| Date | November 2016 | Marks available | 8 | Reference code | 16N.1s2a.BP.TZ0.4 |
| Level | Both SL and HL | Paper | Paper 1 (The Arab–Israeli conflict 1945–79) - last exams 2016 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Examine | Question number | 4 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Source A
Alan Dowty, a professor of Middle Eastern studies, writing in an academic book, Israel/Palestine (2012).
Important changes were taking place in international politics [during the 1950s and 1960s]: the rise of the Third World, as Asian and African states threw off colonial rule and formed a bloc of “non-aligned” states tied to neither side in the Cold War … In the intensifying Cold War competition between East and West, the fight against imperialism and colonialism gave the Soviets tremendous leverage in the “battle for hearts and minds” throughout the Third World. By supporting “struggles for national liberation”, the Soviets could leapfrog over [bypass] encircling Western alliances and strike directly at Western influence in key areas. The Middle East, with its strategic location and its oil reserves, was a priority target. In September 1955 the Soviet Union entered the Middle East arena [political scene] dramatically with the announcement of a major arms deal between Nasser’s Egypt and Czechoslovakia (the Czechs being a front [acting on behalf] of the Soviets). This broke the Western monopoly over arms supplies to the region, threatening to upset the military balance and put Israel in jeopardy [danger].
Source B
Michael Cummings, a newspaper cartoonist, depicts the situation in the Middle East in a cartoon published in the British newspaper The Daily Express (24 April 1963). Nasser is commenting on the impact of the Cold War on the Arab states of Syria and Iraq. Kennedy and Khrushchev are offering gifts to Nasser.
Note: “bulwark” means “barrier”.
[Source: Cummings/Express Newspapers/N&S Syndication]
Source C
Shlomo Ben-Ami, an Israeli historian and politician, writing in an academic book, Scars of War, Wounds of Peace: The Israeli-Arab Tragedy (2006).
(In the summer of 1967) Israel was surrounded by an all-Arab coalition aggressively supported by the Soviet Union, without being able to rely on an alliance with, or security guarantees from, a Western superpower …
De Gaulle was now about to formulate a new policy for France in an attempt to heal the wounds of the war in Algeria and build bridges with the Arab world, and he would not let the “arrogant” and trigger-happy [willing to fight] Israelis spoil his strategic shift. The British waited for America’s leadership. And America wavered. She was not ready to provide any guarantees or commitments. Israel’s almost hysterical appeal to the United States, to declare that any attack on Israel was equivalent to an attack on the US, was refused by US President Johnson who was distracted by his mounting troubles in the Vietnam War.
Source D
John Mearsheimer, a professor of Political Science, and Stephen Walt, a professor of International Affairs, writing in an academic book, The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy (2008).
It was the Kennedy administration that made the first tangible [real] US commitment to Israel’s military security … Kennedy authorized the first major sale of US weaponry to Israel in 1963. This reflected a number of strategic considerations—such as the desire to balance Soviet arms sales to Egypt and encourage Israel’s leaders to respond favourably to US peace initiatives—but Kennedy’s understandable desire to maintain support from Jewish voters and donors played a role in his decision as well. The sale opened the door to several additional weapons deals. In an attempt to disguise American involvement and thereby limit repercussions [consequences] in the Arab world, weapons were shipped to Israel by West Germany, which in turn received replacements from the United States.
Source E
The Khartoum Resolutions, signed by eight Arab heads of state on 1 September 1967, at the end of the third Arab Summit. The Resolutions were released to the press.
Clause 3: The Arab heads of state have agreed to unite their political efforts at the international and diplomatic level to eliminate the effects of the aggression and to ensure the withdrawal of the aggressive Israeli forces from the Arab lands which have been occupied since the aggression of 5 June. This will be done within the framework of the main principles by which the Arab states abide, namely, no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with it, and insistence on the rights of the Palestinian people in their own country.
Clause 6: The participants have agreed on the need to adopt the necessary measures to strengthen military preparation to face all eventualities.
Using the sources and your own knowledge, examine the involvement of outside powers in the escalation of tension in the Middle East during the period from 1953 to 1967.
Markscheme
Source material
Source A Demonstrates the interest and activities of the USSR in the Middle East as part of its strategy to win the support of Third World countries, and thus gain an advantage in its Cold war rivalry with the West. The arms supply from Czechoslovakia upset the military balance in the Middle East and thus increased tensions.
Source B The cartoon shows US–Soviet Cold War competition in the Middle East. Both sides are seeking to win Nasser’s support with gifts, which shows willingness on their part to get involved in the area, and this alarmed Israel.
Source C Ben-Ami suggests that the Soviets were giving strong support to Egypt and that France was seeking friendship with the Arab world. The US was playing no active role in the Middle East (probably because of its preoccupation with Vietnam), and Britain was also inert. This reinforced hawkish tendencies on the part of Israel.
Source D Demonstrates Cold War rivalry between the US and the Soviet Union in the Middle East; the US is selling arms to Israel in order to balance Soviet sales to Egypt. However, the source also shows US attempts to reduce tension via peace initiatives and avoiding the alienation of the Arab world (by not shipping arms directly to Israel).
Source E Shows the uncompromising intention of the Arab states to confront Israel and to defend the rights of the Palestinian people. Thus implying tension was caused by Arab hostility and not the actions of outside powers.
Own knowledge
In July 1956, the US withdrew its promise to fund the Aswan Dam project after Nasser’s arms deal with Czechoslovakia. In October and November 1956, the Suez Crisis occurred after Egypt nationalized the Canal. Israel invaded Sinai in co-ordination with British and French efforts to regain control of the Suez Canal (Sèvres Agreement, October 1956). In January 1957, the Eisenhower Doctrine was issued, and in March of that year, under US pressure, Israel completed its withdrawal from Sinai, thus reducing tension. In June 1967 the Six Day War occurred, prompted not only by Nasser’s increasing confidence but also by Israel’s sense of isolation.
Do not expect all the above and accept any other relevant material. If only source material or own knowledge is used, the maximum mark that can be obtained is [5]. For maximum [8] expect argument, synthesis of source material and own knowledge, as well as references to the sources used.
[8 marks]
