A Brief History of IsraelA Brief History of Israel

Ancient IsraelAncient Israel• 1900 B.C. Jewish ancestors arrive in modern day Israel.

– 1000 B.C. became know as Hebrews

• 586 B.C. Hebrews were defeated and exiled from their lands by the Babylonians. – Some remained…

• 70 A.D. Roman Empire destroy city of Jerusalem • 614 A.D. Persian Empire captures Jerusalem.

– Country of Palestine first appears.

• 1099 A.D. European Crusaders capture Jerusalem• 1517 A.D. Ottoman Empire capture Jerusalem

Map of Ancient Israel

Ottoman Empire’s Effect on IsraelOttoman Empire’s Effect on Israel

• Under Ottoman Empire Jews, Christians and Muslims could all practice their own religions and beliefs. – By the late 1700’s the different religions and cultures began to fight.– Jews began to leave Israel.

• Over 10 million Jews were scattered across the world prior to 1914.

• By 1914 almost 85,000 Jews had returned to the Ottoman controlled Palestine and Jerusalem. – These Jews were called Zionists.

• They were named after the hill in Jerusalem.

– Many Palestinian Muslims began to worry they would loss their lands.

• 1917 A.D. British defeat Ottoman Empire during WWI and capture Jerusalem.

Map of Ottoman Empire

British Rule of Palestine 1917-1945

• After WWI all Arabs within Palestine were promised they would be granted the right of self-determination.– Self-determination: the right to decide their own political future.

• Fighting between Arabs and Jews increased. – Arabs boycotted Jewish businesses, burned bridges and destroyed

crops.

– Many Jews retaliated against the Arabs. Many people died.

• Britain passed a law restricting the number of Jews to Palestine

• 1933 Adolf Hitler became leader of Nazi Germany and began persecuting all Jewish people of Europe. – By 1939 many Jews fled to Palestine increasing their numbers to over

445,000 Jews.

Creation of Israel

• By the end of WWII in 1945 over 6,000,000 Jews had been killed by Nazi Germany.– This is called the Holocaust.

• Creation of Modern Israel:– Many Jewish organizations demanded that Britain allow more Jews into

Palestine and help create their own state. • 1947 The United Nations took control over Palestine to the United Nations

(UN). – British government withdrew it’s occupation and control

• The UN decided to split Palestine into two countries:– Israel & Palestine

• Many Arabs were angry over this and went to war with Israel.

• By 1948 Israel controlled almost all of Palestine. – Both Jordan and Egypt claimed the rest of Palestine – Palestinians left without a country!

Map of Modern Israel

Israel vs. ArabsIsrael vs. Arabs

• 1956 – War over control of Suez Canal• 1967- Six Day War – Israel defeats all neighbors

and captures Gaza, West Bank and Golan Heights.

• 1973 - Arabs defeated again by Israel. Middle Eastern Nations embargo oil to Israel’s allies.

• 1979 – President Carter brings Israel and Egypt together at Camp David.

• 1993 – Palestinians get Gaza Strip.

Continuing Conflict Between Palestinians and Israel

• 1949 many Palestinians took refuge in the Gaza strip which was controlled by Egypt.– Gaza Strip is a narrow strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea that is occupied by

over 750,000 Palestinian refugees. • 1967 Israel went to war with Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Israel won and took

control over the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.– West Bank: Located on the eastern border of Israel and Jordan. Over one million

Palestinian refugees remained in the West Bank. Those that left could not return to their homes.

• 1967-1991: the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Israeli government conducted terrorist and military attacks against each other.

– During this time many Israeli citizens moved to both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

• 1991-2000:Israel and the PLO met in Madrid, Spain to discuss peace talks.– Israel handed over political control of Gaza Strip and many cities within the West

Bank to the Palestinians.– Mistrust between the Israeli government towards the Palestinians and the peace

treaty irrupted into a violent conflict. Hundreds died.