The Middle East is a knot. There are too many dichotomies to untangle. The present worldview is insufficient to resolve the many disputes between the dichotomies. Muslims are separated into Shia and Sunni. The peoples who live there are separated into Persians and Arabs. Governments are separated differently, as well. Iran is a theocracy, and Saudi Arabia and Jordan have monarchy.
The primary religion of the Middle East is Islam. The sacred text of the Muslim religion is the Quran. There is a spectrum of thought that is derived from the text. The Quran explains there is no compulsion to religion, but at the same time it seeks to vanquish the non-believer. The religion has a peaceful side. In 600 AD, no compulsion to Judaism was satisfied by a tax when Islam first emerged. Within the Middle East region Islam territorially conquered the unbelieving people and required submission. Their area of control expanded, and Islam confronted Christians in Europe. They could not incorporate this religion through a tax, like they did with Jews that lived among them. As a result, geographically, Muslims and Christians became separate, and monotheism fractured.
Historically, the Middle East was ruled by Persia. The Persian empire challenged the city-states of Greece around 499 BC. The Persians were repulsed, but they continued to rule the Middle East. Eleven hundred years later, Islam emerged in Medina, where Arab people lived and were able to influence the whole area. Iran is Persian and they have a long tradition of Islam, which is a peaceful bond for all peoples in the area.
In 1947, the political state of Israel formed. In order to negotiate with the Jews, statehood became a first concern to resolve differences, and will remain until peace returns.
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