Intro to Middle Eastern Politics

Summary

In this lecture, Senior Coach Leon delves into the political blocks of the Middle East, shaped by historical events like the Ottoman Empire's collapse and subsequent colonial divisions by the British and French Empires. The lecture highlights the diverse political systems of Middle Eastern countries, ranging from constitutional monarchies to absolute monarchies and presidential republics. It also addresses the influence of religious divisions, international relations, and the impact of events like the Arab Spring and proxy wars on regional politics. Organizations such as the Arab League, GCC, and OIC are discussed for their roles in fostering cooperation and addressing conflicts, despite facing criticism for their effectiveness.

Takeaways

• 🏛 The Middle East's political blocks were largely shaped by historical events, particularly the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and subsequent colonization by the British and French Empires.
• 🌏 The region includes a variety of political systems, such as constitutional monarchies, parliamentary democracies, and absolute monarchies, each with its own head of state.
• 📚 Students are encouraged to research the events of the 1970s in the Middle East, particularly the oil crisis, for a deeper understanding of the region's political landscape.
• 🔍 The lecture highlights the importance of understanding the religious divisions and international relations, especially with the United States and Russia, in analyzing the Middle East's political blocks.
• 🕊️ The Arab-Israeli conflict has been a significant factor in shaping political alliances and tensions in the Middle East, with the status quo and historical context being crucial for debates.
• ⚔️ The rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia is a major influence on Middle Eastern politics, with both nations vying for regional influence and differing on key issues like Iran's nuclear program.
• 💰 Economic interests, particularly oil reserves, heavily influence relations between Middle Eastern countries, leading to both alliances and rivalries.
• 🌪️ The Arab Spring of 2011 led to significant political changes in the region, impacting international relations and the domestic policies of affected countries.
• 🎭 Proxy wars are common in the Middle East, with powerful nations using local actors to pursue their interests in regional conflicts, complicating the political dynamics.
• 🤝 Organizations like the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) play a role in fostering cooperation and diplomacy in the region.
• 🔍 The effectiveness of these organizations is often criticized, with accusations of being out of touch with member states' needs and failing to resolve ongoing conflicts and crises.

Q & A

What historical empire significantly influenced the political blocks in the Middle East?

The Ottoman Empire, which existed from the 13th to the 20th century, had a significant influence on the formation of political blocks in the Middle East.

What event marked the beginning of the end for the Ottoman Empire and its subsequent political subdivisions?

The collapse of the Ottoman Empire during World War I led to its further subdivision into different political blocks.

Which European empires played a major role in colonizing the Middle East after the fall of the Ottoman Empire?

The British Empire and the French Empire were the major European powers that colonized several countries in the Middle East after the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

What is the current political structure of Iran?

Iran is an Islamic Republic with a Supreme Leader who serves as the head of state.

How does the political system in Iraq differ from that of Iran?

Iraq is a parliamentary federal republic with a president and a prime minister, whereas Iran is an Islamic Republic with a Supreme Leader.

What is the significance of the Arab Spring in the context of the Middle East's political landscape?

The Arab Spring, a wave of uprisings and protests starting in 2011, significantly impacted the politics of the region, leading to the overthrow of several governments and changing the political landscape.

What role does the United States play in the Middle East, particularly during the 1970s oil crisis?

The United States became a prominent player in the Middle East during the 1970s oil crisis, which is beyond the scope of this lecture, but it's suggested that students research what exactly happened during that time.

What are the main objectives of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)?

The GCC aims to promote economic integration, regional security, and stability among its member states, as well as to resolve conflicts and manage regional responses to threats such as terrorism.

What is the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its purpose?

The OIC, established in 1969, is the largest intergovernmental body with 57 member states, aiming to promote peace, security, and development among the Muslim world, and to protect the rights of Muslims globally.

What is the Arab League and what does it represent?

The Arab League, founded in 1945, is one of the oldest and largest regional organizations in the world, representing 22 Arab states and aiming to promote political, economic, and cultural cooperation among its members.

What are some criticisms faced by regional organizations like the Arab League, GCC, and OIC?

These organizations have been criticized for being out of touch with the needs and aspirations of their member states and for failing to effectively respond to the challenges and crises in the region.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Historical Political Blocks in the Middle East

The first paragraph introduces the lecture on political blocks in the Middle East, delivered by Leon, a senior coach. It discusses the historical formation of these blocks, tracing back to the Ottoman Empire's influence from the 13th to the 20th century. The lecture highlights the empire's collapse during World War I and the subsequent political subdivisions by the British and French empires. It also mentions the rise of the United States' influence post-World War II, especially during the 1970s oil crisis. The paragraph provides an overview of Middle Eastern countries, their political systems, and their memberships in regional organizations like the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council. It concludes by urging students to research the 1970s oil crisis and understand the political landscape of the Middle East.

05:03

🏛 Understanding Conflicts and Alliances in the Middle East

The second paragraph delves into the reasons behind conflicts in the Middle East, emphasizing religious divisions and international relations with global powers like the United States and Russia. It outlines the influence of regional powerhouses such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as international players, on the political landscape. The paragraph touches on the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Iran-Saudi Arabia rivalry, and economic interests, particularly oil reserves, which drive alliances and rivalries. It also discusses the Arab Spring's impact on regional politics and the prevalence of proxy wars, where powerful nations use local actors to further their interests in regional conflicts.

10:06

🤝 The Role of Regional Organizations in Shaping Political Blocks

This paragraph examines the role of regional organizations like the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in fostering cooperation and diplomacy among member states. It describes the Arab League's advocacy for Palestinian rights and its efforts to promote peace and stability, despite criticism for failing to resolve regional conflicts. The GCC's objectives for economic integration and regional security are highlighted, along with its role in infrastructure development and conflict management. The OIC's focus on promoting peace, security, and development among Muslim-majority countries, as well as its initiatives for economic and social development and humanitarian responses, are also discussed. The paragraph concludes by noting the common challenge faced by these organizations in translating discussions into effective action.

15:07

📚 Navigating Middle East Debates with an Open Mind

The final paragraph offers guidance for students preparing for debates on Middle Eastern political blocks. It advises maintaining an open mind, avoiding personal biases, and recognizing the complexity of issues in the region. The paragraph stresses the importance of thorough analysis and understanding the impact of arguments. It also provides a cautionary note about the difficulty of resolving problems in the Middle East due to their inherent complexity. The lecture concludes with an invitation for students to reach out for further clarification, emphasizing the self-explanatory nature of the content covered.

Keywords

💡Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia, Egypt, and sometimes parts of the Eastern Mediterranean. It is known for its rich history and cultural diversity. In the video, the Middle East is the central focus, discussing its political blocks and the historical events that have shaped its current geopolitical landscape.

💡Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire was a powerful state that lasted from the 13th to the early 20th century, controlling much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. In the context of the video, the empire's collapse after World War I led to the creation of new political entities in the Middle East, significantly impacting the region's political structure.

💡British Empire

The British Empire was one of the largest empires in history, with territories around the world. In the video, it is mentioned as having colonized several countries in the Middle East, exerting control over these territories until they gained independence, thus influencing the region's political development.

💡French Empire

Similar to the British Empire, the French Empire had colonies in various parts of the world, including the Middle East. The video notes that countries like Syria and Lebanon were under French rule until mid-20th century independence, which is a key part of understanding the political divisions in the region.

💡Political Blocks

Political blocks refer to groups of states that share common interests or goals and often act in concert on the international stage. The video discusses how these blocks in the Middle East were formed through historical events and continue to influence the region's politics.

💡Arab League

The Arab League is a regional organization of Arab countries in and around the Middle East, founded in 1945 to promote economic and political cooperation. The video describes its role in advocating for Palestinian rights and addressing regional issues, despite facing criticism for its effectiveness.

💡Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

The GCC is a political and economic alliance of six Gulf states aimed at fostering cooperation and integration among its members. The video highlights the GCC's objectives, including economic integration and regional security, while also noting criticisms regarding its response to regional conflicts.

💡Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

The OIC is the largest intergovernmental Muslim organization, which seeks to promote unity and cooperation among its member states. The video explains its role in economic development, humanitarian aid, and the protection of Muslim rights, while also acknowledging criticisms of its effectiveness.

💡Proxy Wars

Proxy wars occur when powerful nations support opposing sides in a conflict, often using local actors as representatives. The video mentions proxy wars as a feature in the Middle East, contributing to the formation of political blocks and complicating regional dynamics, with examples such as the Syrian Civil War and the Yemen crisis.

💡Arab Spring

The Arab Spring refers to a series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. The video describes its impact on the political landscape of the Middle East, leading to the overthrow of several governments and affecting international relations.

💡Iran-Saudi Arabia Rivalry

The rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia is a significant factor in Middle Eastern politics, with both countries vying for influence in the region. The video discusses how their competition, differences over issues like Iran's nuclear program, and Saudi intervention in Yemen have led to tensions in the region.

Highlights

Lecture on political blocks in the Middle East by senior coach Leon

Middle East political blocks formed through historical events, including the Ottoman Empire's influence

The Ottoman Empire existed from the 13th to the 20th century and was one of history's most powerful empires

World War I led to the collapse and subdivision of the Ottoman Empire into British and French Empires

The United States became a prominent player in the Middle East post-World War II, especially during the 1970s oil crisis

The Ottoman Empire's division resulted in several independent states including Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan

Different forms of government in Middle Eastern countries such as constitutional monarchies, parliamentary democracies, and absolute monarchies

Religious divisions and international relations significantly influence the political landscape of the Middle East

The Arab Israeli conflict has been a major factor shaping political blocks in the Middle East

Iran-Saudi Arabia rivalry is a significant factor in recent Middle Eastern politics

Economic interests and oil reserves heavily influence relations between Middle Eastern countries

The Arab Spring in 2011 significantly impacted the politics of the region, leading to the overthrow of several governments

Proxy wars are common in the Middle East with powerful nations supporting opposing sides in regional conflicts

Organizations like the Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council, and Organization of Islamic Cooperation play roles in shaping political blocks

The Arab League was founded in 1945 to promote cooperation among Arab states and address the Arab Israeli conflict

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) aims to promote economic integration and regional security among its member states

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) seeks to promote peace, security, and development among Muslim-majority countries

Criticism of these organizations for failure to resolve ongoing conflicts and crises in the region

Importance of maintaining an open mind and avoiding personal biases when approaching debates on Middle Eastern issues

Transcripts

okay so hello students my name is Leon

I'm one of the senior coaches and today

I'm doing the lecture on political

blocks in the Middle East and just

trying to expand your knowledge on the

Middle East in

general so we know that the Middle East

political blocks formed through a

combination of historical events right

which events are those specifically we

look at the Ottoman Empire who had

territory in the Middle East in Africa

and in parts of Eastern

Europe it existed in the 13th to the

20th century and it was one of the most

powerful empires in history okay and

during World War I we see that the

Ottoman Empire collapses and then gets

further subdivided Ed into more

political blocks first one was the

British Empire the French Empire a

further subdivision of the oan empire in

the United States okay the British

Empire colonized several countries in

the Middle

East and ruled over these territories

for several decades until they were

granted the independence the French

Empire colonized several countries in

the Middle East as well such as Syria

Lebanon and

Algeria and these were ruled until the

mid 20th century until they gained

independence the otoman Empire divided

into several independent States

including turkey Syria Iraq Saudi Arabia

and

Jordan the United States following World

War II the United States also became a

prominent player in the Middle

East especially during the O crisis of

the

1970s and that's beyond the scope of

this lecture so I need you to go and

find out what exactly happened in those

1970s so I've given you some general

information about the countries in the

Middle East and I'm just going to read

through that with you okay we see bin is

a constitutional monarchy with the king

of Bin as the head of state it's a

member of the Arab League and the gulf

cooperation Council Council don't really

worry about those I'm going to speak

about those a little bit L later in this

lecture Cyprus is divided into the

Republic of Cyprus which is a European

Union member state in the Turkish

Republic of Northern Cyprus which is

only recognized by turkey Egypt is a

presidential Republic with its

Parliament and prime

minister right Syrian Arab Republic is a

parliamentary presidential Republic with

the president as the head of state

it's been locked in a civil war since

2011 Iran is a theoretical Republic with

a supreme leader as the head of state

it's a member of the organization of

Islamic cooperation and the United

Nations Iraq is a parliamentary federal

republic with a PR now this all goes

back to the lecture on Democracy that I

um sent out previously if you don't

understand the difference

between um a

monarchy and what exactly is a what else

did I mention

here a republic go back to the lecture

and it explains it quite well right so

Iraq is a parliamentary federal republic

with the president and a prime minister

Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy with

the air of Kuwait as the head of state

all right Lebanon is a parliamentary

representative democracy with the

president as the head of

state okay then moving on to the next

slide right om

man is an absolute monarch

with the Sultan of

Oman as head of state Palestine is a

disputed region in the Middle East that

is claimed by both Israel and the state

of Palestine it's home to the ancient

city of Jerusalem and the iconic Dome of

the Rock and alasar mosque okay Qatar is

an absolute monarchy as well with an

Amir of Qatar as head of state Yemen is

a presidential Republic with this

President of Yen as head of state is

locked in the Civil War since

2014 Saudi Arabia is an absolute

monarchy with the King of Saudi Arabia

as the head of state Israel is a

parliamentary democracy with the Prime

Minister as head of

government Jordan is a parliamentary

monarchy with the King of Jordan as head

of state and the UAE is a federal

monarchy with the president

of the UAE as the head of

States now to understand why there is

conflict in this region we must

understand what

separates all of these regions from each

other okay we see that it's religious

divisions as well as the international

relations with the United States and

Russia okay we see that these countries

exert a sign significant influence over

these countries in the Middle East in

the Middle East several countries and

organizations had significant influence

from Regional powerhouses like Saudi

Arabia and Iran to International Players

like the United States and Russia each

has their own interests and

alliances understanding these key actors

is crucial to unraveling the political

blocks understanding that religious

divisions as

well cause or our platform for

disagreement between these different

states is also pivotal for you to

address any debate okay groups like The

Sun Muslims the scha Muslims Christians

Jews and all of that there these

divisions often led to conflicts and

will still continue to lead to

conflicts looking at the Arab Israeli

con conflict very briefly right the

longstanding Arab Israeli conflict has

been a major factor in

shaping

um political blocks in the Middle

East right the dispute over land

resources and self-determination has led

to alliances and tensions among the Arab

Nations and Israel this conflict

continues to influence Regional Dynamics

for any debate going forward the

possibility that you are going to be

tested on this in a debate is very high

so ensure that you understand

properly the Israel

Palestine um conflict and what is

happening according to the status quo of

their country in actual fact because

it's been that way for years now but

what is happening presently also you

need to do some general research about

how the conflict started in the first

place

another aspect that we can look at which

might be problematic is the Iran Saudi

Arabia

rivalry the Rivalry between these two

countries has been a major factor in the

politics of the Middle East in recent

years the two countries have competed

for influence in the region seeing that

they are both

equally or on the same playing field in

terms of the level of power that they

have the potential to exert over the

Middle East and the difference

differences on issues like Iran's

nuclear program and Saudi Le

intervention on Yemen has led to

tensions

okay then looking at the economic

interests of all of these independent

countries in the Middle East they

heavily

influence the relations between these

countries the region is rich in oil

reserves making it a crucial player in

the global energy Market countries seek

to secure the economic interests leading

to alliances and

rivalries understanding these economic

Dynamics is essential to comprehend the

political

landscape then looking at the Arab

Spring right the Arab Spring is a wave

of Uprising and popular protest that

began in the Middle East in 2011 that

had significant impact on the politics

of the region these uprisings led to the

overthrow of several governments

including those in Tunisia Egypt and

Libya and have changed the Pol iCal

landscape in the region that is besides

the domestic changes that might have

been positive it has also influenced

international relations that is between

neighboring and

um neighboring states in the Middle East

as well as states in the Middle East in

general right because you must consider

the fact that the existing governments

had um relationships with the previous

governments

okay then looking at proxy wars they

have become a common feature in the

Middle East powerful Nations often

support opposing sides in Regional

conflicts using local actors as proxies

right what do we mean by proxies we mean

someone to stand as a sort of

Representative or something to stand in

the way of okay these conflicts such as

the ongoing Syrian Civ War and the Yemen

crisis contributes to the formation of

political blocks and further complicate

Regional

Dynamics various organizations play a

role in shaping political blocks in the

Middle East including the Arab League

the Gulf of cooperation Council the

organization of Islamic

cooperation these all aim to Foster

cooperation between the member states

that they associated with and they serve

as platforms for diplomatic discussion

and

Regional um cooperation okay looking at

the Arab

League symbolically the um slogan or

what is written on the the Arab League

all that it reads is League of the Arab

states okay and it's got 21 22 sorry

links on the chain that represent the

members of The League when the flag was

adopted okay let's just understand some

basic concepts it is 22 states in the

Middle East North Africa and parts of

East Africa so it's not specific to the

Middle East you must remember that okay

the Arab League is one of the oldest and

largest regional organizations in the

world and it aims to promote political

economic and cultural Cooper cooperation

among its member states the Arab League

was founded in

1945 during the heights of the Arab

Israeli conflict

the

organization's primary goal has been to

advocate for the rights of Palestinian

people and to promote peace and

stability in the Middle East the Arab

League has also taken a position on

other Regional issues including the

Iranian nuclear program the civil war in

Syria and the political instability in

Libya despite the historical role as

leading advocacy group for the Arab

world the Arab League is also fa fac

criticism in recent years for its

failure to resolve the conflicts and

crises that have rocked the region some

critics have accused the organization of

being out of touch with the needs and

aspirations of its member states and of

failing to respond effectively to the

challenges facing the Arab

world right then comes the GCC which is

the Gulf of cooperation Council the

specific objectives I'm not going to

read all of them but the first two are

being fully aware of the ties of special

relations common characteristics and

similar systems founded on the Creed of

Islam that b them and Desiring the

efficient coordination cooperation and

integration between them in all Fields

right

understanding

right one of the primary goals of the

GCC is to promote economic integration

among its member states through projects

like the GCC common market and the GF

Railway Network the organization has

also taken a leading role in the

development of strategic infrastructure

in the region including the construction

of sea ports airports and

gas and petrol

chemical facilities as you can see this

has been instrumental in ensuring the

sustainable development of countries in

the Middle East okay sometimes even

unsustainable in addition to its

economic goals the GCC also aims to

promote Regional security and stability

the organization has played a role in

resolving and

managing resolving conflicts in the

region including the disputes between

the bin and Qatar over the hawar islands

the GCC has also taken a reading leading

role in managing the regional response

to the threat posed by terrorism and

extremism despite its historic role as a

leading Regional Forum the GCC has faced

criticism in recent years for its

failure to resolve the ongoing conflicts

and crisis that have rocked the region

some critics have accused the

organization of being out of touch with

the needs of aspirations of its member

states and failing to respond

effectively to the challenges of the

Arab

world the OIC becomes Interlink with

being a religious organization as well

it's the largest intergovernmental body

in the world with 57 member states right

that

is that was sorry established in 1969 as

a response to the burning of a Mosk in

Jerusalem and it aims to promote peace

security and development among the

Muslim World

okay it has also played a role in

initiatives like the Islamic Development

Bank which provides loans and grants for

economic and social development projects

in Muslim majority countries the

organization has also taken a leading

role in the response to the human

humanitarian crisis in the Muslim world

including the conflict in Syria and the

refugee crisis in Myanmar in addition to

its economic benef economic and social

goals the OIC also seeks to promote and

protect the rights of Muslims around the

world the organization has taken a

leading role in addressing the issues of

islamophobia and discrimination against

Muslims and it has also played a role in

promoting cultural and religious plur

pluralism despite the historic role as a

leading advocate for the Muslim world

the OIC has faced criticism in recent

years for its failure to resolve the

ongoing conflict and crises that have

engulfed the region some critics have

accused the organization of being out of

touch with the needs and aspirations of

its member states and are failing to

respond effectively to the challenges

facing the Muslim world as you can see a

consistent line between all of the

three political blocks that I mentioned

to you was the fact that while they will

work on an I would say not really

intellectual while these ideas will work

on paper it becomes becomes very

difficult to ensure the practicality of

whatever is discussed in these meetings

and that's a consistent problem that we

see with political blocks is that no

matter how many meetings we can have in

a boardroom filled with all of these

different

um ambassadors of the countries not no

change is going to be affected unless

you have a government that is going to

be steadfast in ensuring that that

change is effective affected

sorry and I'll speak to you more about

that in the lecture that is on Eastern

European political blocks okay when you

are considering these motions because

the Middle East itself becomes

um like very closely linked to being a

religious topic you must always ensure

that you walk into that debate having an

open mind you also need need to ensure

that you strive to

maintain

um or not maintain sorry keep away your

personal biases and always understand

that issues are not as simple as they

seem to resolve that is why there was

this line that I've just read to you

about um there's no uh there's this how

can I say there's this loss of or out of

touchness of um being able to solve the

problems in these in these regions it's

because these issues are not as simple

to solve as they may seem okay so when

you approach these debates you cannot

make

assertions okay if you are providing us

with an argument you need to ensure that

you do the adequate analysis and impact

ass so associated with that

argument

okay and then we have some motion ideas

yeah so that's all that I have for you

regarding this lecture a fairly short

lecture I've done mostly um reading

through the slides here but that's

because everything is

self-explanatory I hope everyone

understood everything that I said and if

you did not you can reach out to me via

um the coaching group group or you can

WhatsApp me directly thank

you