The Arab world has been one of the most confusing areas known to the western world. Because of this confusion, the people of the Middle East have been made to suffer, not only at the hands of the west, but also by their own. Even though Arab and western world relations have been stabilizing, they are still long way off from achieving a lasting peace.” The roots of all these problems go back to the settlement imposed on the Middle East in 1918-1922″ (Field 26).
Since before the start of World War I, there was a great Western presence in the area we know today as the Arab world. British and French forces occupied Northern Africa since 1882; British occupied Egypt, at the request of Sultan in Constantinople, and the region we today call the Mahgreb: Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria.
In addition, to its presence in Egypt, Britain also kept the Gulf states under her protection and held Aden as a colony. According to the “version of events one hears in the Middle East, is that British and French policy at the time was a straightforward betrayal of the Arabs” (Field 28).
Because of the Ottoman rule in the Middle East, the Europeans began to persuade the Arab leaders to revolt by promising them their independence. But what was meant, was independence from Turkish rule with the aid, supervision and / or protection from Britain and France.
In simple terms, the Europeans powers would be the new occupiers of the Middle East. The deception came in the form of two documents; one important to the Europeans powers, and the other to the Jews. The Sykes-Picot Agreement of February 1916, was the document that divided the Middle East between Britain and France. The agreement stated that Lebanon and Syria would be set aside as areas of French interests and the British were free to intervene in the Arab region in the South. Sykes-Picot remained a secret to the Arabs till 1917, when after the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia had published it. From 1918 the Europeans began to place monarchs in the countries (lands) they had established.
The Essay on World War I and the Middle East
The Great War, which was born from Germany’s desire to assert extra national authority and dominate Europe, had a profound effect on the geopolitical equilibrium not just in Europe, but on the Middle East as well. The now nonexistent Ottoman Empire was a significant player in this global drama, even though its conclusion saw the dissolution of an empire that had existed for four centuries. Its ...
Some remained in power for a short amount of time (Sherif Hussein) and others began a lineage (Abdullah in Transjordan).
Nevertheless, the rulers that were placed by Britain, were deposed of due to the nationalistic ideas that were arising in the Middle East. The second form of deception was the Balfour Declaration, in which was stated that the British government favoured and supported “the establishment in Palestine of a natural home for the Jewish people” (Field 44).
Even though it didn’t create a Jewish state, the Balfour Declaration set the framework.
The British government was now obliged to support Zionism. Since 1919 till the present day, violence has been breaking out in Israel due to the immigration of Jews into Palestine. Later, the Jews began to mount attacks on the British when they recommended quotas on Jewish immigration. In 1929, there was a reported 156, 000 Jews, by 1946, the number was up to 600, 000. After years of attacks by Jewish militants, the British left Palestine on May 14, 1948, a month after militants slaughtered the Arab population of Dier Yassin.
The state of Israel came into existence 6 PM EST. ten minutes later, the United States officially recognized Israel. The next day, Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, and Iraq sent 20, 000 men to attack the newly created state. That attack proved to be a disaster for the Arab. The only state to come out on top was Transjordan, who acquired the West Bank after the war. After the deaf eat of the Arab forces, questions began to arise on why the war was lost to the Israelis, and why their government was ineffective.
The answer came to be that it was the fault of the colonial powers: Britain and France.
