Operation Desert Storm - the United States and its allies defeated Iraq in a ground war that lasted 100 hours (1991)

Six Day War, Six-Day War, Arab-Israeli War - tension between Arabs and Israeli erupted into a brief war in June 1967; Israel emerged as a major power in the Middle East

Arab-Israeli War, Yom Kippur War - Egypt and Syria attacked Israel in October 1973 (on Yom Kippur); Israel counterattacked and drove the Syrians back and crossed the Suez Canal into Egypt

zarf - an ornamental metal cup-shaped holder for a hot coffee cup

pita, pocket bread - usually small round bread that can open into a pocket for filling

falafel, felafel - small croquette of mashed chick peas or fava beans seasoned with sesame seeds

geographic area, geographic region, geographical area, geographical region - a demarcated area of the Earth

Mashriq - Arabic name for the Middle East

Fertile Crescent - a geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates

Israel - an ancient kingdom of the Hebrew tribes at the southeastern end of the Mediterranean Sea; founded by Saul around 1025 BC and destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BC

Israel, State of Israel, Yisrael, Zion, Sion - Jewish republic in southwestern Asia at eastern end of Mediterranean; formerly part of Palestine

Arab Republic of Egypt, Egypt, United Arab Republic - a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC

Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran, Persia - a theocratic islamic republic in the Middle East in western Asia; Iran was the core of the ancient empire that was known as Persia until 1935; rich in oil; involved in state-sponsored terrorism

Al-Iraq, Irak, Iraq, Republic of Iraq - a republic in the Middle East in western Asia; the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia was in the area now known as Iraq; modern government is involved in state-sponsored terrorism

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Jordan - an Arab kingdom in southwestern Asia on the Red Sea

State of Kuwait, Koweit, Kuwait - an Arab kingdom in Asia on the northwestern coast of the Persian Gulf; a major source of petroleum

Lebanese Republic, Lebanon - an Asian republic at east end of Mediterranean

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia - an absolute monarchy occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia; vast oil reserves dominate the economy

Syria, Syrian Arab Republic - an Asian republic in the Middle East at the east end of the Mediterranean; site of some of the world's most ancient centers of civilization; involved in state-sponsored terrorism

Republic of Turkey, Turkey - a Eurasian republic in Asia Minor and the Balkans; achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1923