israel and palestine history, wars, politics and the peace process
TRANSCRIPT
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ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
History, Wars, Politics and
The Peace Process
THE HISTORY
• Hebrews expelled from Palestine by the Romans in 70AD
• The “diaspora”• Suffer persecution in Europe• Zionist Movement - European
movement begun by Theodore Hertzl in 1890’s that called for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Balfour Declaration
• Balfour Declaration - 1917 letter in which British officials show support for the concept of a Jewish homeland in Palestine
• Palestine was a British Mandate after WWI
Founding of Israel• Jewish people leave
Europe because of persecution and settle in Palestine, especially after WWII.
• Kibbutz - communal farms organized by Jewish settlers. Share work and profits.
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The State of Israel
• UN Partition 1947 - Territory of Palestine is divided by UN to provide a homeland for the Jewish people after WWII.
• 1948 Israel declares itself an independent nation.
• Arab countries object and declare war on Israel
Palestinians
• Arab inhabitants of the territory that becomes Israel
• 1948 - 750,000 Palestinians are driven from or leave their homes and villages at the start of the war between Israel and the Arab countries.
“The Camps”
• They go to refugee camps in West Bank or neighboring Arab countries
• “the camps” - Palestinians still living in these areas after 60 years
“The Right of Return”• Palestinians want the
right to return to their original villages and homes and demonstrate carrying “keys”
Suez Crisis 1956
• Nasser wants to take back control of Suez Canal from France and Britain
• US backs him up, rather than siding with their European Friends
The Six Day War• Arabs plan to attack
Israel again• Israelis pull off pre-
emptive strike (hit them first) and destroy their arms.
• Humiliating defeat for Arabs
• Israelis control West Bank and Gaza
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“The Territories”• Israel takes control
of the traditional Arab territories, including Jerusalem and the Western Wall
• West Bank, Gaza and Golan Heights
• Is it right to take land in warfare?
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The Settlements• Ultra
Conservative Jews seek to settle in these Arab areas and claim them for Israel
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ANWAR SADAT
Yom Kippur War 1973
• Started by Anwar Sadat of Egypt to shake up diplomatic situation, get Israel to talk
• Arabs catch Israel off guard on a holy day, take the war to Israel
• Satisfy the demands of honor• Israel does win, but Arabs commemorate this
war on Oct. 6• Leads to Camp David peace talks
Israeli Government and Politics
• Knesset - parliamentary democracy– Multiple parties– Proportional representation– Coalition government– Vote of no confidence
Knesset
Golda Meir - 1rst Woman PM of Israel
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Israeli Political Parties• LIBERAL/• LABOR PARTY• Willing to negotiate
with the Palestinians• Willing to give up
land for peace
• CONSERVATIVE/• LIKUD PARTY• Military power• Israelis should not
give up any of the land won in war
The Peace Process
• Camp David 1978• Pres. Carter - USA• Pres. Sadat - Egypt• P.M. Begin - Israel• Opens
Communication• Framework for
Peace
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The Israeli Security Wall
Sadat Assassinated in 1981
• Admired in the West • Nobel Peace Prize• Targeted by
Islamist groups in Egypt for negotiating with Israel
• Assassinated October 6, 1981
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The Intifada 1987• Widespread uprising in
Palestinian areas• Street fighting and
guerilla tactics to used to challenge the Israeli Army
• Palestinian boys fight the soldiers with slingshots
• DAVID v. GOLIATH?
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Oslo Accords 1993
• Pres. Clinton, Yitzhak Rabin and Yassir Arafat negotiate terms for Palestinian Self Rule
• Israel negotiates directly with PLO
• PLO recognizes Israel’s right to exist
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Results of Oslo
• PLO becomes Palestinian Authority• PA responsible for administration of the
of West Bank and Gaza• IDF withdraws from most of the
“territories” • Big problems like Jerusalem, the
settlements, status of Palestinian refugees put off to another time.
Rabin Assassinated 1995• Military hero and former
hardliner sees during Intifada that force won’t solve this problem.
• Negotiates directly with Arafat
• “Land for peace”• Targeted for death by
conservative Jewish groups
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Yassir Arafat• Former Terrorist• PLO Hijacks Planes• Achille Lauro • Implicated in Munich• Numerous attacks
on Israeli villages• Wins Nobel Peace
Prize!!!• Dies in 2004
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Second Intifada 2000
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2006 War With “Lebanon”• Hezbollah militants fire rockets across border
in to Israeli town• Kidnap Israeli soldiers• Israel responds with air strikes• Civilian infrastructure badly damaged• Casualties include many Lebanese civilians
caught in the middle• Ends with cease fire brokered by UN
Gaza 2008
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Difficult to isolate targets
• Hamas lobs missiles into Israel
• Israel responds with airstrikes
• IDF ground attack to route out Hamas
• Civilian casualties
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Palestinian Authority
• Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority since 2005
• Leader of Fatah political party
• Moderate• Can’t control Gaza
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2010 PEACE TALKS
Hamas controls Gaza
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