The Deadly Seas - the Role of Water in Middle Eastern Conflict

Like Jackson, I found that the countries that were surrounded by water and had oil were the ones plagued with conflicts. But, I also found that even countries without oil that were along the water were also areas of turmoil. For example, Israel, which borders the Mediterranean Sea and has a corner that just touches the Gulf of Aqaba, which leads to the Red Sea, has been an area of conflict since its formation. Of course, one of the main causes of conflict has been the fact that Israel was formed in an area where Jews only made up 1/3 of the population. This caused a conflict because the Palestinians, the other people, were now being forced to live under a Jewish rule. But, part of the conflict probably also arose because Israel has direct access to the Mediterranean Sea. Even with the advent of airplanes, ships and waterways are still the main way to transport goods, and Israel has access to a very important one; one that connects the Middle East to Europe. Because of this, they are allowed to regulate trade that passes through them and charge taxes. It is a great way for the nation to make money - quite possibly the most important thing to many in the world today. And, Israel does have a fairly strong economy (22nd highest GDP per capita and 2nd highest amount of start-up companies). While it would take a little more research to see if there is truly a correlation between their economy and their connection to the Mediterranean, it is clear that this access they have combined with their economic success could aggravate both the other countries surrounding it and the Palestinians, who could have had this land for themselves.