[anotherview]

By "they" do you mean Palestinians in particular or Arabs in general? The Palestinians? I can't think of anything, to be honest. The Arabs as a whole? Yes. You use Arabic numerals every day. I think your car has probably run on, at least in part, gasoline derived from Arab oil.

[BabsC]

I believe the operative word here was "lately" like in the last few centuries?

Without the west they wouldn't have the means to get the oil much less refine it.