Israel and PalestineYears of Conflict

Israel• In 1945 the country that is now Israel was

called Palestine.• Created after WWII by the United Nations• Land was a territory of Britain• The U.N. wanted to protect the Jews from

Nazi Germany• Palestinian Arabs lived on the land• Israel became a state and homeland for

Jews

Israel and other Arab Nations• The surrounding nations attacked Israel as

soon as the land was handed over• Israel was able to hold off the Arab nations

due to support from the USA• Palestinian Arabs who lived on the land were

forced out• Between 520,000 to 1,000,000 Palestinians

fled Israel• They were forced to live in camps that still

exist today

Palestine is a Stateless Nation• They have no official government• Most the people live in camps in the West

Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jordan• All Arab nations in that region are against a

Jewish Israel

Why do they fight over the land• Jews were forced to move off the land

during the Roman Empire, so they feel the land originally belong to them.

• However, Palestinians have been there since then (some even longer) so they feel the land belongs to them!

• Both sides want the land, however neither side has agreed that splitting it is the best option.

• As a result, people die every day in both nations (mainly Palestine).

The Fighting Continues• Over the next 20 years, fighting continued

between the two sides.• Attacks increased when the Palestine

Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed for the liberation of the country.

• In 1993, Israel signed a peace deal where the Palestinians were given control of some of their cities.