The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

The Ottoman Empire Lost in WWI

• From the Palestinian perspective:

• The Ottomans were Turks but at least they were Muslims.

• As a result of WWI, the empire was broken up.

British Mandate 1920-1947

• A mandate means that you are controlling a region temporarily.

• You are preparing the region for independence.

Balfour Declaration

• The Palestinians did not trust the British.

• In 1917, the Jewish British Foreign Secretary, Arthur James Balfour, called for the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

The Holocaust

• Jews who were fortunate enough to survive the holocaust immigrated to Palestine in mass.

1947 UN Partition Plan

• The British turned over this problem to the United Nations.

• The 1947 partition plan called for 2 nations with Jerusalem under UN control.

• The Palestinians totally rejected this plan.

1948 War of Independence

• The Jews not only fought the Palestinians, but the surrounding Arab nations attacked.

• Miraculously, the Jews won and Israel was born.

Arab Neighbors

• Why would Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia care?

• This was, and is, seen as an insult to Islam.

• Furthermore, Jerusalem is a significant city to all Muslims.

Wars between Israel and Arab Neighbors

(**Remember War for Independence during 1948**)

1. 1956 Suez Crisis2. 1967 Six-Day War3. 1973 Yom Kippur War

• Short Conflicts• Israel won each war• Each ended without a peace agreement

1967 Six-Day War

• The Arab neighbors tried to gang up on Israel again.

• The Israelis prevailed and occupied 3 important territories:

• West Bank from Jordan• Gaza Strip from Egypt• Golan Heights from

Syria

Camp David Accords 1978

• In 1978, Israel and Egypt signed the only peace treaty between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

• Anwar Sadat the Egyptian president was assassinated for this act in 1981.

The Palestinian Liberation Organization

• The goal is to destroy Israel.

• Recognize they cannot defeat Israel conventionally (with the use of their military)

• Hence, they resort to terrorism or targeting civilians.

• The PLO has evolved today into Hamas.

Intifada 1987 to 1993

• Arab word that means to shake off.

• Israel is about 20% Palestinian.

• A general violent Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule in Israel and the occupied territories.

Oslo Accords 1993

• Yasser Arafat the leader of the PLO shaking hands with Yitzhak Rabin the leader of Israel.

• The PLO accepted Israel’s existence.

• Israel accepted the creation of a future Palestinian state in the occupied territories

The Situation Today

• There still is no Palestinian state.• The Israelis are not willing to leave the

occupied territories until the Palestinian Authority demonstrates it can prevent future acts of terrorism.

• In the meantime, many Israelis want to permanently annex the occupied territories and are creating settlements in them.

Palestinian Terrorism

West Bank Settlements

Borders of Israel History

• http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/israel_hist_1973.jpg