The Middle East conflict was never just Israel versus the Palestinians. It was shaped by powerful outside forces — the superpowers, oil, the United Nations, the rise of Islamism — and by a cast of decisive leaders. This synthesising topic asks you to weigh those forces and individuals, pulling together threads from across the elective.
How this content is examined
- Essays. The role of external forces (superpowers, oil, the UN) or of key leaders in shaping the region.
- Source analysis. Sources on US aid to Israel, superpower involvement or the UN's role require you to weigh these forces precisely.
1. The superpowers and the Cold War overlay
- The conflict became a Cold War proxy: the USA backed Israel (recognition in 1948, growing military and financial aid) while the USSR backed Egypt and Syria.
- Superpower rivalry shaped every major war (1956, 1967, 1973) and the diplomacy that followed — US brokerage produced Camp David and Oslo.
2. Oil and economic power
- Arab states wielded oil as a weapon — the 1973 embargo (after the Yom Kippur War) caused a global energy crisis and showed the region's leverage over the world economy, drawing in outside powers all the more.
3. The United Nations
- The UN was central at key moments — Partition (Resolution 181), Resolution 242, peacekeeping forces (UNEF after Suez) — but was often impotent when a superpower's interests were engaged (e.g. Israel ignoring withdrawal calls with US backing).
4. Ideological forces
- Arab nationalism (Nasserism) dominated the 1950s–60s but was discredited by the 1967 defeat.
- Its decline opened space for the rise of Islamic fundamentalism (Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah) and for a distinctly Palestinian nationalism — a major shift in the character of the conflict.
- Lebanon became a key arena from the 1980s as the PLO relocated there, drawing in Israel and triggering wider regional impacts.
5. Key leaders (be able to assess their roles)
- Nasser (Egypt): champion of Arab nationalism; Suez and the brinkmanship of 1967.
- Sadat (Egypt): launched the 1973 war, then made peace at Camp David — assassinated for it.
- Begin (Israel): Sadat's partner at Camp David.
- Arafat (PLO): embodied the journey from armed struggle to diplomacy (Oslo).
- Rabin (Israel): Oslo peacemaker, assassinated by an Israeli extremist — the classic example of a "spoiler."
6. Historical perspectives
- External vs internal drivers: was the conflict's course set mainly by outside forces (superpowers, oil), or by local actors and leaders?
- Great men vs structural forces: how far did individual leaders (Nasser, Sadat, Arafat, Rabin) change history, versus impersonal forces (nationalism, religion, the Cold War)?
7. Recurring exam question patterns & what high answers do
- "Evaluate the role of [the superpowers / the UN / a leader] in shaping the region." High answers: assess the named force/leader, weigh it against the others, and synthesise examples from across the elective.
- Source questions on US aid or superpower involvement: explain the Cold War overlay and judge the UN's effectiveness.