Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

In 37 BC, the Jewish kingdom of Judea becomes a Roman protectorate. In 70 AD, the Jews rebel against Rome. Rome responds by destroying the Second Temple and the City of Jerusalem. The Jews are exiled and Judea is renamed Syria Palestine.

Diaspora The Jews scatter across Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. Jerusalem is rebuilt by pagan and Christian Romans who become known as Palestinians. Many convert to Islam following the Arab conquest in the 7 th century.

Zionism In the 17 th century, Europeans begin to advocate a creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. In 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour declares Britain’s support for Zionism. At the end of World War I, Britain receives the League of Nations mandate for Palestine.

Zionism British and other European Jews begin to migrate to Palestine. As the Nazis come to power in Germany, many German Jews also seek to emigrate to Palestine. Britain soon finds it cannot accommodate the immigrants without displacing Palestinians.

The Creation of Israel Britain is unable to find a solution to Jewish immigration. In 1947, they refer the issue to the United Nations. The UN calls for Palestine to be partitioned into separate Arab and Jewish States. Palestinians strongly objected with support from their Arab neighbors but the Holocaust had created strong sympathy for the Jews.

On 14 May 1948, David Ben Gurion declares the formation of Israel. The next day, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria declare war on Israel. The Israelis were well prepared for the attack and by March of 1949, they capture half of the would-be Palestine. Palestine never comes to be. Egypt occupies the Gaza Strip and Jordan seizes the West Bank. The Creation of Israel

From 1967 to 1973, Israel’s Arab neighbors declare war on it three times. Israel wins all three, bringing the rest of Palestine and parts of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan under Israeli control. In 1974, the Camp David Accords end the era of war when Anwar Sadat of Egypt becomes the first Arab leader to sign a peace treaty with Israel. Arab-Israeli Wars

In 1948, between 600,000 and 760,000 Palestinians flee or are expelled from Israel—30%- 40% of the total population of Israel. Many become refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel’s Arab neighbors. Palestinian begin a series of violent up risings that become known as the Intifada. The poorly armed Palestinians often resort to throwing or slinging rocks. Intifada

Many Palestinians believed that the support of the US and other nations allowed Israel to steal their land. Several groups organize themselves to use violence to persuade these countries to withdraw their support. The most famous of these is the PLO—the Palestinian Liberation Organization headed by Yasser Arafat. Intifada and Terrorism

The PLO was never just a terrorist organization—it also engaged in diplomacy. It was recognized as the legitimate voice of the Palestinian people by over 100 countries and, in 1974, was granted observer status in the United Nations. In 1993, the PLO renounced terrorism and recognized Israel’s right to exist. Its membership now makes up a significant part of the Palestinian Authority. Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

One State, Two or Three? One obstacle to peace is the question of how many countries should come out of Palestine. For much of the conflict Israel and the US favored a single- state solution, with Palestinians becoming equal members of Israeli society. The PLO and Arab states also had a single- state solution: Palestine without Jews. Most parties countries now favor a two-state solution, with a sovereign State of Palestinian made up of the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Some in Israel and elsewhere fear that a divided Palestine is too difficult to govern and favor handing the Gaza Strip to Egypt and the West Bank to Jordan. Egypt, Jordan, and Palestine all oppose this plan.