Begins after WWI When Ottoman Empire was divided up The European Countries were given mandate over the land Mandate = control

Jewish immigration to the Middle East was steadily growing because of Zionism. After WWII and the uncovering of the Holocaust, the Zionist movement gained more support to create a Jewish homeland.

The United Nations announced a plan Divide Palestine into an Arab and Jewish state. Jews agreed Arabs vowed to do anything needed to prevent the U.N. plan from being carried out.

Arabs attacked the same day that Israel declared they were independent. The Jews were outnumbered in Palestine, but their armies were much more advanced because of involvement in WWII. David Ben-Gurion: leader of Zionism movement and first prime minister of Israel

A combined Arab force of Egyptians, Iraqis, Jordanians, Syrians, Lebanese, Saudi, and Yemeni troops attacked. The Arab-Israeli War lasted for about one year Jews not only defended their land, but expanded the territory to include most of the lands the Palestinians had been offered and rejected. Before war After war (1947) (1949)

The land Palestine lost was divided among their Arab neighbors Palestine got nothing This created over 780,000 refugees who were displaced. Refugee - a person displaced because of war Many of them left Israel, but some had nowhere to go and ended up in refugee camps along Arab borders. The situation in camps like these is a breeding ground for terrorism.

Israel became a member of the United Nations many Arab countries refused to recognize its existence. Skirmishes resulted, including the Suez War of 1956 between Israel and Egypt.

Victory for the Israelis. They overran the enemies, gaining control of the Sinai Peninsula and the City of Jerusalem, which is sacred to both Muslims and Jews.

Terrorist attacks were intended to avenge the victory, including the 1972 murders of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games.

In 1973, Egypt and Syria carried out an attack on Israel during Yom Kippur the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The Arabs were better prepared with weapons from the Soviet Union. The Israelis were able to hold off the Arabs, but the Yom Kippur War was an important step to the peace process.

President Jimmy Carter became involved in the peace process Arranged a meeting between Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Menachem Begin of Israel. They signed a treaty agreeing that Israel would return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in exchange for recognition of Israel as a country.

Despite the treaty, terrorism continued. Anwar Sadat was assassinated by Muslim extremists for agreeing to acknowledge Israel. Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, in search of terrorists hiding out in the country.

In the 1980’s Palestinians began the Intifada, or war of sticks and stones. Israeli soldiers did not know how to react to the Palestinian civilians without looking like bullies.

The 1990’s showed little improvement to the situation. Israeli extremists were responsible for the Hebron Massacre where 29 Palestinians were killed at a mosque. Another Jewish extremist, angered by peace efforts, assassinated Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin. Suicide bombings by Palestinian groups attack both civilian and military targets.