What has made the Middle East important?

 It is too much a single thing, so I wrote competition between the powers. It all started in the Cold War, the middle east was at first like Asia in terms of pro communist and pro capitalist states. Ultimately the capitalists got Israel as a foothold and it went from there. Oil is a factor now, but then it was their strategic location (just South of the USSR).

I think the three most important factors for the importance of the Middle East are oil, oil and oil.

geographic location, its the only thing that really matters in the whole of human history...your location gives you your neighbors, your resources, and the type of culture you produce.  In the past the Middle East was importnat because it was both a crossroads and contianed mahor urban centers, now its oil, but both are connected to geographic location.

I think it was also an important region before discovering oil, wasn't it?

Oil.

It will become more obscure but not forgoten, because of the ever present threat of terrorists and terrorism.

I think mainly because of its history, and importance for all nations. The Western and Islamic civilizations were both created in middle east, and also because of some "Zionistic" ideas, these lands had been the most wanted lands for thousands of years.

Current civilizations are all formed in middle east. The first modern civilizations of our time, Sumerians and others were all in that region, Judaism and its another version, Christianity which are the main elements of western civilizations were found in middle east. Also Islam amd its culture is related to these lands. Ancient inheritances, knowledge, secret objects are all found in this region, and the most powerful people of the world, Zionist and other worldwide organizations supporting them all have a common goal of ruling all these areas under their rule. I also heard that George Bush, who is an Evangelist wants to repeat the victories of Alexander's victories by firstly conquering Babylon (Baghdad, Iraq) and then conquering Persia, Bactria and some parts of Sogdia (Iran and Turkic world). I think his mission isnt all about some oil.

All modern history is related to middle east. This region has its mystery and secret knowledge of thousands of years. I believe history and the ignorancy of people repeated itself until our time, but I wish it wont continiue until the end of the time.

People kill each other to own the deserts and empty mountains of this region. These lands are holy for all humanity and civilizations. But to me, I would say Northern Sogdiana lands are holy since our great fathers belonged there

Geographic location n oil.

1- Currently Oil

2- geographical location: center between major continents andSuez Cannal

3- Holiness: birth and the dispute location of two global mega religions and three monothiest religions.

 

Geographical location. There's oil in other places and there are alterantives to oil consumption, and oil has not always been so important, but there's no such a geographic knot as the the Near/Middle East: between Africa, Europe and the two Asias (South and East), between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indic Ocean. There's no such a strategic region as this one: that well deserves the name of center of the Old World.

All of them.

But "Geographic Location" and "Historical Background" especially.