Leaders
First Prime Minister of the Israeli State and Danny DeVito look-alike.
Who is David Ben-Gurion? PM 1955-1968
The country that controlled Mandatory Palestine during the Mandatory Period
What is the United Kingdom?
This war saw the United States diplomatically siding with Egypt against Israel it's traditional ally in 1956.
What is the Suez Crisis? Leads to Israel occupying the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip.
Revolutionary leader of non-Arab country in the Middle East.
Who is the Ayatollah Khomeini? (Iranian Revolution 1979)
The real name of the Shah of Iran, his dynastic name qualifies as well.
Who is Mohammad Reza Pahlavi?
Known as the "Iron Lady", leader during the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
Who is Golda Meir? PM 1969-1974.
Secret British declaration promising the establishment of a "Jewish national home"
What is the Balfour Declaration? 1917
This war led to the Camp David Accords, and the Egypt-Israeli Peace Treaty (first ever between Israel and an Arab state)
What is the Yom Kippur War? 1973
Saddam Hussein saw the Iranian Revolution as a threat to his hold over Iraq as a member of this sect of Islam
What is Sunni Islam? (The Iranian Revolution was a Shia-led revolution and Iraq had a majority Shia population)
Name of the attempt by the Shah to modernize Iran, with the help and financial investment and support of Western powers.
What is the White Revolution? (From 1963 to the overthrow of his regime in 1979)
Leader during the Yom Kippur War, secured the Sinai Peninsula and then later negotiated with Israel at the Camp David Accords 1978.
Who is Anwar Sadat? President of Egypt from 1970-1981
The McMahon–Hussein Correspondence.
What is the secret promise made during WWI by Britain to support the Arab tribes?
The Six-Day War resulted in a massive seizure of Arab territory by Israel, these regions were taken by the Israeli state after the war
What are the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip?
Saddam using chemical weapons against this group during the Iran-Iraq war led to global sanctions and global political exile.
Who are the Kurds? (Ethnic group in northern Iraq that Saddam would continue to commit genocide against following the war)
This is the name commonly associated with the Jewish nationalist movement that began in late 19th century Europe due to increased anti-Semitism
What is Zionism, or the Zionist movement?
Nationalized the Suez Canal and established far-reaching socialist economic and land reform.
Who is Gamal Abdel Nasser? President of Egypt 1956-1970.
Secret Agreement between Britain and France dividing up the Middle East between the two countries after WWI and the defeat the Ottoman Empire
What is the Sykes-Picot Agreement? 1916.
This war saw the beginning of the Nakba, the ethnic cleansing and displacement of Palestinian people from Palestine by Jewish forces.
What is the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (also established the Israeli state)
Kuwait was accused of taking these two actions by Iraq, in order to legitimize their declaration of war against the smaller country.
What are Slant-drilling into Iraq's oil fields and exceeding OPEC's quotas for oil production?
This group led by Amin al-Husseini formed the bulk of the 1936-39 revolt against the British in Palestine.
What is the Arab Higher Committee?
Founder of the Fatah party and longest serving chairman of the PLO.
Who is Yasser Arafat? Chairman of the PLO from 1969-2004
Competing interests of Arab and Jewish (Zionist) nationalist movements led to what conflict(s)?
What are the Arab Revolt (1936-39) and the (1944–1948) Jewish insurgency?
In the midst of Detente, and wanting no disruption in the Middle East, both the US and Soviets attempted to dissuade this leader from attacking Israel.
Who is Anwar Sadat? (He would then turn away from the Soviets and the Eastern Bloc)
Saddam committed a purge of this party's members six days after taking office as president.
What is the Ba'ath Party? (Purge occurred in 1979)
This leader forged the Falafel of Peace following the Taʿmiya Crisis of 1987
Who is Muhammar Gaddafi?