Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Terms

• Zionism• Israeli• Infatada• Palestine• Occupied Territory• West Bank• Gaza Stripe• Sinai Peninsula

About Israel

• Small nation = size of New Jersey• 90% live in urban areas• Two main groups of Jews

– Ashkenazin (Eastern and Central Europe)– Sephardim (Mediterranean and Middle East)

• Arab population is growing– Some fear will out number the Jews– Current population 6.4 million / 5.2 million Jew– If Palestinian refugees (3.7) came back would end a

Jews state• Area lacks natural resources and water• Introduced new technology and developed high

industries

Zionism

• During the late 1800s demanded for a Jewish state in Palestine

• Romans had expelled the Jews in AD 70• 1897 organization formed by Theodor Herzl to

promote Zionism• Jews began to migrate to

Palestine• Asked for Britain and other

European nations to support them

Balfour Declaration

• A British document that supported a Jewish homeland in Palestine

• In short– Britain favors a Jewish homeland– Nothing shall be done to hurt the non-Jew

living there

• 1930s flow of Jews

to Palestine

After WWII

• Britain turned things over to the United Nations

• United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two states – One Arab (45% of the land)– One Jewish (55% of the land)

• Arabs refused to accept the partition or to recognize Israel

1948 Arab – Israeli War

• Also known as the Israeli War of Independence

• Began after the declaration of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948

• Forces of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Trans-Jordan and Iraq invaded Israel

• Israel defeated and occupied Arab territory

• Palestinian Arabs fled

Territorial gains in the Arab-Israel War

War of 1956

• Suez War• Israel, Britain, and France verse Egypt

– Egypt trying to get $$$ to build Aswan Dam

• Egypt had captured the Suez Canal – nationalized it

• Egypt prevents ships to pass that are coming from or arriving to Israel

• Captured the Sinai Peninsula but forced to withdraw (pressure from US and SU)

• Did in exchange for shipping rights

War of 1967• The Six Day War

– Strike by Israel to protect itself• Surprise air attack lead to defeat of

Egyptian army• Israel takes Gaza Stripe and the

Sinai Peninsula (occupied territories)

• Jordan and Syria attach• Israel takes West Bank from Jordan

and the Golden Heights from Syria– occupied territories– Strategic importance

• Israeli water source• High grounds• Religious sites

– Jewish settlers moved in• Returned the Sinai Peninsula to

Egypt in the Camp David Accords in 1978 and Gaza Strip in 2005

1973 Yom Kippur War

• Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attach in the Sinai and Golden Heights

• Israel able to push Syria out of territory gained in the first week of the war

• United Nations call a cease-fire• Israeli troops withdraw from the

west of the Canal• Egypt re-open canal

– Claim victory

Reasons for the Conflict

Israeli view

• Arab Hostility– “holy war” against Israel

• Non-recognition of Israel’s right to exist– Destroy Israel

• Forced to fight for self-defense

• Many Israelis believe that minorities in Israel are treated justly

Palestinian view

• State based on outdated claims– Jews lived there 1,800 yrs ago doesn’t give

you claim now

• International law on their side– UN resolution allows for refugees wishing to

return

• Jews arrived with the intention of taking over not just immigration

• Israeli treatment of Palestinians is unjust

Peace Efforts

Camp David Accords

• 1977– Pres. Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt– Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel

• Signed at Camp David in United States– President Jimmy Carter

• Israelis agreed to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula• Egypt agreed to end state of

war and establish peace with Israel

• Election to be held in West Bank and Gaza

Reaction

• Mixed• Arabs felt Egypt had deserted the Arab family• Israelis took “wait and see” attitude• President el-Sadat was assassinated• Three unresolved

Issues1. Control of East Jerusalem2. Fate of the 1.8 million Palestinians living on the West Bank3. Control of the Golan Heights

Intifada

• Dec 1987• Uprising of Palestinians over the way they were

being treated, lack of country, high unemployment, refugee problem etc

• Focused world attention • Organization

– Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)– Dedicated to regaining Palestinian territory– Chairmen Yasir Arafat

• Some joined radical Palestinian organizations– Hamas and Islamic jihad

– These groups call for the destruction of Israel

Oslo Accords

• 1993• Hopes for peace • Meet in secret

– Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and PLO leader Yasser Arafat

– First time face to face

• Agreed to – recognize each other – Israelis right to exist– PLO promised to stop attacking Israel– Palestinian Authority would administrated the territory under its

control – they have their own state! – Israel would withdraw its forces from parts of the occupied

territories (Gaza Stripe and West Bank)– Israel would allow limited self-rule in Gaza and Jericho

• Put Resolution 242 into effect

Road Map for Peace• Presented in Sept 2002• Players

– Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas– Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon– United States President George W. Bush

• Called for– End of terrorism by the Palestinians– Palestinians must make democratic reforms– Israel must accept Palestinian gov– Israel must end settlement activity

• It did not address – The fate of Jerusalem– The boarders between the two

• Derailed– Both side claim the other did not go through

with their promised

Arab Peace Initiative

• Has a final solution to the boarders– The UN set boards back in 1967

• Recognition of Israel• Israel must withdraw forces from the occupied

territories• Recognition of a Palestinian States with capital

at East Jerusalem• A “just solution” for the Palestinian refugees• Rejected by Israel but it is up for discussion

Peace Breaks down

• Unresolved issues– 1. Jerusalem

• Israel had made the city its capital• Scared to all religions

– 2. Right of Return• Grant Palestinians who fled to return• Many not allowed to return

– 3. Future of Jewish settlements in the Occupied Territories

• Numbers of Jews has increased• Upset the Palestinians

– 4. Allows Israeli troops to stay in the occupies lands

The Wall

Today the Palestinians want

• Their own country

• Part of Jerusalem

• Their refugees to be able to return