THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT: THE MIDDLE EAST IN TURMOIL PALESTINE? ORISRAEL?

THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT:THE MIDDLE EAST IN TURMOIL

PALESTINE? OR ISRAEL?

ISRAEL(PALESTINE) IN THE CONTEXT OF THE MIDDLE EAST

What is the conflict over?

The conflict is between the Arab nations and Israel over the sovereignty (political control) in the land called Palestine/Israel.

WHEN DID JEWISH SOVEREIGNTY END IN PALESTINE?

•The Jews (Ancient Hebrews) lived in Palestine for 1,000 years but were forced to leave the Holy Land during the Roman Conquest. When the Jews left Palestine and spread throughout the globe, it was called the Diaspora.

•Some time after the Hebrews were gone, Arab sovereignty in Palestine came into being. Around the Umayyad conquest in 637 A.D. Arab dynasties held control in Palestine.

THE MOVEMENT FOR A JEWISH HOMELAND

ZIONISM—FOUNDED BY THEODORE HERZL IN THE 1890’S WAS A

MOVEMENT AMONG JEWS TO GET A HOMELAND BACK!

HOW DID THE BRITISH GET INVOLVED?

• The League of Nations gave the British temporary control over Palestine after

WW I (This is called a mandate)• In 1917 the British passed the Balfour

Declaration which proposed a national home for the Jewish people.

• Many Jews saw this as a promise, some began to emigrate to Palestine.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER WW II?• Britain decided to give up its mandate!

• The United Nations needed to solve the issue.

• The U.N. decided to partition Palestine into 2 states—a Jewish state and an Arab state.

CRITICAL YEAR: 1948

• The Jews accepted the U.N. decision and declared their state----Israel in 1948

• The Arabs in Palestine and in other Arab nations rejected the partition plan. War broke out immediately!

• 6 Arab nations declared war on Israel. They were unsuccessful. The U.N. declared a truce in 1949 ending the fighting.

ARAB-ISRAELI WARS

• U.N. partitions Palestine in 1947

• Israel is a nation in 1949Israel 1948-1949

THE FOUR ARAB-ISRAELI WARS

1. The War for Independence:

1948—49RESULTS:

• Israel gained control of W. part of Jerusalem.

• Jordan seized E. Jerusalem

• Jordan occupied the West Bank

THE FOUR ARAB-ISRAELI WARS

2. THE 1956 WAR: Egypt (Under Nasser) nationalized (took over) the Suez Canal. Egypt

stopped Israel from using it. Therefore, Egypt and Israel went to war again!

RESULTS:• Israel defeated Egypt and occupied the Sinai

peninsula• Egypt kept the Suez Canal. They wanted Israel

to give Sinai back, Israel wanted Egypt to recognize them as a nation.

THE FOUR ARAB-ISRAELI WARS3. THE SIX-DAY WAR: 1967: Egypt and the other Arab nations still refused to recognize Israel.

They stepped up their terrorist attacks. Israel in turn increased its presence in the Sinai desert and forbade Egypt to use the Suez Canal. Egypt continued to threaten to destroy Israel. Then the Israeli’s struck at Egypt in eary June 1967.

RESULTS:• Israel won and took a large amount of land.• Israel took the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza strip from Egypt.• Israel took the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan.• Israel took the Golan Heights from Syria.

Six Day War

ARAB- ISRAELI WARS

4. THE 1973 WAR (YOM KIPPUR WAR)EGYPT PLANS AN ATTACK ON HOLY DAY--YOM KIPPUR,

ISRAELIS CAUGHT BY SURPRISE. ARABS CAPTURED SOME LAND.

ISRAEL UNDER GOLDA MEIR(PRIME MINISTER) LAUNCH COUNTERATTACK AND GOTMOST OF THE LAND BACK.

CAMP DAVID ACCORDS 1979

U.S President Jimmy Carter

Egypt’s Anwar Sadat

Israel’s MenachemBegin

Results of Camp David Accords

• September 1978

• Israel would withdraw from Sinai and return it to Egypt

• Free shipping of Israeli ships through Suez Canal

• Egypt recognizes Israel existence

1993 Declaration of Principles for Palestinian Self-Rule

• Prime Minister Begin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat agreed to give Palestinians in Gaza self-rule in 1994

• Extended to include West Bank in 1995

LAND FOR PEACE?

1993 PEACE TALKS

YITZHAK RABIN-----------ISRAEL

YASIR ARAFAT-------------PALESTINIANS

BILL CLINTON--------------U.S.

Palestinians gain self-rule in West Bank and Gaza Strip

Will land for peace workPROBLEMS:

•NEW ISRAELI PRIME MINISTERS WITH DIFFERENT VIEWS

•CONINTUED SUICIDE BOMBINGS AND TERRORIST ATTACKS BY PALESTINIANS

THE HOPE FOR PEACE CONTINUES!

YITZHAK RABIN

YASIR ARAFAT