Dec 14, 2015
What do Palestinians and Israelis want? Both want to establish
independent states (one Jewish and one Arab) on the same land.
Historic ties
Kingdom of Israel ca. 1000 bce – 700s bce
Arab control AD 600s – early 1900s
Religious ties
most holy sites for Jews
3rd holiest site for Muslims
Why do they fight?World War I –
Mandated Territories: Middle East was divided among Western European countries.
1917 Balfour Declarationthe British promised Arabs independence at the same time they supported the Zionist mvt
Why do they fight?
The Holocaust: 1930s-1940s• Dramatic increase in number of
European Jews migrating to Palestine.
• Many Arabs not happy with increase.• World pressure increased to create a
Jewish state.
Why do they fight?
UN Plan: create 2 states; one Jewish and one Arab
• Jewish reaction: supported the plan (declares statehood in 1948)
• Arab Reaction: did not support the plan; did not want to give up more than half their land to a Jewish minority
After 2 attacks by it’s Arab neighbors, once in 1948 and again in 1967, Israel won and gained control over what would be Palestinian territory according to the UN Plan.
Why do they fight?
Why do they fight?
refugees• hundreds of
thousands of Palestinians fled from or were kicked out of their homes
• many still live in refugee camps
• others have become citizens of other Arab countries
Occupied Territories– West Bank– Gaza Strip– Golan Heights
• buffer zones: protect Israel from neighbors
• illegal according to international law
Why do they fight?
Settlements• built by the Israelis
in the Occupied Territories
• effects on Palestinians– loss of
homes– denied
access to water– job loss –
unemployment– low paying
jobs
Why have there been problems with peace?
• lack of trust– both sides do not follow through on
promises– violence on both sides continues to
increase• internal pressures – extremist don’t
want to compromise
current situation• Palestinians have full control in Gaza
and in some areas of the West Bank.• All settlements in Gaza and some in
West Bank have been dismantled.
current situation
Wall on the green line
• protection barrier in the West Bank to keep terrorist out.
• Similar barriers exist in the Gaza Strip and near Syria and Lebanon.