ISRAEL AND PALESTINE A History of Conflict

Background  Ground Zero for Judaism, Islam, & Christianity.  Judaism: Israel = Biblical “Promised Land”  Occupied by Moses and Hebrews around 1000 B.C.  Invaded and occupied by Philistines  Greeks and Romans call it “Land of Philistines”, which becomes Palestine.  Region of Jesus Christ’s birth, ministry, and death.  “Ownership” changes hands frequently.  Muslims capture in 640  built Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem in 691 Spot where Mohammed stopped on his way to heaven. Holiest site in Islam outside Saudi Arabia.  Ottoman Turks control from 1500’s-1900’s.

Zionism  European Jews face persecution in late 1800’s.  Founded movement called Zionism to establish Jewish homeland in Palestine. Begin establishing communities in Palestine prior to WWI Anti-Semitism influenced Zionism Jews believed they would be strangers in whatever country they lived in – only way to solve this would be to create country of their own

Balfour Declaration  British Foreign Secretary Balfour supported the idea of a “national home” for the Jews.  Hoped to gain Jewish support for World War One.  Balfour Declaration endorses this homeland as well as an independent state for Arabs in 1917 Arabs interpret the independent state clause to specify Palestine; Brits say that isn’t what they had in mind. 1915, Hussein-McMahon agreement – Britain promised to support Arab independence in Palestine, if they fought against Turkey British made conflicting promises during WWI

The British Mandate Ottoman Turks on losing side of WW I; British gained control of Palestine in – 90,000 Jews – Rise of Nazism brings flood of new Jewish people to Palestine in 1930s – British turned over issue to UN after WWII UN votes to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states in 1947, giving the Jews 55% of the land west of the Jordan River and designating Jerusalem as an international enclave. – Jewish Israel and Arab Palestine created – Jerusalem is internationalized

UN Partition  Palestinians and Jews begin arming themselves and conducting terrorist attacks against their counterparts.  Palestinians see partition as injustice  Complain about massive expulsion by Jewish underground groups  Problem of Palestinian refugees begins

Arab-Israeli War of 1948 Israel’s War of Independence 14 May 1948: Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion declares that Israel is an independent state. Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, and Iraq invade on 15 May. Fighting continues until Jan Israel prevails and gains territory to the north and to the south. Jerusalem is divided between Israel and Jordan. Fate of 700k Palestinian refugees is left undecided.

Arab-Israeli War of 1956 Also known as the Suez Crisis USSR signs arms agreement with Egypt in 1955 Egypt tries to nationalize the Suez Canal Belonged to Britain and France Israelis launches pre-emptive strike against Egypt. – Attack and seize the Sinai and Gaza Strip. French and British join (but deny involvement) retake Suez Canal US puts pressure on and Israel withdrawals from Sinai and Gaza Strip to pre-war borders UN establishes peace keeping force in Sinai that is still in place today.

Arafat and the PLO  Arafat forms Fatah political organization (Palestinian National Liberation Front) in  Goal was to liberate Palestine from Israel through guerilla warfare.  Fatah is the current ruling party in Palestine.  Variety of Palestinian factions form the Palestinian Liberation Organization in  Arafat becomes chairman in  Charter calls for elimination of state of Israel.  Begin series of attacks in Israel

Six-Day War  June 5 – 10, 1967  Egypt, Jordan, and Syria begin military mobilization.  Israel launches surprise pre-emptive strike.  Destroys most of Egyptian Air Force on the ground. Knocked out 350 aircraft in first three hours.  Armored forces supported by air and infantry quickly take Sinai, Golan Heights, West Bank (including Arab portion of Jerusalem, and Gaza) Destroyed over 200 Arab tanks in two days.  Cold War Era – Soviet Union supports Arabs, US supports Israel  UN arranges cease-fire, but terms did not specify exactly what land Israel was required to give up.  Israel gained lots of territory (West Bank, Golan Heights, Sinai Peninsula, and Gaza Strip)

Yom Kippur War  Oct. 6, 1973 Egypt and Syria launch surprise attack on holiest day of Jewish year.  Israel not fully mobilized and is initially pushed back.  Arab integrated air defenses and anti-tank missiles take heavy toll on Israel  Oct , Israel pushed Syrians out of Golan (which Israel gained during 6 Day way) and entered Syria  Oct , Israel pushes Egyptians back across the Suez  Soviets threaten to intervene when Egyptians are surrounded.  US convinces Israel to accept truce.  Israeli invincibility brought into question; Arabs emboldened.  Motivated by early victories despite final verdict  Israel psychologically defeated and confidence decreased

Israel invades Lebanon 1982 – Israel launched invasion into Lebanon – Lebanon where Arafat’s PLO headquarters were – Goal was to eliminate PLO guerrilla warfare bases at the border Successful – Cease fire agreement allowed the PLO fighters to leave Lebanon. Palestinian refugee camps were now left defenseless A group supported by Israel called the Christian Phalange militia slaughtered the refugees.

Peace Accords  Camp David - March 26,1979  Negotiated in US by President Carter  1977 – Sadat visits Israel peacefully  Egypt recognizes Israel’s right to exist.  Israel returns Sinai to Egypt.  Other Arab countries cut ties with Egypt  Ultimately leads to Sadat’s (President of Egypt) assassination in 1981 by group of Muslim fundamentalists in the army

Peace Accords  Oslo Accords 1993  Israel and PLO accept each other’s right to exist. PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin  Secret talks held in U.S with President Bill Clinton in Oslo, Norway Signed in Washington, D.C.  5 year time table for eventual Palestine self-rule If successful, could lead to permanent nation of Palestine  Resulted in violence in Israel and Arab nations

Peace Accords Oslo II September 28, 1995 – Israel and the PLO sign Interim agreement (Oslo II), detailing Israeli redeployment from West Bank cities and towns and procedures for Palestinian elections. – Palestinians receive two different classes of control: territory with full authority and territory with civilian authority in which Israel maintains military control. – Yitzhak Rabin assassinated by Israeli right-wing extremist

Wye River Accords 1998 – Arafat agrees to crack down on terrorists. – Israeli will pull troops back from occupied territories. – 14.2 %of the West Bank land will be transferred to Palestinian control. – Safe passage corridors will be established for Palestinians between Gaza and the West Bank. – 750 Palestinians will be released from Israeli prisons. Peace Accords

Second Intifada  Palestinians initiated riots after Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem  Violence escalated rapidly from rock throwing to machine gun and mortar fire, suicide bombings and lethal road ambushes. Israelis killed 15 Israeli Arabs in riots in September 2000, and over 2,000 Palestinians in retaliatory raids thereafter.  Palestinians kill over 700 Israelis, many in suicide attacks. Violence continues for over a year.  February 2001, right-wing Likud party leader Ariel Sharon is elected PM

Peace Accords Nov – President Bush convened peace negotiations between Israeli President Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas – “Annapolis Conference” – Includes Syria, Saudi Arabia, Russia, European Union, UN, etc. Having many diverse states, including those like Syria who do not recognize Israel, is critical to achieving peace Criticism of Conference – Sheer magnitude is too great – Islamic militant group Hamas said Abbas is a traitor for even going and vowed to reject any negotiations – Iran – U.S. Just trying to protect its reputation – Hours before the conference, key issues and a plan for talks had still not been hammered out Issues that have doomed earlier peace talks - final borders, sovereignty over disputed Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees who lost homes in the war that followed Israel's 1948 creation

The Wall o The Israeli West Bank barrier is a barrier being constructed by the State of Israel. o It consists of a network of fences with vehicle-barrier trenches surrounded by an on average 60 meter wide exclusion area (90%) and high concrete walls up to 8 meters high (10%). o The barrier is built mainly in the West Bank and partly along the 1949 Armistice line, or "Green Line" between Israel and Palestinian West Bank. o In April 2006, the length of the barrier approved by the Israeli government was 703 kilometers (436 miles)