ARAB ISRAELI CONFLICT

Background Questions

What is this conflict about? What are the roots of this conflict?

Romans, Diaspora, return to Israel What is Zionism? What caused tensions to build in the 19th & 20th

centuries? Who controlled Palestine prior to WWI and after

WWI? Why the change? How does this country’s control of the region play

into the Jewish goal of creating a homeland in Palestine?

Background Questions

Who gets involved in 1947? What was their solution?

What is the Arab response? What is significant about May 14, 1948? Who is immediately recognizes Israel as

an independent state? What is the Arab response to the Jewish

declaration?

4 Major Conflicts/Wars

1948 – War for Independence 1956 – Suez Crisis 1967 – Six Day War 1973 – Yom Kippur War/October War

1948 - War for Independence Who attacked Israel on May 15th – name

all five? Israel appears outnumbered; but after

several months of fighting, Israel is able to control 78% of what used to be Palestine

Gaza and West Bank absorb almost 1 million Palestinian refugees

Resentment towards Israel will result in the creation of many resistance fighters (terrorists)

1956 – Suez Crisis What starts this crisis? Egypt also blocks Israel’s southern port, Elat,

on the Gulf of Aqaba British & French launch air attack on Cairo Israel launches ground attack taking Sinai

Peninsula & Gaza Strip UN intervenes – gets Brits & French out Israel, urged by the US, withdrawals from

Sinai UN promises to send peacekeepers to Gaza

border & Sinai Pen. to prevent attacks on Israel

1967 – Six Day War Egypt orders UN out of Sinai & closes

access to the Gulf of Aqaba…again! Why did Israel attack Egypt & Syria? Israel takes out all Egyptian & Syrian air

power forcing them into a ground war. Who joins in on the Arab side? In less than one week Israel took control of:

1. Sinai Peninsula & Suez Canal (Egypt)2. Golan Heights (Syria)3. Gaza Strip (administered by Egypt)4. West Bank (administered by Jordan)5. Jerusalem (UN mandated international city)

Six Day War Casualties

Arab = 15,000 Israeli = 676

Israel would not give up these conquered territories as easily this time.

What does UN Resolution 242 call for?

Israel ignores the resolution

1973 – Yom Kippur War Arabs humiliated after 6 Day War; enlist the

help of the Soviets (weapons & training) How does this war start? 1st week of war,

Arabs take back Golan, Suez, Sinai Iraq & Jordan supplied troops Saudi Arabia pressures US to abandon support

for Israel – oil embargo starts Looks as if the Israelis will be defeated 2nd Week – tide changes

Israel regains Golan Launches an attack on the west side of Suez

After 17 days of fighting Israel wins again!

PLO Recognition

In 1974, the UN gives the Palestinian Liberation Organization a non-voting seat in the General Assembly.

Yasser Arafat became the chairmen (head) of the PLO in 1969

Other major events in 20th Century

1977 – Sadat, the Egyptian Pres, visits the Jewish Knesset (parliament) He and P.M. Begin promise never to go to war again

1978 – Camp David Accords Pres. Carter hosted Begin & Sadat in an effort to

sign a peace agreement – it is successful Sadat is assassinated by a Muslim radical upon

returning to Egypt 1987 – Palestinian Intifada (uprising)

Palestinians demand self rule; Israel does not grant this and riots are answered with Israeli tanks

Other major events in 20th Century

1991 – Saddam Hussein launches missiles at Israel during Persian Gulf War; Israel does not retaliate

1992-93 - Oslo Accords Secret negotiations b/w Palestinians & Israelis Israel recognizes Palestinian self rule

1993 – Clinton hosts Arafat & Rabin at White House Symbolize achievements in Oslo Rabin assassinated by Jewish extremist upon his return to Israel

1994 – Jordan signs peace agreement with Israel

Arab Israeli Conflict in the 21st Century

2000 – Camp David II – Israel & Palestinian leaders Meeting hosted by Clinton is unsuccessful; can’t

agree: Territory Jerusalem and the Temple Mount Refugees and the 'right of return' Israeli security concerns

2000 - Bush’s Road Map To Peace US encourages Palestinians to work with Israelis Looses steam once 9/11 & War on Terror starts

Ariel Sharon becomes PM of Israel (party change)

Arab Israeli Conflict in the21st Century

Nov 04 - Arafat dies Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate,

takes over as head of the Palestinian Authority

2005 - Sharon pulls troops out of Gaza Proof that he is willing to make concessions in

the peace process – move towards Two State Solution

Construction of the West Bank wall

Israeli West Bank Wall

January 06 - Sharon enters into a coma after a stroke

Ehud Olmert becomes acting PM – eventually becomes official PM (elected March 06) as Sharon never comes out of the coma

January 06 – Palestinian democratic elections held Hamas (terrorist group) wins the majority of seats

March 2009 – Israeli Elections

Benjamin Netanyahu becomes PM Politically hawkish – not a moderate Brother killed in Uganda when the Israeli

military went to rescue a hijacked Israeli flight Has allowed for Israeli settlements to

continuously be built in the West Bank – major source of current tensions – negotiations with the Palestinians derailed because of this issue

2010 - Palestinian women huddle amid their belongings after Israeli forces demolished their homes in the West Bank village of Khirbet Tana, near Nablus

The Israeli settlement of Har Homa in East Jerusalem- once shared by Israeli & Palestinians until 1998- US condemned further development of this settlement in 2010

US Vetoes UN SC Resolution condemning Israeli Settlements

February 2011 – The resolution condemned all Israeli settlements established in occupied Palestinian territory since 1967 as illegal and demanded that “Israel, as the occupying power, immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem and that it fully respect its legal obligations in this regard.”

The US says that while it agreed that the settlements are illegitimate the resolution harmed chances for peace talks.

In explaining her veto, US Ambassador Susan E. Rice said the vote should not be misunderstood as support for settlement activity.

The other 14 members of the Security Council voted for the resolution

The resolution was co-sponsored by over 120 of the UN’s 192 countries

Palestinian’s Demand Legitimacy Sept 2012 Abbas submits plans to UN for

statehood vote; US vows to veto in Security Council

Nov 2012 - The United Nations General Assembly voted in favor (138-41 with Germany abstaining) of granting Palestine non member observer status, an upgrade from observer entity. New status allows Palestine to participate in UN agencies This was a clear sign of international support for the

Palestinian statehood cause US clearly in the minority on this issue continues to thwart

Palestinian statehood progress

THE QUESTION REMAINS:

Can there be a Two State Solution?