1897 the world zionist organization was founded zionists believed that palestine was rightfully the...
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Arab-Israeli Conflict
1897 The World Zionist Organization was founded
Zionists believed that Palestine was rightfully the homeland of the Jews
Zionism
During World War I the British made three incompatible promises about the Middle East◦ Hussein-McMahon Correspondence: 1915-1916
Arabs were promised an independent state across the Middle East
◦ Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916: the British and French would divide the area of the Ottoman Empire and decide the boundaries of the states
◦ Balfour Declaration: Stated that the Jews could have a national home in Palestine provided they would not step of the rights of the existing inhabitants.
Origins
Balfour Continued: The British hoped◦ To gain the support of Jews within the Central
Powers◦ To gain the support of Jews in the U.S.
Origins
In 1919, the population of Palestine was 90% Arab.
British officially took control of Palestine under a League of Nations Mandate in 1920
Zionists turned toward immigration to try to change the demographics
Anti-Jew riots held in Jerusalem in 1920 in response to the Balfour Declaration◦ British introduced quotas on Jewish Immigration
stop the problem◦ Quotas were high and problem continued
Palestine under the British Mandate
In 1921, Palestinian protests continued◦ Failure of the British to honor the Sykes-Picot
Agreement◦ Continuing influx of Jews
In 1922, the British promised◦ There was no intention to hand over the whole
Palestine to the Jews◦ There would be no infringements of the rights of
native Palestinians
Palestine under the British Mandate
British tried to set up a legislative council containing both Arabs and Jews◦ Arabs would not give the Jews a guaranteed and
disproportionate voice in the government British set up a commission in 1929 to look at the
causes of Palestinian violence (Peel Commission) Found that Arabs
◦ Did not accept the British Mandate, wanted indep◦ Feared the loss of their land to the Jews◦ Desired the withdrawal of the Balfour Dec.◦ Wished to prohibit the sale of any more land to the Jews
Palestine under the British Mandate
As Hitler came to power, Jews began to flock to Palestine
In 1936, Arab Revolt began◦ Guerilla resistance against the British◦ Wanted independence, end of land sales to Jews,
and end to Jewish Immigration Peel Commission recommended that Palestine
be partitioned◦ 80% to the Arabs and 20% to the Jews◦ Arabs resisted because the Jews would be awarded
the best farmland and saw no reason to give up any part of their homeland
Palestine under the British Mandate
Sept 1937-Jan 1939◦ British lost control of Jerusalem, Nablus, and
Hebron◦ British now were the targets
British Tried to restore order◦ Civilians were used as hostages to provide cover◦ Demolished Arab homes
10% of the Palestinian population was killed◦ Jews 400 killed◦ British 200 killed
Arab Revolt
To gain Arab support in 1939, the British◦ Limited to Jewish Immigration to 10,000/year◦ Limited the land purchase of Jews◦ Promised to set up an Arab state of Palestine within
10 years Anti-Semitism of the Nazi’s appealed to the
Palestinians Zionists decided that British power was waning
and would seek the support of the USA in the future◦ Some appealed to Hitler to push the British out so
they could set up their own homeland
WWII
Arabs were assured by Roosevelt and Truman that no post-war settlement of Palestine would be made◦ Without full consultation with the Arabs◦ Against the interests of the Arabs
WWII
In January of 1944, the Jewish National Military Organization (Irgun Zvai Leumi) called upon Jews of Palestine to drive out the British and install a Jewish Government◦ British police stations were attacked◦ Nov. 1944 the British Minister in Cairo was murdered
With the end of the war, there were large numbers of European Jews seeking a new homeland◦ U.S. and Europe did not want them unless they were
wealthy, famous, or well qualified
Jewish Revolt
Arab League promised to prevent the formation of an exclusively Jewish state in Palestine (March 1945)
In April of 1946, David Ben-Gurion demanded the right of 1.2 million Jews to settle in Palestine
Hagganah had grown into a semi-professional army, together with Irgun; a terrorist campaign against the British and the indigenous Arab population began
Jewish Revolt
Most famous atrocity was the blowing up of the British Military HQ in the King David Hotel on July 22, 1946. Nearly 100 killed
July 30, 1946 the Morrison Plan was published◦ 40% Arab◦ 17% Jewish◦ 43% including Jerusalem under direct British
control Jews rejected the plan as offering too little
of Palestine
Jewish Revolt
Feb. 15, 1947 the British invited the United Nations to solve the problem◦ British Mandate was to expire in 1948
The United Nations appointed a special committee on Palestine which was not recognized by the Palestinians
August of 1947 the UN proposed◦ Partition of Palestine. Half to Jews
Jews made up one-third of the population and owned 6% of the land)
◦ Economically, Palestine would be a unit◦ British would administer for 2 more years under the UN◦ During that time 150,000 Jews were to be admitted
United Nations Intervention
Reasons for the UN Plan:◦ Feeling of guilt towards the Jews◦ Large numbers of dispossessed European Jews
seeking a new homeland Western countries did not want to take
◦ Zionists portrayed Palestine as the only refuge for Hitler’s victims
◦ Truman wanted the Jewish vote in New York and pressured the British to allow 100,000 Jews to immigrate
◦ U.S. pressured nations to vote for partition by withholding economic aid
United Nations Intervention
Jews outwardly accepted the settlement, Arabs refused to accept the settlement◦ Arabs were blocked from taking the issue to
International Court UN voted in November of 1947. U.S. and
Soviets pressured smaller countries to support the plan
Plan passes 33-13◦ 10 abstain
United Nations Intervention
Following UN intervention, Jews prepared for armed conflict◦ David Ben-Gurion instructed Hagganah to go on the
offensive and push Palestinians out of the territory proposed by the UN
Palestinians began to fight for their land in December 1947 –resented the impending loss of half of their homeland◦ Riots broke out across Arab lands against Jews◦ The Arab League proclaimed jihad against the Jews◦ Israelis began to import fighter aircraft from
Czechoslovakia
Origins of the First Arab-Israeli War
February , Jews drove out Arabs from part of Jerusalem and moved settlers in to take their place
In the Spring, Hagganah implements Plan Dalet◦ Occupy areas allocated to the Jews but also Jewish
settlements outside of that area April 15th, Irgun deliberately massacres 250 people
(mostly women and children) Dayr Yasin Massacre◦ Bodies were mutilated and disposed in wells
The Jews broadcast their actions to create an exodus of Arab inhabitants◦ Jews seized their land, houses, and possessions
Origins of the First Arab-Israeli War
May 15th, David Ben Gurion declared the independence of the state of Israel◦ Promised equality of political rights to all
regardless of religion, race, or gender◦ Hagganah was transformed into the Israeli army◦ Unlimited Jewish immigration was announced
David Ben Gurion was Prime Minister and Minister of War
The U.S. recognized the new state of Israel 11 minutes into its existence
Creation of the State of Israel
On the same day, the Egyptian air force bombed Tel Aviv (no deaths) and Iraqi troops crossed the Jordan◦ Most of the fighting took place on territory that was to
be part of Palestine In May, after 4 weeks of fighting, the Swedish
proposed a truce◦ Neither side accepted the Swedish proposal◦ David Ben Gurion had to fight off challenges to his
power Truce ended because Syria and Egypt were
unwilling to extend it
Creation of the State of Israel
Second war lasted from July 6-19 and led to a crushing Arab defeat◦ Israel took over much of western Galilee
Second truce was imposed by the United Nations In October, the Israelis invaded Negev
◦ Controlled by Egypt but awarded to Israel in the partition plan
October, The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem was elected by the National Palestinian Council to be the head of the government of all of Palestine◦ All Arab nations recognized this action except King
Abdullah of Jordan (his enemy)
Creation of the State of Israel
King Abdullah held his own conference announcing…◦ Palestine and Trans Jordan was a single entity- “Arab
Hashemite Kingdom”◦ Palestinians would be elected to the parliament in Amman
King Abdullah wanted control over the Palestinian lands◦ Israel was willing to work with him
October 21st- Israel prohibited non-Jewish Palestinians from visiting or living in certain areas of Israel without a permit◦ Allowed the Israeli military to expel Palestinians from
these areas
Creation of the State of Israel
January of 1949, Israeli law stated that all meat coming into the country had to conform to the Jewish religious laws.◦ State was taking on a religious character
Creation of the State of Israel
Arab armies were poorly equipped◦ British withheld spare parts◦ Jews were well supplied by the Czechs, Zionists in the
USA, and Europe Arab forces were inexperienced and poorly
coordinated Rivalries between Arab leaders Jews had their government and army in
existence and were prepared for war Palestinians were suffering from British
repression of 1936-1939 which had hurt their leadership
Reasons for Israeli Victory
Israel seized more land than had been awarded by the UN
Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan Israel held 78% of Palestine Nearly 1million Arabs fled to Egypt, Jordan, Syria,
and Lebanon where they lived in refugee camps Dec. 1948, UN passes a resolution that allows
refugees wishing to return to their homes and live in peace should be permitted to do so. ◦ Compensation should be paid for the property of those
choosing not to return◦ Israel ignored
Consequences of the First Arab-Israeli
United Nations Refugee and Works Administration for Palestinians was est.◦ It looked after
30,000 Arab refugees who had fled Israel and couldn’t return to their homes because they had been seized
Palestinian refugees who had fled to areas under Arab control
◦ It provided Relief Health care Social services Education
Consequences of the First Arab-Israeli
No Arab state recognized the legitimacy of the State of Israel
The British, Americans, and the French guaranteed the new borders of Israel and promised to sell limited arms in the region
Consequences of the First Arab-Israeli War
Passed laws designed to make it impossible for dispossess Palestinians to ever take back their homes and land
Deliberately and systematically bulldozed many Arab villages
Invited Jewish settlers from all over the world◦ Law of Return (1950): Jews everywhere had the
right to live in Israel Along the border areas, some 5,000
Palestinians were killed by Israelis between 1949-1956
Israel During the late 1940’s and 1950’s
Most Arabs lived in the border areas of Israel. These areas were ruled by martial law until 1966
Most of the land was placed under the ownership of the Jewish National Fund which prohibits it sale or lease to non-Jews forever
Government spending was spent on Jewish settlements, keeping Arab villages in a state of underdevelopment
Between 1948-1957 some 567,000 Jews were expelled from Arab states in reprisal for the expulsion of the Palestinians. Most settled in Israel
Israel During the late 1940’s and 1950’s
Egypt was under British control◦ Britain considered the use of the Suez Canal vital
Suez Canal Company was owned by mainly British and French
During WW II Britain took control of Egypt and made it into a British base◦ Egyptians began to resent British control and were
humiliated Most Egyptians were poor landless peasants
◦ Land was owned by a tiny number of rich◦ King Farouk was uninterested in the plight of his
countrymen
Suez Crisis
USA wanted to establish Middle East Defense Organization (MEDO) to resist communism◦ Egypt rejects MEDO and rejected British control.◦ Initiated Guerilla attacks in on the Canal Zone
1952 Gamal Abdul Nasser led a coup to over throw King Farouk◦ Nasser was part of a group that established the
Society of Free Soldiers in 194 Fight political corruption, depose the King, end
British domination Modernize Egypt, raise standard of living, Arab Unity
Suez Crisis
In 1953, the monarchy was abolished and a one party republic was established◦ Communists were suppressed as was the Muslim
Brotherhood Nasser will become prime minister after a
power struggle Nasser wants
◦ To end British colonial rule◦ End the existence of the state of Israel◦ To follow a policy of non-alignment◦ Arab Unity
Suez Crisis
1956, Nasser announces a socialist Arab state◦ One party, Islam was the official religion
U.S. and Great Britain agreed to finance the first part of the Aswan High Dam◦ Hoped to form ties to keep Communism out of
Egypt Nasser encouraged guerrilla bands of
fedayeen to attack Israel◦ Wanted to recover their homes from Jewish
settlers◦ Israel will retaliate by attacking groups of
refugees in Egypt
Suez Crisis
Nasser wanted to eradicate colonialism and create Arab Unity◦ Nasser opposed CENTO (only Pakistan and Iran joined)
Nasser decided to arm Egypt because Israel and France were working around arms agreements◦ Egypt concludes arms deal with Czechoslovakia and
officially recognized the People’s Republic of China◦ U.S. pulls funds for Aswan High Dam
Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal to finance the building of the dam
Suez Crisis
British believed that Egypt was trying to build a unified Arab kingdom under the influence of communism◦ This would threaten their oil supply
British, French, and Israelis discussed an attack on Egypt
October 29th 1956, Israel attacked Egypt◦ Captured the Sinai Peninsula within a week.
Suez Crisis
British and French issued an “ultimatum” for both sides to withdraw◦ Egypt refused the ultimatum
Britain and France then bombed Egyptian airfields and landed troops at the north end of the canal
Attack caused world outcry◦ America was afraid it would push Arab states to
communism, refused to support Br, Fr, and Is◦ U.S. joined U.S.S.R demanding withdrawal◦ Soviets were dealing with the Hungarian Revolt but
threatened to use ICBM’s on Britain and France
Suez Crisis
Consequences◦ Nasser remained in power, his prestige increased
among the Arab nations◦ Disruption of international trade◦ Reduced oil exports to the west◦ Br. And Fr. Influence in Middle East reduced◦ Eisenhower Doctrine (U.S. will use force to contain
communism in Mid East)◦ UN forces reopened the canal for shipping
Suez Crisis
Significance of the Suez War◦ It was part of the continuing struggle between
Israel and the Arab states◦ Demonstrated that Israel had established itself as
a state and had the ability to expand its territory◦ Entry of the Arab-Israeli conflict into the cold war
Suez Crisis
Causes◦ Egypt was encouraging guerillas to attack villages
across the border and Israel was retaliating◦ Israel was looking to expand into the West Bank◦ Egypt blocked the Straits of Tiran from Israeli
shipping◦ 1967 Nasser asked the UN to remove
peacekeeping troops from the Gaza Strip Nasser was under pressure from other Arab Nations
◦ Egypt, Jordan, and Syria began to concentrate troops on their borders with Israel
Six Day War
Course of the War◦ Israel pushed for American support of an attack
Israel appointed Moshe Dayan as Defense Minister (Symbol of the Suez Campaign)
◦ In an element of surprise, Israel attacked the air force of Egypt on June 4th, 1966 Obliterated the Egyptian Air force, ground troops
would have no air support◦ Jordanian troops attacked, Israel was able to gain
East Jerusalem and moved into the West Bank Jordan accepted the UN cease-fire on June 7th
◦ Egypt accepted the cease fire on June 8th
Six Day War
Syria accepted the cease fire on June 9th but Moshe Dayan wanted an opportunity to confront Syria◦ Dayan ordered an all out assault on Golan Heights◦ June 10th, the Six Day War ended
Results◦ Israel acquired the Gaza Strip and the Sinai
Peninsula from Egypt, Jerusalem and West Bank from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria
Six Day War
Results: ◦ UN Security Council Resolution 242
Demanded the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territory it recently occupied
Guaranteed freedom of navigation through all international waterways in the region
A just settlement of the Palestinian refugee problem Guarantees of territory for every state in the region
◦ Arab refugees of the Gaza Strip and West Bank found themselves under Israeli rule
◦ Communist block broke off diplomatic relations with Israel
◦ U.S. backed Israel
Six Day War
The Aftermath◦ Sporadic fighting continued along the borders◦ Palestinians formed the Popular Front for
Liberation of Palestine, Al Fatah, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization Hijacked aircraft in 1970 In 1972, attacked passengers at Lydda Airport in Tel
Aviv Attacked the Israeli Olympic team in Munich in 1972
Acts were intended to bring attention to the plight of the Palestinians but much of the world opinion was outraged by the acts themselves
Six Day War
Aftermath◦ Egyptian and Israeli forces engaged in sporadic
fighting across the border War of Attrition
◦ Jordanian Crisis (August –Sept 1970) Seeing the PLO as a threat, King Hussein of Jordan
attacked PLO refugee camps Prior to the attacks PLO supported groups challenged
Jordanian Law, took westerners hostage, and hijacked 4 planes
His attack led to the formation of Black September This group assumed responsibility for the attacks on the
Israeli Olympic team Syrians threatened a tank invasion
Six Day War
The Aftermath◦ Jordanian Crisis
Nasser played a large role in negotiating an end to the crisis The strain of the negotiation caused Nasser to collapse
and die on Sept. 28th 1970.
Six Day War
Arab League supported the establishment of an organization that would represent Palestinians and strive toward the liberation of Palestine◦ Nasser backed this idea to have a new group in
the League that would be under his control This would prevent Palestinians from taking action
against Israel that would drag Egypt into a confrontation
Al-Fatah and the PLO
Arab leaders chose Ahmad al-Shuqayri as leader of the PLO (1964)◦ King Hussein banned the PLO and Fatah from all
activities including recruitment in his country Al Shuqayri had stated the East and West Bank
Jordan and Israel all were part of Palestine Jordan had a population made up of 60% Palestinian
◦ Al Shuqayri seemed much too tame for Syria who wanted militant action against Israel. Syria’s support turned to a smaller Palestinian
organization…Al-Fatah Syria also wanted to oust King Hussein
Al-Fatah and the PLO
Syria’s sponsorship of Fatah was an effort to reestablish itself as the main player in the Arab revolutionary struggle◦ Syria was controlled by the Baath Party
Baath party mixed Arab nationalism and Arab Socialism. It was opposed to “Western Imperialism” and called for unity in the Arab world under one state
◦ By 1965, 39 random bombings had taken place◦ Israel was concerned about its security◦ It wasn’t clear where the attacks were coming from◦ Jordan was concerned about an Israeli retaliation◦ Both Hussein and Nasser feared the outbreak of hostilities
Syria was trying to paint both Egypt and Jordan as soft on Israel
Al-Fatah and the PLO
In Dec. of 1967 members of the PLO’s executive committee demanded that Al Shuqayri resign◦ He refused and asked for support from Nasser◦ Nasser refused to back him and he resigned
1968 PLO Charter stated that armed struggle would be the only way to liberate Palestine
Fatah and the PLO would merge in 1969 and Yassir Arafat was named the leader◦ Arafat was involved in the battle of Karameh which helped propel
him into the leadership position Karameh was a Palestinian refugee camp and Fatah Headquarters
that was attacked by Israel in 1968 after an attack on an Israeli Bus. Israel won the battle but suffered many casualties.
◦ Arafat wanted to shape the PLO into a unified political and military organization
Al-Fatah and the PLO
In August of 1970, Hussein, Nasser, and Golda Meir agreed to bring the war of attrition to a temporary halt
PLO was shocked and felt betrayed by Egypt and Jordan◦ Felt the best way to end the cease-fire would be to
overthrow King Hussein◦ King Hussein attacked the PLO in Sept. of 1970
PLO was forced to flee Jordan and established itself in Lebanon
Nasser dies during negotiations and Anwar Sadat replaces him
Al-Fatah and the PLO
Sadat wanted to regain the Sinai Peninsula and re-establish control over the Suez Canal◦ Also had far reaching economic goals. War of
Attrition had left Egypt bankrupt Wanted to move Egypt closer to the U.S.
◦ Proposed that Israel withdraw from the canal zone as a first step for Israel to fulfill Resolution 242
◦ Promised to restore diplomatic relations with the U.S. and sign a peace agreement with Israel
Israel rejected the proposal
Anwar Sadat
Sadat asked the Soviets to remove all of its advisors and technicians in July of 1971◦ This was done to satisfy the U.S.
Sadat and President Assad of Syria then began to plan for war against Israel◦ Felt this was the only way to get Israel to the
negotiating table.◦ Sadat wanted to take back the canal and the Sinai◦ Assad wanted to regain the Golan Heights
Israel didn’t recognize the warning signs until it was too late
Anwar Sadat
On Oct. 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched Operation Badr against Israel◦ This was the day of a Jewish religious celebration, Yom
Kippur Israel faced heavy losses since Egypt and Syria
were well equipped with Soviet weapons◦ Israel appealed to the U.S. for help and weapons◦ U.S. airlifted weapons after the Soviets resupplied Egypt
Israel counterattacked against Syria and was closing in on the Syrian capital of Damascus◦ Israel was also having success against Egypt in the
Sinai
1973 War
In response to the U.S. helping Israel, OPEC stopped shipping oil to the U.S. and any country that supported Israel◦ They dropped their Oil shipments by 25% causing
a world shortage During the 3rd week of October, the
superpowers got involved◦ U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Soviet
Leader Leonid Brezhnev met in Moscow to draft a plan to end the war
1973 War
All sides initially rejected calls for a cease fire but later changed their minds when the U.S. and Soviets threatened to intervene
Ceasefire was agreed on Oct. 22nd , 1973 Consequences of the 1973
◦ Arab armies were not defeated, first time since 1948◦ Arab states emerged more united than ever◦ Middle East countries will now use oil as a
bargaining tool. ◦ European Economic Community affirmed that the
rights of Palestinians must be considered in any settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict
1973 War
Consequences◦ Sadat emerged as an international statesman and
Egypt increased political status in the region◦ Israel technically won the war but public
confidence in the government was shaken Moshe Dayan (Defense Minister) and Golda Meir
(Prime Minister) were forced to resign in April of 1974◦ Yitzhak Rabin took over leadership of the Israeli
government
1973 War
International attempts to resolve tensions in the region generally failed
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger became a key figure◦ He knew that Sadat was willing to work with Israel◦ Kissinger was concerned about OPEC and decided
to take multiple visits to the Middle East◦ Kissinger also suggested to the Palestinians that
any partial withdrawal done by Israel might lead to a more comprehensive withdrawal in the future (shuttle diplomacy)
Role of the United States, the PLO and the United Nations
Kissinger would help convince Israel to withdraw from the Suez and Sinai Peninsula
In 1974 at the Arab League meeting the PLO was declared the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people◦ Yassir Arafat began to have hope that a separate
Palestinian state would happen It would be made up of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Arafat was asked to address the UN General Assembly ◦ This was a change in direction for the UN which had
supported partition
Role of the United States, the PLO and the United Nations
On Nov. 22, 1974 the UN passes Resolution 3236◦ Reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian
people in Palestine to the right of self determination and the right to national independence
◦ Invited the PLO to participate in the UN as an observer
PLO had been legitimized by the United Nations
Role of the United States, the PLO and the United Nations
Rabin’s government was the first Likud Government since 1948◦ It’s Prime Minister was Menachem Begin◦ Begin was considered to be a hardliner among the Arab
states Ideological background of the party indicated that giving up
any land to the Palestinians would be a betrayal of Israel’s sovereignty
Jimmy Carter became president in the U.S. in 1976◦ He traveled to Syria to test the waters of a peace
agreement◦ He found out that Syria didn’t support the idea of an
independent Palestine only a Syrian controlled PLO
Camp David and the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Agreement
Carter’s hope for peace seemed to be shattered when Begin compared Arafat to Hitler
In 1977, Sadat announced that he was willing to go to Israel and address the Knesset◦ Sadat was denounced by some Arab states and
the PLO as a traitor◦ He traveled to Jerusalem in November of 1977
and addressed the Knesset No breakthrough took place but a groundbreaking
meeting took place.
Camp David and the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Agreement
In September of 1978, President Carter invited Begin and Sadat to Camp David for talks◦ It was a bad tempered affair between Begin and
Sadat◦ Sadat threatened to return to Egypt after days of
discussion Camp David Accords were signed on Sept. 17,
1978◦ Called for Jordan, Egypt, Israel, and the Palestinian
people to resolve issues in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip over a period of 5 years
Camp David and the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Agreement
Camp David Accords Continued◦ Israel would withdraw from the Sinai in exchange
for free passage through the Gulf of Suez and the Canal The territorial issues would not be settled. Sadat was considered a traitor and was assassinated
by his own army in October of 1981 Arab League and the PLO suspended diplomatic
relations with Egypt◦ Accords brought peace between Egypt and Israel
for over 30 years but key issues were unresolved Gaza Strip, West Bank, Golan Heights, and East
Jerusalem remained under Israeli control
Camp David and the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Agreement
Following the defeat of the PLO in Lebanon, it was forced to move its headquarters to Tunis
On Dec. 8, 1987, an Israeli Army vehicle crashed into a truck in Gaza◦ Killed 4 Palestinian workers and wounded 7◦ Funerals turned into a protest against Israel◦ Israeli army fired upon the protesters, killing one
This began the first Intifada (shaking off) of Israeli presence◦ Despite military superiority, the Israeli’s were
unable to control the Intifada
Palestinians and Israelis 1979-2009
Radical Islamic groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad were formed Their aims included the establishment of an Islamic State in
Palestine through Jihad Norway 1993: A meeting between Israel and the PLO
resulted in the Declaration of Principles (Oslo Accord) This was the first step in allowing for Israel to withdraw from the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Yassir Arafat, and Israeli
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres won the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in 1994
Sept. 1995 peace accords were signed at the White House creating three zones in the West Bank and proposed how they would be controlled Also agreed that elections would be held to create the Palestinian
Authority
Palestinians and Israelis 1979-2009
Radicals were furious on both sides◦ Rabin was assassinated on Nov. 4, 1995◦ Shimon Peres became the new Prime Minister and
began implementing the peace accord Jan. 1996 Palestinian elections were held and
Arafat was the clear winner, seemed as if a Palestinian state was in the process of being created◦ Israel assassinated Yahya Ayyaash a Hamas bomb
expert◦ Suicide bombings increased and Peres launched
Operation Grapes of Wrath in April of 1996. Attacked Hezbollah camps and Lebanese Roads
Palestinians and Israelis 1979-2009
Peres was defeated by Benjamin Netanyahu in the next election, he condemned the Oslo agreements◦ Allowed Israeli settlers to occupy land in the West
Bank 1997 Hebron Agreement: Israel would
withdraw from the West Bank and Palestinians would reduce terrorist attacks
In 2000, Likud party leader Ariel Sharon insisted on visiting the Temple Mount, one of Islam’s holiest sites
Palestinians and Israelis 1979-2009
Protesters tried to block his access and the Israeli army fired upon them, killing 4
The second Intifada broke out with extreme violence◦ Arafat’s decision to support the Intifada led to the rejection
of the Oslo process Ariel Sharon became prime minister in Feb. of 2001
and adopted a hardline approach Arafat was unable to control the extremist elements
◦ Was unable to move Israel out of the Gaza and the West Bank
◦ Arafat died in Nov. of 2004 and was succeeded by Mahmoud Abbas
Palestinians and Israelis 1979-2009
Abbas was unable to provide sound leadership In the elections of 2006, Hamas gained control
of the Palestinian Authority◦ This strengthened Israel’s determination not to
surrender land◦ Fatah would not accept the result of the election
In 2007, the Hamas government collapsed◦ Hamas continued to fire rockets at Israel◦ Smuggled weapons from Egypt
Israel invaded Gaza in 2009 killing 1,000 Palestinians.
Palestinians and Israelis 1979-2009
Looking at document 4.2, explain the reasoning behind the partition plan of 1947. Make sure you look at all 15 points
Discuss how the Israeli Information Service justifies the formation of Israel.
What are some of their appeals?