Israeli-Palestinian ConflictOrigins to Today

BeginningsHistorical animosity

among groups for control of the holy land Judaism Christianity Islam

Israel became state in 1948 Desired Jewish state

after WWII Unwelcome in mostly

Arab region Series of wars Most opposed by

Palestinians Claim land belongs to

them Muslims & Christians

A Jewish Homeland ?Land of Palestine now Israel, West Bank, and Gaza Strip

Jewish kings ruled region from Jerusalem dating 3,000 years agoBelonged to Palestinians since Jews were driven out around 135CEArabs believe land has belonged to them since the 7th century CE

Jewish people lived in different countries after being forced from PalestineGlobal dispersal known as the DiasporaZionists began returning to the region their ancestors had fled in the

19th & 20th centuries Palestine still part of the Ottoman Empire, ruled by Islamic Turks League of Nations asked Britain to oversee Palestine until it was ready for

independence following WWI Breakup of Ottoman Empire Mandate System

Growing presence in Palestine & pressing for own nation Strongly opposed by Arabs Balfour Declaration – British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour promoted

idea of Jewish homeland in Palestine that also protected the rights of non-Jewish communities

Efforts to create Jewish state failed

Partition of PalestineUnited Nations General Assembly

voted to partition Palestine into an Arab Palestinian state & Jewish Israel in 1947

Jerusalem was to be an international city owned by neither side

Jews gained 55% of the area, even though they made up only 34% of the populationSympathy after the Holocaust

All Islamic countries voted against partition

Palestinians rejected it outrightArgued the UN didn’t have the right

to partition a territory without considering the wishes of the majority of its people

Formation of Israel May 14, 1948

ConflictDay after independence – invaded by six

Islamic States – Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, & Syria Ended within months in a victory for

IsraelFull-scale war broke again in 1956,

1967, and 1973 Several hundred thousand Jews living in

Arab lands moved to IsraelState UN set aside for Arabs never came

into being as result of the fighting Israel seized half the land in 1948-49

fighting 600,000 Palestinians fled from areas

under Israeli control Settled in UN-sponsored refugee camps

Various Arab nations seized other Palestinian lands Egypt controlled Gaza Strip Jordan annexed the West Bank of the Jordan

River

Suez Crisis, 1956Second Arab-Israeli war broke in 1956Egypt seized control of the Suez Canal

President Gamal Abdel Nasser sent in troops to take the canal

Was controlled by British interestsPrompted in large part over loss of US

& British financial support for building of Aswan Dam (because they got arms from the Soviet Union – still Cold War!)

British made agreement with France & Israel to retake the canal Israelis marched on Suez Canal &

quickly defeated EgyptiansSupported by European air support

Pressures from world community forced Israel & Europeans to withdraw from Egypt

Left Egypt in charge of the canal

Continuing Wars

Tensions built again after the Suez crisis Six-Day War

Nasser & Arab allies, equipped with Soviet tanks & aircraft, ready to confront Israel by early 1967

Nasser moved to close off the Gulf of Aqaba, Israel’s outlet to the Red Sea

Israelis retaliated striking Arab airfields in Egypt, Iran, Jordan, and Syria

Ground forces struck like lightning on three fronts Israel defeated the Arab states 800 Israeli troops lost compared to 15,000 Arabs Consequences

Israel gained control of Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, and the West Bank

Buffer zone against further Arab attacks Arabs living in Jerusalem given choice of Israeli or

Jordanian citizenship, most choosing Jordanian People living in other areas not offered Israeli

citizenship & simply came under Jewish control

Yom Kippur War Fourth conflict erupted in October 1972 Nasser’s successor Anwar Sadat planned joint

attack on Yom Kippur Caught Israelis by surprise Heavy casualties & recaptured territory lost in 1967 Israelis, under PM Golda Meir, launched counter

attack & regained lost territory Both sides agreed to truce after several weeks of

fighting

Palestine Liberation OrganizationArab Palestinians struggled for recognition as fighting occurredUN granted Palestinians own homeland, but Israelis seized much of

that landEspecially important – West Bank & Gaza StripPalestinian officials formed the Palestine Liberation Organization

(PLO) in 1964 to push for formation of an Arab Palestinian state that would include land claimed by Israel Originally made up of different groups – laborers, teachers, lawyers,

and guerilla fighters Soon dominated by guerillas, insisting only way to achieve goal was

through armed struggle1969 – Yasir Arafat became chairman

Carried out numerous terrorist attacks against Israel through 1960s and ‘70s

Neighboring Arab countries supported by allowing guerillas to operate from their lands

Efforts at Peace1977 – Anwar Sadat extended a hand to Israel four years after Yom

Kippur War, inviting past enemy to join him in quest for peaceEmphasized that Israel would have to recognize rights of PalestiniansIsrael would have to withdraw from territory seized in 1967 from

Egypt, Jordan, and Syria 1978 – President Jimmy Carter invited Sadat and Israeli PM

Menachem Begin to Camp David (presidential retreat in Maryland)Isolated from press & domestic political pressuresWorked to reach an agreementEgypt recognized Israel as legitimate state after 13 days of negotiationsIsrael agreed to return Sinai Peninsula to EgyptSigned Camp David Accords in 1979, ending 30 years of hostilities

between Egypt & IsraelSadat’s efforts at peace enraged many Arab countries

Assassinated by Muslim extremists in 1981

Tensions Increase Palestinians continued to clash with Israelis

Lived in West Bank & Gaza Strip – controlled by Israel Military wing of the PLO conducted campaign against Israel in the

1970s-80s Israel responded by bombing suspected rebel bases in Palestinian

towns Army invaded Lebanon to destroy strongholds in Palestinian villages

in 1982 Israelis became involved in Lebanon’s civil war & forced to withdraw

Palestinians expressed frustrations in campaign of civil disobedience called the intifada (uprising) Took form of boycotts, demonstrations, attacks on Israeli soldiers, &

rock throwing by unarmed teenagers Continued into 1990s with little progress Affected world opinion, which put pressure on Israel to seek

negotiations with Palestinians Met for series of peace talks in October 1991

Oslo Peace AccordsPalestinians & Israelis made little progress in negotiations Secret talks held in Oslo (Norway) in 1993 produced surprise

agreementDeclaration of Principles (AKA Oslo Peace Accords) Israel agreed to grant Palestinians self-rule in Gaza Strip & West

Bank, under PM Yitzhak Rabin, beginning with town of JerichoRabin & Arafat signed agreement on Sept. 13, 1993

Difficulty to make agreement work – demonstrated by assassination of Rabin in 1995Killed by right-wing Jewish extremist who opposed concessions to

PalestiniansSucceeded by Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposed Oslo Accords,

but made efforts to keep the agreementMet with Arafat to work out plans for partial Israeli withdrawal

from West Bank in 1997

Solutions? Resolution to this conflict may be key to resolving other conflicts in the

Middle East Some see it as creating Arab resentment toward the West

Western nations ally with Israel Fueling Islamic terrorism

Few discussions are impartial & non-partisan One-State Solution – combine Israelis & Palestinians into one state

Trend among support by Palestinians flip flops, hovering between 40-50% One-state solution likely to see discrimination & racism Would split parliament into two sides – could anything be accomplished? Looks like Israel does not want two-state solution

80% citizens of Israeli lands have full democratic & civil rights; 20% are Palestinians with institutionalized discrimination in civil & political life

Two-State Solution – Split into the original idea: Jewish State & Arab State Palestinians desire independent state Single state would destroy capacity of Israel to be a Jewish state Requires Israel & Palestine to live up to commitments for peace Could Palestine survive economically? Gaza & West Bank too far apart to work? Ethnically pure states are divisive & incite conflict ?

Recent Controversies Fighting in Gaza June-August 2014

Military operation launched by Israel on July 8 in Hamas-ruled Gaza strip [“to stop rocket fire from Gaza”]

Israeli bombardment, Palestinian rocket attacks, & ground fighting

2,200 deaths – mostly Gazans Fragile ceasefire

Human rights violations in 2015 in West Bank Cyclical process of military occupation & ongoing

violence Undermines right to self-determination of

Palestinians Bad light on Israel’s compliance with international

humanitarian & human rights laws Iran Nuclear Issue

Nuclear capabilities would threaten Israel US backs Israel… but wants to negotiate with Iran Netanyahu has appealed to US Congress against

Palestinian statehood