What is the origins of the conflict in the Middle East?

Answer 1

This assumes that there is only one conflict in the Middle East. Currently, there are dozens of both international, intranational, and political conflicts throughout the Middle East. There have been wars and conflicts in the Middle East for nearly 4500 years, ever since Sargon of Akkad created the world's first empire in Mesopotamia. If you wish to learn about a specific conflict, specify that one by name.

Current conflicts in the Middle East include, but are not limited to:

Algeria:

• Algerian Internal Repression: Military Junta vs. Population

Bahrain:

• Bahraini Internal Repression: Sunni King, Bahraini Military, and Saudi Military vs. Majority Shiite Population
  

Egypt:

• Egyptian Societal Conflict: Liberals vs. Nationalists vs. Islamists vs. Socialists -- currently the Military Junta is repressing everyone.
  
• Egyptian Religious Strife: Persecution of Muslim Brotherhood by Members of the Egyptian Army
• Egyptian border Skirmishes: Egyptian Army vs. Hamas Fighters
  

Iran:

• Iranian Political Repressions: Mullahs and the Iranian Army vs. Protesters
• Iranian Ethnic Repressions: Iranian Central Government vs. Turks, Turkmen, Balochs, Azeris, Kurds, and many other minorities.
• Iranian Religious Repressions: Iranian Government vs. Zoroastrians, Yarsan, Yezidi, and numerous other non-pure monotheisms or henotheisms.
  

Iraq:

• War Against Islamic State
  
• Iraqi Insurgency: Shiite Tribes vs. Shiites in the Iraqi Government vs. Shiite Militant Organizations, Shiite Arabs vs. Sunni Arabs (both tribes and militant organizations), Shiite Militants vs. Kurds, Sunni Arab Militants vs. Kurds
• Repression of Turcoman and Iraqi Christian (Assyrian, Chaldean, Syrian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox) culture and rights.
• Iranian Intervention in Iraq: Iranian Al-Kuds Forces vs. Iraqi Politicians and Civilians

Israel/Palestine:

• Gazan Conflict: Israeli Army vs. Hamas and Islamic Jihad
• Occupation of the West Bank: Israeli Army vs. Palestinian Civilians
• Intifada: Palestinian Terror Organizations vs. Israeli Civilians
• Palestinian Civil War: Hamas vs. Fatah for political control of Palestine
  
• Golan Heights Occupation: Israeli Government vs. Syrian Government
• De Jure Arab-Israeli War: The Israeli government and the governments of nearly every Arab State (except Egypt and Jordan) are in a State of War even though there are currently no military engagements.
• Conflicts between Religious and Secular Jews over political control of Israel
  

Jordan:

• Societal disagreements between the Government policies and the majority Palestinian population, especially recognition of Israel and the elevation of the Circassians.
  

Kuwait:

• Kuwait National Struggle: Kuwaiti Immigrants vs. Emir and Parliament of Kuwait
• Kuwaiti Eviction of 350,000 Palestinian Refugees.
  

Lebanon:

• Lebanese Domestic Control: Unified Lebanese Army vs. Hezbollah
• Lebanese Management of Palestinian Refugees: Lebanese Militias vs. Palestinian Refugees
• Syria-Lebanon Interference: Syrian Spies and Hezbollah vs. Lebanese Politicians
• Remnants of the Lebanese Civil War: Maronite Christians vs. Sunni Muslims vs. Shiite Muslims.
  

Libya:

• The Second Libyan Civil War
  
• Libyan Tribal Conflict: (Always rotating, but typically) Cyrenacian Tribes and Fezzan Tribes vs. Tripolitanian Tribes
• Arab Spring Wars: Muammar Qadhafi's Government vs. Arab Spring Forces
  

Morocco:

• Western Saharan Secession: Moroccan Army vs. Polisario Nationalist Front
• Moroccan Government: Secularizing King vs. Islamist Parliament

Oman:

• Omani Rebellion: Arab Spring Protesters vs. Sultan of Oman

Saudi Arabia:

• Saudi Political Repression: King of Saudi Arabia vs. Population (especially Women and Minorities)
• Saudi Religious Repression: Wahhabi Clerics vs. Population (especially Women and Minorities - like Christians, Jews, Hindus, Shiite Muslims)

Syria:

• War Against Islamic State
  
• Syrian Internal Repression: Resistance Arab Spring Fighters vs. Government forces of Bashar al-Assad vs. Jubhat an-Nusra (Syrian al-Qaeda) vs. YPG Rojava (Kurdish fighters)
  

Sudan:

• Darfur Genocide: Sudanese Government-sponsored Militias vs. Darfurians
• South Sudanese Secession: Sudan Government vs. South Sudanese Militias
  

Turkey:

• Dispute of Hatay Province: Turkish Government vs. Syrian Government
• Eastern Turkey: Turkish Army vs. PKK and Kurdish Rebels
• Turkish Occupation of North Cyprus: Turkish Government vs. Cypriot Government
• Aegean Maritime Territory: Turkish Government vs. Greek Government
• Disputes about the Armenian Genocide: Turkish Government vs. Armenian Government
  

Tunisian:

• Tunisian Revolution / Jasmine Revolution: Arab Spring Fighters vs. Presidential Regime

Yemen:

• Yemeni Civil War: Houthis vs. Presidential Regime vs. Islamic State Yemen
  

Answer 2

Start with the occupying Romans conflict with Christianity.