CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

      WHO?  
            The Cast of Characters               
      
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Ehud Barak, Prime Minister of Israel
       
                            
    Yasser Arafat     Ehud Barak    

THE OTHER PLAYERS INVOLVED IN THE PEACE TALKS, OCTOBER 16, 2000

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Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak
Jordan's King Abdullah       
                                             United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright with President Clinton
                                                                                                             

...and the terrorist some believe to have ordered the bombing of the USS Cole, Osama Bin Ladin

  WHERE?
THE MIDDLE EAST



        
WHEN?

Fighting between the Palestinians and Jews goes back many years. The creation of the Jewish State in 1948 forced many Palestinians from their homes. Since then, Israelis, Palestinians and other Arab neighbors have  fought deadly battles over land. 

WHAT?
Most recently, two weeks of fighting began on September 28, when Israeli political party leader Ariel Sharon paid a visit to an ancient Jerusalem shrine that it is considered holy by both Muslims (the religion of most Palestinians) and Jews (the religion of most Israelis). Most Palestinians dislike Sharon because he does not believe they should have their own nation. The shrine, known as al-Haram al-Sharif (Arabic for "Holy Sanctuary") by the Arabs and Temple Mount by the Jews, is an area both Palestinians and Israelis claim as their own.  After Sharon's visit the Arabs protested by throwing rocks, and the Israelis responded with rifles loaded with rubber bullets.  Then, two Israeli soldiers were killed by Palestinians on one of the most violent days of fighting in the Middle East. The Israeli soldiers were driving in the West Bank (an area where many Palestinians live) when they took a wrong turn. Palestinian police brought them to a police station. Soon, an angry group of Palestinians stormed the police building and killed the soldiers. In response, Israeli helicopters then shot at Palestinian buildings.

The cycle of violence had begun to spin out of control.

The killings and air strikes marked the most serious violence in recent weeks between the Palestinians and the Israelis.   Many have died.  Much of the fighting has gone on in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, areas where many Palestinians live amongst  Israelis. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said he held Arafat indirectly responsible for the death of the soldiers. He also said Israel would find the individuals responsible for brutally killing the soldiers.  Arafat called the most recent Israeli attacks a "declaration of war."

The United States became directly involved when 17 sailors died in an explosion aboard a U.S. Navy ship the USS Cole, while it was docked in Yemen (an Arab country in the Middle East).   U.S. officials are calling this a "terrorist attack".  The Cole was docked in Aden (the largest city in Yemen) to refuel when a small rubber speedboat came alongside the ship and an explosion followed.  The explosion created a large hole - 20 feet by 40 feet - in the side of the steel ship, which is 505 feet long and weighs 8,600 tons.One possible reason for the bombing attack of the USS Cole is the United States' support of Israel in the conflict.   President Clinton called the bombing a "despicable and cowardly act" and said it would not weaken U.S. efforts to help the two sides reach peace. As a safety measure, Clinton ordered all Navy ships to pull out of the region as soon as possible. Officials also ordered an increased alert level for American military forces around the world, including those in the U.S.

USING THE DETAILED MAPS ABOVE, 
LABEL THE NUMBERED COUNTRIES 
AND THE LETTERED BODIES OF WATER OF THE MIDDLE EAST 
ON THE FORM BELOW. 
THEN ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONFLICT.



HERE IS A COMPLETELY BLANK MAP TO COPY AND PASTE INTO PAINT.

Last updated: 10/28/2002