Creation of Israel

Ancient Times

• Jerusalem as a holy city for Jews, Muslims, and Christians

• Jerusalem as the capital city of the Jewish people

• Roman Empire exiled Jewish people

• Jews lived throughout world, mostly in Europe

Ottoman Rule and British Mandate

• 1914-1919: As a result of WW1 Ottoman Empire collapsed

• 1917: “Balfour Declaration” letter from Foreign Secretary Balfour to Lord Rothschild, Jewish leader in Britain: “His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”

• 1919: League of Nations, gave “mandate” to Britain to govern Palestine

• 1939-1945: WW2 and Holocaust

– created Jewish immigration to Palestine

– increased world sympathy for the Jewish people

1948: Creation of Israel

• 1948: Britain left Israel, leaving control to a new country, Israel

• Immediate war between Israelis, Palestinians, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq

• Israel survived; Armistice boundaries gave West Bank to Jordan, and Gaza Strip to Egypt.

• Geographically, borders of Israel difficult to defend

1956 War

• Egypt created many small border incursions and threatened to close the Suez Canal and access to Red Sea to Israel

• With French and UK support, Israel preemptively invaded Sinai Peninsula

• UN demanded Israel’s withdrawal; Israel returned Sinai after a few months

UN Soldiers patrolling Sinai in 1957

1967: Six-Day War

• 1964: Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) formed in exile

• Escalating tensions between Israel and Egypt led to Six Day War

• Israel immediately defeated Egypt, Syria, and Jordan

• Israel seized Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, and West Bank

• 500,000 Palestinians fled

1973 Yom Kippur War

• Egypt, Syria, and Jordan fought Israel to regain lost land

• Israel defended land after initial losses

• Saudi Arabia refused to sell oil to countries supporting Israel until 1974

• Throughout 1970s, Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israel (e.g., 1972 Olympics)

• 1977: Egypt’s Anwar Sadat flew to Israel and spoke to parliament -- first Arab leader to recognize the state of Israel

1978: Camp David Accord

• 1978: Israel and Egypt signed Camp David accord under President Jimmy Carter

• Israel returned Sinai Peninsula, Egypt promised peace

• US promised huge aid to both Israel and Egypt

• Egypt and Israel at peace ever since

• Sadat was assassinated in 1981

Palestinian Guerrilla Uprising

• Camp David accord effectively ended international wars over Israel

• PLO in exile• Bombings in Israel;

guerrilla bases in southern Lebanon

• 1982: Israel invaded Lebanon to destroy bases

• 1987: Intifada uprising began in Gaza Strip and spread to West Bank

• 1990s; Israeli established “settlements” in land previously controlled by Palestinians

Creation of an Independent Palestine

• 1993: Oslo peace accord, brokered by Bill Clinton

• 1994: Creation of autonomous Palestinian lands inside Israel

• PLO’s Yasser Arafat allowed to return to Palestine, where he led the Palestinian National Authority

• Plans call for eventual creation of independent Palestine

• 2000s: Suicide bombings• 2003: Start of

construction of wall separating Israel from Palestinian land