1. Arab-Israeli Conflict
20th Century Wars

2. Terms to Know Mandate Pan-Arabism Zionism Intifada
A territory administered by another nation before independence
Pan-Arabism
Movement aimed at building closer ties among Arabs
Zionism
Belief in a Jewish homeland in Palestine
Intifada
Uprising by Palestinians against Israeli rule of the West Bank and Gaza Strip

3. Background Palestine – part of Ottoman Empire before WWI
Ottoman Empire breaks up after WWI
Palestine – British Mandate Territory

4. Background Palestine – Holy land to Jews, Muslims, Christians.
City of Jerusalem is important to all 3 religions
Jews and Arabs each make claim to legitimate control of Palestine (Jews call this area “Israel”)

5. Background Rise of Zionism
Persecution of Jews before WWI in Europe = movement to establish Jewish state in Palestine, immigration to Palestine
1917 – Balfour Declaration – British promised independence to Arabs in Ottoman Empire, Jewish homeland. Wanted their support in WWI.

6. Background
European Jews begin settling in areas of Palestine prior to WWII (escaping Nazi persecution)
Jews and Palestinian Arabs clashed over land, settlements, more Jewish immigration
Britain limited # of Jews coming into Palestine

8. Background Pan-Arabism Egypt and Iraq independent before WWII
Mandate territories of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan independent after WWII
1945 – Arab League formed – Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen

9. Formation of Israel
Arabs want independence from Britain, Jews want Jewish state
Attacks on Jewish settlers on Kibbutzim (collective farms)
Jewish military force formed (Haganah)
1947 – Palestine turned over to UN
UN partitions Palestine – Jerusalem under UN administration

11. Formation of Israel
May 14, 1948 – Israeli P.M. David Ben-Gurion proclaims Israeli independence
Palestinian Arabs and Arab League attack Israel.
Israel defeats Arabs in 9 months
Results = more land for Israel, Jerusalem divided (Israel and Jordan)
700,000 Palestinians are refugees (Jordan)

13. Arab-Israeli Conflict
Suez Crisis
Egypt – Gamal Abber Nasser leads military coup
Nasser “nationalizes” or takes control of the Suez Canal
France, Britain and Israel invade Egypt – USA forces them to pull out

14. Arab-Israeli Conflict
1964 – Yasir Arafat forms Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)
1967 – Six-Day War – Israel attacks and defeats Arab countries. Seizes Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, West Bank, Sinai

16. Arab-Israeli Conflict
1973 – Yom Kippur War
Egypt, Syria attack Israel on Yom Kippur holiday
Israel loses planes, tanks, territory at first
With American help, Israel strikes back
Israel pushes Egyptians, Syrians back – takes control of Suez Canal
US Sec’y of State Kissinger negotiates an Israeli withdrawal
OPEC – oil embargo on US, supporters of Israel. Gas prices in USA quadruple

17. Arab-Israeli Conflict
– Fighting between Muslims and Christians in Lebanon over PLO presence
Israel invades Lebanon b/c of PLO terrorists attacks in Israel
Israel forces PLO to leave Lebanon
USA provides peacekeeping troops
Leaves after Marine barracks is bombed

18. Arab-Israeli Conflict
1979 – Camp David Accords
USA (Pres. Jimmy Carter), Israel (P.M. Menachem Begin), Egypt (Pres. Anwar Sadat) sign peace treaty at Camp David, Maryland
Egypt recognizes Israel’s right to exist, Israel gives up Sinai Peninsula taken in Six-Day War
Sadat assassinated by Muslim fundamentalists, supporters of Palestinians

19. The Palestinian Issue
– PLO conducts terrorist attacks inside and outside Israel against Israelis – force Israel to allow a Palestinian homeland
1987 – Palestinian intifada or uprising against Israel’s control of the Gaza Strip, West Bank. Civil disobedience, violent demonstrations
1991 – Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin agrees to trade land for security

21. The Palestinian Issue
1993 – Israel and PLO recognize each other’s right to exist
1994 – Israel and Jordan sign peace treaty
1995 – Rabin assassinated by Jewish ultra-nationalist
1996 – militant Palestinian group (Hamas) began suicide bombings against Israel
1996 – Benjamin Netanyahu elected Israeli PM – rejects “land for peace” strategy

23. Continuing Challenges
Palestinian Homeland
Israel has granted limited self-rule to Palestinian Authority, but Israel still controls Palestinian border, protects Israeli settlements inside the West Bank
Control of Jerusalem – 2 sides are far apart
“Right of Return” of nearly 1.3 million Palestinian refugees – Israel against