Political Structures Many groups in the Middle East have fought to establish and strengthen independent nation-states. Conflict has also erupted between Shi’a and Sunni Muslims. Jews and Arabs have fought over land, Israel’s right to exist, and questions about Palestinian statehood. In this lesson, you will read about some of these conflicts, and about efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.Ĭultural Interaction Ethnic and religious differences have troubled the modern Middle East. But they were unsettled by wars and political conflicts. Like other developing countries, they sought to achieve political stability and economic growth. The nations of the Middle East faced many challenges in the decades after World War II. Rabin’s commitment to a negotiated peace with Palestinians remains the official goal of the Israeli government and his memory is honored each year with a national day of mourning. Despite popular opposition, Sadat’s peace agreement with Israel survived his assassination. The death of these two leaders was a blow to those who hoped for peace and religious moderation in the Middle East, but their legacies continue. In Rabin’s case, the killer was a Jewish extremist who opposed Rabin’s efforts to negotiate with the Palestinians. In Sadat’s case, the assassins were Muslim militants who blamed him for undermining the cause of radical Islam by signing a treaty with Israel. By embracing political compromise, they aroused violent opposition from extremists on both sides. Although Sadat and Rabin stood on opposite sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict, they both sought peace in the Middle East. These two assassinations had much in common. As he was leaving, a man in the crowd pulled out a gun and shot him in the back. They murdered Sadat and several other people.įourteen years later in 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (YIHT-sahk rah-BEEN) was attending a peace rally in Tel Aviv.
Suddenly, several soldiers leapt from a truck and opened fire on the president.
Fighter jets roared overhead as army vehicles rolled past the reviewing stand where Sadat was seated.
In 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (AHN-wahr sah-DAHT) was attending a military parade in Cairo.
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