Conflict in the Middle East

W hen two planes smashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York City and another crashed into the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001, most Americans saw the attacks as an act of war. But to those who interpret the teachings of the Koran, the holy book of Islam, in extreme ways, the destruction and damage wreaked on the financial and military centers of the United States was seen as an act ordained by Allah, the God of Islam.

Similarly, the continuing conflict in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians over territory and government is rooted in deeply held religious and ideological beliefs that span generations. The Jewish state of Israel was established in 1948, yet fighting and disputes over land and settlements goes on, international efforts to forge peace go unfulfilled, and violence seems to grow.

The two documents in this section provide insight into the thinking behind these struggles. The excerpt from the biography of Menachem Begin, leader of the terrorist organization Irgun Zvai Leumi and later prime minister of Israel, sheds light on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with his experiences in trying to establish a Jewish state. The fatwa, or religious decree by Osama bin Laden, the leader of the terrorist network Al Qaeda (pronounced al KAY-duh) held responsible for the September 11 attacks, demonstrates the reliance on religious teachings and a particular interpretation of those teachings to justify attacks on Americans and their allies.