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ME 1.1 - Background - Coggle Diagram
ME 1.1 - Background
Claims to the Holy Land
For Jews, the Holy Land is their Promised Land.
Jews settled here over 3,000 years ago - there were some periods of exile, internal divisions and being conquered - and they lived there until 2nd Century AD.
In the 1st Century BC, Romans settled there causing the Diaspora (Jews exiling, murdering or enslaving Jews) and renamed it Palestine where many non-Jews then settled.
Jerusalem is also an important place for Christianity and when the Romans converted in 4th Century BC Jerusalem became the holiest site in Christendom.
Jerusalem and Palestine came under Muslims control in about 640 AD and much of the population was converted to Islam. Jerusalem was also important to Islam as the 3rd holiest city.
Anti-Semitism
Despite the Diaspora Jews still hoped to return to Jerusalem as they faced anti-Semitism wherever they settled for the next 1,900 years.
Some tried to lessen the impact of anti-Semitism by emerging themselves in the culture of where they settled.
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The Rise of Zionism
A Jewish journalist, Theodore Herzl, was convinced anti-Semitism would always exist. In 1896 he published a book saying the only solution was for Jews to have their own homeland.
The best place was thought to be Palestine as historically it was their homeland. This idea was named Zionism as Jerusalem is aka Zion.
The next year there was a Zionist World Conference held, and until he died Herzl championed the idea of Palestine being a home for Jews.
However if Jews wanted to return they would need to negotiate with the Ottoman Empire who controlled Palestine since 1516. Some immigration was allowed but not a lot due to the Arabs already living there.
Arab Nationalism
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Arabs hated living under Ottoman control, they were treated harshly and forced to pay high taxes.
Clashes between Turks and Arabs became frequent and Arab independence demands became widespread by 1914.