Conflict in the Middle East

I. Israel A. After WWII Jews got own state - 1948 1. Unwelcome in an Arab land 2. Palestinian land taken B. Israeli-Palestinian tensions increase and continue today

II. United Nations Created Israel Jews, Arabs, Christians claim land 1. Jews claimed the land 3,000 years ago 2. Diaspora = global dispersal of Jews that began in 135CE 3. Zionism - return of Jewish homeland to Jews B. Palestine - part of Ottoman Empire 1. After WWI became a British mandate 2. 1947 United Nations partitioned Palestine into two countries: Israel and Palestine a. against wishes of Palestinians C. Jerusalem = international city D. Sympathy for Jews because of Holocaust 1. Palestine mad 2. May 14, 1948 - Israel created

III. Conflict begins May 15, 1948 Six Arab states invaded Israel 1. Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria 2. Israel won and took land promised to Palestine a. Palestine ceased to exist B. Egypt took Gaza strip C. Jordan took west bank D. 1956 Suez Crisis 1. Egypt took Suez canal from British interests E. 1967 Six-Day War 1. Israel took Jerusalem, West Bank

IV. Golda Meir A. Russian born B. Grew up in America C. Moved to Israel in 1921 1. eventually served as Israel’s ambassador to the USSR 2. Minister of labor D. Became female prime minister of Israel in 1969 E. Organized counter attack to win the Yom Kippur War against Egypt and Syria in Oct. 1973 1. Israel out numbered & surprised, but won 2. UN sent in Peacekeeping troops 3. USA assisted with intelligence

V. Palestine Liberation Organization - PLO A. Formed in 1964 1. Palestine lost land to Israel 2. Goal = Palestinians want land back B. Yasir Arafat chairman of PLO

Israeli View Palestinian View Since the establishment of the State of Israel, its national security policy has been designed to defend its existence, integrity and security, and not for expansionist territorial aspirations. Hence, if Arab confrontation states did not initiate wars against Israel or pose threats to its existence, then Israel would not start a war… to extend its territories… Our national security policy created from its very beginning the linkage between Israel’s political willingness for peace and Israel’s military capability to repel aggression of any kind and scale. Abraham Tamir Palestinian View These people have walked off with our homes and homeland, with our movable and immovable property, with our land, our farms, our shops, our public buildings, our paved roads, our cars, our theaters, our clubs, our parks, our furniture, our tricycles. They hounded us out of ancestral patrimony [land] and shoved us in refugee camps… Now they were astride the whole of historic Palestine and then some, jubilant at the new role as latter day colonial overlords. Fawaz Turki

VI. Efforts at Peace A. 1977 Anwar Sadat of Egypt asked for peace with Israel 1. Camp David Accords held in USA & hosted by US President Jimmy Carter 2. Israel gave Egypt Sinai Peninsula 3. Leaders Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin B. Oslo Peace Accords – 1993 1. Israel granted Palestinian self rule in Gaza Strip and West bank 2. Agreement signed by Israeli Prime Minister Rabin and Yasir Arafat of the PLO

C. 2000 - 2nd Intifada (“uprising”) launched because Israeli political leader Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount, which is also the location of Dome of the Rock, a holy Muslim site 1. Palestinians outraged a. Suicide bombers b. Israel bulldozed Palestinian camps 2. Conflict continues Dome of the Rock