Israel

Palestine- Name for the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River the U.N. voted to divide the area known as Palestine into Jewish and Arab states (U.N. Partition Plan) Palestinians disagreed with the division

Israel British left the area and Jews set up an independent country in their part of Palestine- Israel Only country created by the U.N. First Israeli leader –David Ben-Gurion

Israel 1948 War of Independence- Israel attacked by Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq War lasted 11 months

Israel 1948 War of Independence Results- Jordan took West Bank & east Jerusalem; Israel took west Jerusalem & Palestinian area that increased Israeli land by 1/3; 800,000 Palestinians displaced- many fled to Jordan

Israel 1967 Six Day War-Israel attacked Jordanian, Egyptian, & Syrian troops stationed at its border

Israel 1967 Six Day War Results- Israel took east Jerusalem, parts of West Bank, Syria’s Golan Heights, & Egypt’s Sinai (Sinai was returned in ’82 after the ’78 Camp David Accords) This quadrupled its land holdings

Israel Six Day War Link

Israel 1973 Yom Kippur War- Egypt and Syria attacked Israel during the holy day Yom Kippur War results- Syria got the Golan Heights back; Arab countries launch embargo against U.S. after sending arms to Israel

Israel Yom Kippur War Video

Israel Camp David Accords (1978) –Meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Begin, Egyptian President Sadat, and U.S. President Jimmy Carter

Israel Terms of Agreement –Sinai Peninsula taken during Six Day War returned to Egypt –Egypt recognized Israel’s right to exist –U.S. agreed to pay over $3 billion annually to the 2 countries

Palestine Palestine is now a patchwork of districts in the West Bank and Gaza, broken up by Israeli settlements

Palestine Palestine- never been an organized country The closest thing Palestine has to a government is the Palestinian Authority created in 1993 –It oversees the West Bank and Gaza Strip –Ineffective, squanders international aid

Palestine Hamas –Started by the Muslim Brotherhood in 1987 –Known for its militants –Main force behind suicide bombers –Hates Israel Its destruction is one of Hamas’ stated goals

Palestine Hamas –Provides social services to Palestine Welfare Medical aid scholarships

Israel Today Israeli Prime Minister –Benjamin Netanyahu Population –6,426,679 note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem

Israel Today Ethnic Groups –Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born 22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly Arab) Religion –Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%

Israel Today Government –parliamentary democracy Capital –Jerusalem

Gaza Strip Today President –Mahmud Abbas Population –1,482,405 Ethnic Groups –Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6% Religion –Muslim 98.7%, Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6% Government –Palestinian Authority (PA)

West Bank Today President –Mahmud Abbas Population –2,535,927 Ethnic Groups –Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% Religion –Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% Government –Palestinian Authority (PA)

Conflict Challenges to Peace U.S. Relations to Conflict

Israel-Palestine In every peace talk, 3 issues emerge –The right of return for Palestinians displaced since 1948 –Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza –The status of Jerusalem, which Israel claims as all its own