With the forced evacuation of Gaza making
big headlines everywhere, perhaps its time to brush up on your knowledge of Middle East history. As every cognizant
being knows the battle over Jerusalem, the establishment of the state of Israel, the settlements, terrorism…all these
things have had a major impact on the 20th and 21st centuries. On OUR lives. Whichever side you are on, you can’t deny
that it is a major global issue that affects us all in some way. So it is surprising sometimes how little people know
about thr roots of the Mid East conflict. How did Israel get there? Why is Jerusalem so important? How can so many
people see the same issue in so many different ways?
Well, it is obviously a very complex series of issues that I don’t purport to explain here. But I can provide you with
some useful links to help you understand it better. One place that you should go for a simple, and elegant overview of
the problems in the Middle East is this National Geographic site called
Xpedition Hall. Using a clever device
called “Culture Goggles” they show how different religions view the same issue, in one case, the city of Jerusalem.
Another well-done piece called
Lines in the Sand by Nat Geo gives an overview of
the Gaza issue, so big in the news right now. Of course, no online history lesson would be complete without checking
out Wikipedia. Here is a superb discussion of Jerusalem, as well
as links to articles on the Six Day War and the
Yom Kippur War, both of which are of immense
importance in understanding what is going on over there. I realize these just scratch the surface, there are scores of
books to recommend as well (including several superb ones by Tom Friedman) but it is never a bad idea to brush up on
your understanding of such important issues.