The Arab-Israeli Conflict

Where is Israel?

What is the background of the conflict?

• Jews scattered by Romans all around Empire, eventually the world.

• Land known as Israel used to be called Palestine.

• This land was home to both Arabs (majority) and some Jews.

• Came under British control after WWI.

What is Zionism?

• Movement to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

• Started to grow in popularity in the late 1800s.

• Anti-Semitism helped convince many Jews to move to Palestine.

How did the nation of Israel begin?

• After WWII & the Holocaust, more Jews than ever moved to Palestine.

• The United Nations divided Palestine into a Palestinian Arab part and an Israeli Jewish part.

• Israel declared its statehood in 1948.

• All countries around it declare war immediately. Israel wins.

What was the Six Day War?• Another war between Israel and all of its Arab

neighbors.

• Again, all nations attack Israel.

• Israel beats them all again.

• Israel then takes over the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, & the Sinai Peninsula.

• Israel then starts to build settlements in the Occupied Territories. This is illegal.

What is the PLO?

• The Palestinian Liberation Organization

• Their goal was to liberate Palestine: in other words, drive the Israelis out.

• Their methods were both political and violent.

• Now they are known as the Palestinian Authority. – They have given up violence and agreed to

negotiate with Israel.

What is Hamas?

• A group that wants to destroy Israel.

• They are considered terrorists by most governments, including our own.

• They use violence but have also run for and won power through elections.

• They control the Gaza Strip currently.

What is being done to bring peace?

• Ongoing negotiations between different groups: Israel, the PA, Hamas, etc.

• The US, European, and Arab nations are helping (and sometimes hurting) this process.

• Each group has many things they want that go against another group.

• This makes compromise hard.

• You’ll see how hard when we do our simulation.

What are the main areas of conflict?• The existence of Israel.

– This is mostly an issue for Hamas.

• The city of Jerusalem.– Who controls it? Who has access to it?

• Israeli settlements in Occupied Territories.– Thousands of Israelis live in OTs.

• Palestinian refugees from Israeli territory.– Millions have never seen their “homes”.

• Guarantee of safety for Israel & sovereignty for Palestine.