The Middle East Buddy List

Unless you work for the UN, understanding the politics of the Middle East is tantamount to understanding quantum physics.  However, the Buddy List Chart by Slate is a good place to start your study.  plk

 

Does Hezbollah get along with Egypt? What about Hamas and Iran?

By Christopher Beam and Noam Rudnick
Posted Friday, July 21, 2006, at 5:04 PM ET

Last month, Hamas militants tunneled into Israel and kidnapped an Israeli soldier. Israel immediately invaded Gaza. Hamas began lobbing rockets into Israel. The Lebanese group Hezbollah kidnapped two more Israelis near the Lebanon-Israel border. Israel responded by carrying out airstrikes against Lebanon. Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemned Hezbollah for instigating the violence. Syria, Iran, and Lebanon called Israel's retaliation an excessive use of force.

Confused? We are too. Slate's Middle East Buddy List breaks down the relationships between the countries, terrorist organizations, and political factions who are fighting it out in the current conflict. Who likes whom? Who are the bitterest of enemies? And which groups don't really know where they stand? Click here to open an interactive chart that tells you everything you need to know.

Christopher Beam is a Slate intern.
Noam Rudnick is a Slate intern.

Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2146230/