Ideal Middle Eastern Borders

Vingilótë

Vingilótë

The modern borders for the Middle Eastern states were largely drawn by the victorious Allies following WWI, as intended colonies. I've heard it said frequently that the borders are less than ideal.

What would be your ideal borders for the Middle East?

(Middle East defined as Green region on this map)
Middle_East_%28orthographic_projection%29.svg
 
modelcitizen

modelcitizen

One big happy regional federation, ruled by an enlightened science-embracing quasi-secular despot who has affection for the preservation of local cultural traditions?
 

Swede

modelcitizen said:
One big happy regional federation, ruled by an enlightened science-embracing quasi-secular despot who has affection for the preservation of local cultural traditions?
Click to expand...

Split into many, many cantons so that most groups will have several of their own. And have the despot have a very mixed background (all great grandparents from different groups).
 

mikegold

I'm not great with maps, but:

Egypt includes Sudan, minus Darfur and Christian/Animist areas, as well as Gaza.
Israel includes some of the large settlement blocs and the Golan Heights, but not the Wadi 'Ara, Rahat, or the "Little Arab Triangle" in the Galilee around Umm el-Fahm.
Lebanon is smaller and majority Christian (similar to Ottoman-era Lebanon).
An independent Jabal ad-Druze based in the Chouf mountains.
An independent Alawiya that includes Hatay.
An independent Kurdistan in Kurdish-majority parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
A "Khaleeji Federation" led by Oman and including the OTL UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Hadramut and Aden. Ibadi-led but tolerant.
A parliamentary Hashemite monarchy in Saudi Arabia, north Yemen, Jordan, the land-swapped West Bank, interior Syria, Arab Iraq (Sunni as well as Shi'ite), Kuwait, and Khuzestan.
Iranian Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan.
Southeast Iran belongs to independent Baluchestan. However, Iran also extends east into Afghanistan, taking in Herat and Tajik majority areas, all of Tajikistan, plus Bukhara and Samarkand.
 

Delvestius

Banned
mikegold said:
I'm not great with maps, but:

Egypt includes Sudan, minus Darfur and Christian/Animist areas, as well as Gaza.
Israel includes some of the large settlement blocs and the Golan Heights, but not the Wadi 'Ara, Rahat, or the "Little Arab Triangle" in the Galilee around Umm el-Fahm.
Lebanon is smaller and majority Christian (similar to Ottoman-era Lebanon).
An independent Jabal ad-Druze based in the Chouf mountains.
An independent Alawiya that includes Hatay.
An independent Kurdistan in Kurdish-majority parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
A "Khaleeji Federation" led by Oman and including the OTL UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Hadramut and Aden. Ibadi-led but tolerant.
A parliamentary Hashemite monarchy in Saudi Arabia, north Yemen, Jordan, the land-swapped West Bank, interior Syria, Arab Iraq (Sunni as well as Shi'ite), Kuwait, and Khuzestan.
Iranian Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan.
Southeast Iran belongs to independent Baluchestan. However, Iran also extends east into Afghanistan, taking in Herat and Tajik majority areas, all of Tajikistan, plus Bukhara and Samarkand.
Click to expand...

This, except no Israel.
 
Athelstane

Athelstane

mikegold said:
I'm not great with maps, but:

Egypt includes Sudan, minus Darfur and Christian/Animist areas, as well as Gaza.
Israel includes some of the large settlement blocs and the Golan Heights, but not the Wadi 'Ara, Rahat, or the "Little Arab Triangle" in the Galilee around Umm el-Fahm.
Lebanon is smaller and majority Christian (similar to Ottoman-era Lebanon).
An independent Jabal ad-Druze based in the Chouf mountains.
An independent Alawiya that includes Hatay.
An independent Kurdistan in Kurdish-majority parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran.
A "Khaleeji Federation" led by Oman and including the OTL UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Hadramut and Aden. Ibadi-led but tolerant.
A parliamentary Hashemite monarchy in Saudi Arabia, north Yemen, Jordan, the land-swapped West Bank, interior Syria, Arab Iraq (Sunni as well as Shi'ite), Kuwait, and Khuzestan.
Iranian Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan.
Southeast Iran belongs to independent Baluchestan. However, Iran also extends east into Afghanistan, taking in Herat and Tajik majority areas, all of Tajikistan, plus Bukhara and Samarkand.
Click to expand...

This isn't bad.

I don't know what our departure date is, but if it's earlier in the 20th century, I would also carve out Christian cantons in Palestine. Akka, Nazareth, and outside Jerusalem - with enclave control over Christian sectors of he Old City. That would not only give Christians better protection, but introduce a new buffer element into Israel-Palestine.

I might also include autonomous Christian and Turkoman cantons in Kurdistan, given the size and concentration of those groups.

I think your super-Hashemite state would be unstable, unless made into a looser confederacy - too many disparate elements. The center of gravity would be less clear, if Baghdad is included. I see, however, that you're trying to prevent a Shi'ite dominated state in Mesopotamia. Otherwise, the only solution is to split it up into lots of smaller states.
 

Brady Kj

I don't know much about the Middle East, but something divided along ethnic lines is definitely the way to do it. All I know for sure is that if the Middle East doesn't include a Kurdish nation, it's not ideal.
I would like to see large Jewish and Arabic populations living peacefully together in Palestine, but I agree it'd be more practical to put most of those Jews in my country. But I wouldn't make New York City any more crowded than it already is. It's better to scatter people around the US.
 

Chris S

Eh, this topic is bound to stir up controversy, but one off-the-top-of-my-head idea for different (though perhaps not totally ideal) middle eastern borders would be:

middle east alternate borders.png
 
modelcitizen

modelcitizen

an option....

Hashemites control Arabian peninsula, Babylon, and the Transjordan.

Israel in pre-1967 Israel, except with the Golan Heights. Unless...


Syria and Lebanon run by Phoenician merchant association.

(And if so, then Israel doesn't need the Golan Heights.)

Oh yeah, Phoenician merchant association also controls Northern Africa. (MUHAHAHAHAHA.)
 
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