What Role Geography Played In The Arab-Israeli Conflict

1. Give an example of when geography and ethnicity clashed, and what role geography played in the outcome.
An example of a time when states clashed and both geography and ethnicity played a factor in the situation is the Arab-Israeli conflict. This is a situation that is still going own today. This conflict has been the going on for almost 70 years. The conflict started in 1948 when Israel became a state. This battle has been between the Hebrew in Israel and the Arabs in Palestine. Geography is the main reason for this conflict. This has battle has proven itself to be no more than a great land dispute. The Jews in Israel sees itself as a very small country surrounded by a region of hostile Muslim Arabs. The countries major cities are close to international borders and vulnerable to surprise attack. Israel has no intention of giving up control of the city of Jerusalem. Palestine wants stable land in order to help them achieve their goal in become a state. They want a halt to Israeli occupation and settlement of the West Bank and territory between the Jordan River and the Red Sea including the city of Jerusalem. Many other states including the United States have tried to
intervene to help these two states come up with a compromise. Today there have been small victories within the conflict but there is still unrest in the region. Israel has given Palestinians control of the Gaza Strip and much of the West Bank. This conflict is not over and only time will tell when it will end.
2. How does geography matter in terms of state interactions over water?
There are many natural resources nations cooperate and engage in conflicts over, water is the often the most important and irreplaceable resource available to those nations. The impacts of water scarcity on the international system are not immediately evident at the international level of analysis. The likelihood for the potential of violent conflict increases as access to clean water decreases. Ethnic, tribal, and religious tensions are factors which have heightened conflicts between groups over water in Many nations in the Middle East and South Africa. Few nations, cities, and small towns have a water source that they do not share with a neighbor. States with more severe water limitations for its populace are more likely to have strict control over the water source and the potential repercussions of their neighboring water source owners.
3. How would you argue that geography matters when it comes to trade?
The geographical location in the world of a state can play a significant role in how successful that nation is able to trade in the existing international system.
An important aspect of global trade to consider is economic activity. High income states are concentrated together in regions which allow easy interstate trade. States that are landlocked and poor are at a significant trade disadvantage then states who have varying trade routes, methods, and the finances to utilize them. The rules and continued development of international trade is also dictated by nations whose geography helped facilitate their strong trade. Advances in technology will continue to decrease the cost of trade but, underdeveloped nations will not be able to take advantage of these advances as quickly and larger
nations