The Arab–Israeli conflict never existed in isolation. Regional upheavals, superpower rivalry, the leverage of oil, and a handful of decisive individuals all shaped whether the struggle moved toward war or toward peace. This capstone lesson draws those threads together.
The Iranian Revolution (1979)
The overthrow of the Shah and the establishment of an Islamic Republic under Khomeini marked the rise of political Islam as a major regional force. It reshaped the wider Middle East and introduced new dynamics — though historians debate how directly it affected the Arab–Israeli peace process itself (a question the sample exam task raises explicitly).
Superpowers, the USA and oil
- Cold War rivalry — the US and USSR backed opposing sides, internationalising the conflict for decades.
- The USA as broker — as the Cold War waned, the United States became the indispensable mediator (Camp David, Oslo, the 2000 summit).
- Oil — the 1973 embargo showed how Arab states could use oil as a strategic lever with global reach.
The role of individuals
The period turned on a small number of leaders: Nasser (Arab nationalism), Sadat (the breakthrough to peace with Israel), Begin and Rabin (Israeli leaders who negotiated), and Arafat (Palestinian nationalism). Several paid with their lives — Sadat and Rabin were both assassinated by opponents of compromise, a stark measure of how dangerous peacemaking was.
Let's sort the external forces and then weigh leaders against structures.
| Force / individual | Influence on the struggle for peace |
|---|---|
| Iranian Revolution (1979) | Rise of political Islam; contested effect on the peace process |
| Cold War / USA | Internationalised the conflict; US became key broker |
| Oil | Strategic lever with global economic reach |
| Sadat, Begin, Rabin, Arafat | Individual choices that enabled (or blocked) peace |
Debate the sample exam proposition: was the Iranian Revolution "a major turning point in the struggle for peace in the Middle East"? Build the case for and the counter-case.
Q1. What was the significance of the Iranian Revolution of 1979 for the wider Middle East?
Q2. Explain how oil and superpower rivalry shaped the course of the conflict.
Q3. "The struggle for peace in the Middle East was shaped more by the decisions of individual leaders than by structural forces." To what extent do you agree? Use evidence from across the elective.