Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Chapter 35, Sections 1 & 2

Palestine The only European held territory in the region Arabs, who had lived in Palestine for centuries, wanted the British to honor their promise of freedom (made in the early 1900s)

Zionist Jews Wanted to build a Jewish state on the same land This was land they claimed belonged to their ancestors since Biblical times—they also believe the British had promised it to them

The Holocaust The Nazi treatment of Jews had increased the popularity among Western countries for the creation of a Jewish state (Zionist Movement) The Jews, it seemed, were unable to mesh into mainstream European society—they were mistreated by Nazi sympathizers as well as by Russia

Palestinian Arabs vs. Jewish Settlers Feared that the British would allow increased Jewish immigration They began to attack Jewish settlers To defend themselves, Jewish settlements relied on a military force called the Haganah Also, Jewish underground forces attacked British soldiers & Palestinian Arabs

Great Britain Can’t Keep the Peace Britain admits it is unable to keep peace in the region Rule of Palestine is turned over to the United Nations in 1947

Palestine? For months, world leaders debated Palestine’s future U.S. & Western countries = wanted to divide Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state Arab nations (along with European & Pacific nations) = rejected this & wanted a single Palestinian state

General Assembly November 29, 1947 UN voted to divide Palestine & place Jerusalem under UN administration Jewish leaders accepted the plan quickly Arab leaders were bitter and rejected it

Birth of “Israel” May 14, 1948 Within 24 HRS, the armies of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, & Jordan attacked Israel With foreign aid, civilian & military organization  Israelis defeated the Arabs in 9 months

Israel Held most of Palestine Jerusalem divided (eastern part of the city under Arab control) Egypt held the Gaza Strip This was a victory for Israel—Arabs believed it a disaster

700,000 Palestinian Refugees Homeless Many fled to neighboring Arab countries Some went to refugee camps hoping to return home soon

1960s The cease-fire between Israel & Arabs fell apart Syria wanted to put an end to Israel & create a Palestinian state for Arabs Syria & Israel began border clashes in 1967

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Created to eliminate Israel & create a Palestinian state Palestinians living in Israel

Six-Day War Egypt had UN forces removed from the Israeli-Egyptian border Israel, fearing an attack, responded with Israeli fighter jets on 17 Egyptian airfields—destroying 300 of Egypt’s 350 warplanes Israeli jets also demolished the air forces of Iraq, Jordan, & Syria

Six-Day War Israel tripled its land Took the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and East Jerusalem Israel also occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River…….

The West Bank Was land that had been designated as part of Arab Palestine in the UN partition plan of 1947 Palestinians did not achieve self- rule, but had been under Jordanian rule After the Six-Day War, more than 1 million Palestinians were under Israeli military occupation

Palestinians Flee Thousands more Palestinians fled to other Arab nations They turned to the PLO and its militant leader (Yasir Arafat)—the PLO vowed to create an Arab Palestine

United Nations Asked Israel to let go of occupied territories Asked Arab countries to recognize Israel’s right to exist Both sides refused …terrorist attacks & border raids continued…

1970s Egyptian & Syrian forces led a surprise attack against Israel, during a holy day At first, Israeli planes were shot down, but U.S. weapons/planes aided Israel in occupying Egyptian territory The UN negotiated a cease-fire

America & Israel American support of Israel in the 1973 war angered Arab countries In order to control Western support, Arab countries imposed an embargo on oil sales to Israel’s allies

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Is a group of businesses formed to regulate production & prices among its members (both Arab & non-Arab countries) OPEC quadrupled the price of oil This threatened economies all over the world (including Arab countries)—so prices were dropped in less than a year

Egypt’s President Sadat Tried to break the deadlock Accepted an invitation to Israel— the first Arab to go in peace to Israel Sadat called for Arab acceptance of Israel to end hostility between Israelis and Arabs

The Camp David Accords Sadat accepted an invitation from the U.S. (Jimmy Carter) to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Begin The meetings were the basis of the Camp David Accords—an Arab- Israeli peace treaty Sadat & Begin signed the treaty— the first time an Arab nation recognized Israel as legitimate In return, Israel gave up the Sinai Peninsula

Arab States Break Ties with Egypt Many nations agreed with Sadat’s actions But several Arab states broke ties with Egypt—claiming that his peace treaty with Israel threatened Arab unity 1981—Muslim extremists assassinated Sadat

Palestinian Rage For years, Arabs & Israelis could not agree on the future of territories occupied by Israel Palestinians were enraged by Israeli rule Most could only get low paying jobs Those who protested were arrested Thus, the PLO staged hijackings & bombings of Israel & abroad

Palestinian Uprising (1987) A traffic accident in the Gaza Strip sparked Palestinian protests Israeli soldiers were sent to maintain order, but were surrounded by Palestinians In the confusion, a 17 year old boy was shot & killed—which led to an uprising that spread from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank

Palestinian Uprising Workers went on strike Thousands threw stones at Israeli soldiers & civilians This brought world attention to the Palestinian issue

Prospect of Peace Pressure was put on the Arabs & Israelis worldwide to begin peace negotiations Meetings were held in Madrid, Moscow, & Washington D.C.

Peace Process September, 1993 Israel & the PLO recognized each other Both agreed to self-gov’t for Palestinians in the West Bank & the Gaza Strip Later, both agreed to the removal of Israeli forces from other Palestinian areas

Undefined Palestinian State These boundaries are still an issue—they are not specified yet 6 million Palestinians who fled their homes due to the Arab-Israeli conflict are scattered throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and America About 850,000 Israeli Arabs live inside Israel itself—but consider themselves Palestinians

Israeli Palestinians Try to combine Israeli citizenship with Arab heritage 2 million Palestinians live in the West Bank & Gaza Strip Many of these displaced Palestinians live in crowded refugee camps

Timeline Create a timeline that shows Arab-Israeli relations in the following years: There should be detailed information for each of these years