Need help with an assignment for my Western Civilization Class.?

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Iya

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We have had to read about the historic fertile crescent that part I understand, but she has not asked us to find what countries are in the current fertile crescent I have found that the current countries are Egypt, Israel, West Bank, Gaza Strip Lebanon and parts of Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Iran. I understand that the cities are fighting but I have been asked to figure out why (religion?) and how history has effected what is going on now. I know that I might sound really dumb, but I have tried to figure this out and have a lot in my head but I cannot seem to put it together.
 
In ancient times, the Seleucids and Ptolemies warred over this area in a series of brutal wars known as the Syrian Wars.

To the South, Egypt held the ports along the Delta (mainly Alexandria), while to the North the Seleucids held the ports along the southern coast of Asia Minor (mainly Antioch).

These areas were hotly contested because they held the great Phoenician port cities. These cities were enormously wealthy and provided many trade routes (particularly the Republic of Carthage sent yearly tribute/donations to their Phoenician homeland). Also these routes allowed trade relations to be built up with their native Hellas and even Rome.
The constant warfare between the empires led to their conquest by stronger foreign powers (Egypt by the Romans and Syria by the Parthians)

In later times, with the rise of the Abrahamic faiths, the region of Judea was regarded as a center for religious importance and was fought over in a series of wars called the Crusades.
 
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