic?
How do language and ethnicity relate to each other in the Arab world?
What makes the Middle East an important geopolitical junction?
How are Arabs and Muslims represented in the West?
What are the main themes and motifs, how accurate are they and where do they come from?
How and why is the “Islamic East” historically often represented as an opposing pole to the “Christian West”?
What, if anything, do representations of the Middle East tell us about the West?
In your view, which strands of IR theory are most helpful to explain contemporary conflicts in the Arab world?
MENA-REGION
MENA-region
= acronym Middle East and North Africa
≠ Arab World : non-Arab communities or minorities living in MENA (Berbers, Kurds …)
≠ Islamic world : vast majority of Muslims does not live in Arab world (Indonesia)
importance MENA
< abundance natural resources
< Suez Canal (quickest and cheapest transport route from Europe to the East)
< origin main monotheistic religion (Islam, Christianity and Judaism) importance Jerusalem
lack of knowledge or inaccurate representation
= mismatch lack of knowledge (complexity of region) ⟷ strong views or decisions on MENA
GUIDING QUESTIONS............................................................................................................................................ 4
MENA-REGION...................................................................................................................................................... 4
FRAMING MIDDLE EAST........................................................................................................................................ 5
EMPIRES..............................................................................................................................................................7
EU IMPERIALISM.................................................................................................................................................... 7
FALL OF THE OTTOMANS....................................................................................................................................... 7
EGYPT : MODERNIZATION AND DE-FACTO INDEPENDENCE................................................................................... 8
BORDERS.............................................................................................................................................................9
GUIDING QUESTIONS............................................................................................................................................ 9
WWI (1914-1918).................................................................................................................................................. 9
ARAB STATES ⟷ EMERGENCE STATES............................................................................................................... 11
ISRAEL................................................................................................................................................................. 12
POST-WWI........................................................................................................................................................... 12
KEY FEATURES POST-WAR SETTLEMENT.............................................................................................................. 14
SETTLERS...........................................................................................................................................................15
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 15
COLONIALISM...................................................................................................................................................... 15
ZIONIST MOVEMENT........................................................................................................................................... 16
BATTLE BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND PALESTINES...................................................................................................... 17
PALESTINE........................................................................................................................................................... 18
RESISTANCE.......................................................................................................................................................19
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 19
ARAB COLD WAR : REGIONAL DIVISIONS............................................................................................................. 19
ROLE OF THE US AS A MIDDLE EASTERN POWER................................................................................................. 19
PAN-ARABISM..................................................................................................................................................... 20
DECLINE PAN-ARABISM AND END "ARAB COLD WAR"........................................................................................ 20
CASE OF EGYPT..................................................................................................................................................22
REVOLUTION....................................................................................................................................................... 22
EG 'INDEPENDENCE'............................................................................................................................................ 23
, END OF THE EGYPTIAN MONARCHY.................................................................................................................... 23
NASSERISM.......................................................................................................................................................... 24
SUEZ CRISIS / TRIPARTITE AGRESSION (1956)...................................................................................................... 25
FUNDAMENTALISM...........................................................................................................................................26
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 26
TERMINOLOGY.................................................................................................................................................... 26
EGYPTIAN MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD.................................................................................................................... 28
SAUDI ARABIA AND THE WAHABIS...................................................................................................................... 31
IRAN AND THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION.................................................................................................................. 32
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................................... 33
OCCUPATION : PALESTINIAN – ISRAELI CONFLICT..............................................................................................34
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 34
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................. 34
EU POSITION........................................................................................................................................................ 35
RISE OF HAMAS................................................................................................................................................... 35
OSLO PEACE PROCESS......................................................................................................................................... 36
US AND ISR (2000s)............................................................................................................................................. 37
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS IN ISRAEL................................................................................................................ 38
TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT............................................................................................................................... 38
WAR : GULF WARS.............................................................................................................................................39
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 39
CONTEXT : US IN THE ME..................................................................................................................................... 39
CONTEXT : IRAQ (AND KUWAIT).......................................................................................................................... 39
FIRST GULF WAR (1990 – 1991)........................................................................................................................... 40
AFTERMATH........................................................................................................................................................ 41
SECOND GULF WAR............................................................................................................................................. 42
REACTIONS.......................................................................................................................................................... 43
TAKING STOCK OF AM UNIPOLAR DECADE.......................................................................................................... 43
REVOLUTION & COUNTERREVOLUTION.............................................................................................................44
GUIDING QUESTIONS.......................................................................................................................................... 44
,SOCIAL CONTRACT & ARAB UPRISINGS............................................................................................................... 44
ARAB UPRISINGS (2011)...................................................................................................................................... 45
TUNISIA............................................................................................................................................................... 47
EGYPT.................................................................................................................................................................. 49
COUNTER-REVOLUTION : SAUDI-LED................................................................................................................... 51
2019 UPRISINGS.................................................................................................................................................. 51
, INTRODUCTION
GUIDING QUESTIONS
What is the “Middle East”? Why do we use this term?
Are Middle East and North Africa a region? If so, what makes it a region?
Are other terms to describe it? Are there there more appropriate terms to describe it?
Why are the terms “Arab” and “Muslim” often equated? Why is that problematic?
How do language and ethnicity relate to each other in the Arab world?
What makes the Middle East an important geopolitical junction?
How are Arabs and Muslims represented in the West?
What are the main themes and motifs, how accurate are they and where do they come from?
How and why is the “Islamic East” historically often represented as an opposing pole to the “Christian West”?
What, if anything, do representations of the Middle East tell us about the West?
In your view, which strands of IR theory are most helpful to explain contemporary conflicts in the Arab world?
MENA-REGION
MENA-region
= acronym Middle East and North Africa
≠ Arab World : non-Arab communities or minorities living in MENA (Berbers, Kurds …)
≠ Islamic world : vast majority of Muslims does not live in Arab world (Indonesia)
importance MENA
< abundance natural resources
< Suez Canal (quickest and cheapest transport route from Europe to the East)
< origin main monotheistic religion (Islam, Christianity and Judaism) importance Jerusalem
lack of knowledge or inaccurate representation
= mismatch lack of knowledge (complexity of region) ⟷ strong views or decisions on MENA
