Arab-Israeli Conflict Background

1800 to 1500 BCE Semitic people known as the Hebrews settle area known today as Israel

1000 BCE King David unites 12 tribes, creates Kingdom of Israel Son Solomon builds 1st Temple

1 st and 2 nd Century-start of Jewish Diaspora (scattering of a homogenouspeople) Other ethnic & religious groups religious groups dominate area dominate area

300 CE Christianity becomes dominant religion of area

650 CE Islam becomes dominant religion of region

1500s Area conquered by Ottoman Empire & becomes known as Palestine Palestine – name given by the Romans to the area along the Mediterranean Sea (presently known as Israel & Jordan)

As a reaction to anti-Semitism, Zionism (movement to create Jewish homeland) begins in the 1880s Theodore Herzl 

1920s British gain control of Palestine as a result of WWI – Balfour Declaration Balfour Declaration British agreement that there should be a homeland for the Jewish people but not at the expense of the Palestinian’s home

“His Majesty’s government views with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people… it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.”

WWII; 6 million European Jews killed during the Holocaust

Huge migration of Jews into Palestine

1947 – 1948 UN proposes partition into Arab Palestine & Jewish Israel w/ Jerusalem under international control; Partition – divide into parts

Arab state International Zone (Jerusalem) Jewish state

The Jewish people accepted the proposal, but the Arabs did not Palestinian – Arab people that live in the area known as Palestine Arab-Israeli Conflict – the debate between Arabs (including Palestinians) and Zionists about whether or not the region should be Palestine and Arab or Israel and Jewish.

1948 State of Israel created; war breaks out

UN Plan & After War

In War: - Israel grew - Egypt took - the Gaza Strip - Jordan took - the West Bank

In 1956 Suez War: - Israel took Gaza Strip and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula

After Suez War: - Israel gave back the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip

In 1967 Six Day War: - Israel took West Bank, Gaza Strip, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Syria’s Golan Heights

In 1973 Yom Kippur War: - Israel pushed back invasion by Egypt and Syria

Some Attempts at Peace Camp David – 1978  Egypt, Israel, US  Sadat, Begin, Carter  Egypt recognized Israel, Israel gave back Sinai Peninsula, Sadat assassinated

Menachem Begin, Israel

Anwar Sadat, Egypt

Jimmy Carter, U.S.

Oslo Accords –  Palestinians, Israel  Arafat, Rabin  Clinton  1 st talks between Israel & Palestinians, idea of a Palestine, Rabin assassinated

YasserArafat,Palestinian

Yitzhak Rabin, Israel

Recent Developments  The peace process fell apart  The Palestinians fractured after Arafat’s death  Israel has built a barrier around Palestinian areas  Israel has clashed with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon

Issues to Resolve in Arab-Israeli Conflict

Who should get the land? Reasons the Arabs think it should be Palestine…  It was promised to them during WWI  They were already living there

Who should get the land? Reasons Jewish people think it should be Israel…  It is where they originally come from  They needed a safe place to live (homeland)

Where should the new borders be drawn?  Israel has built many settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

What should happen to the Palestinian refugees?  Over 500,000 refugees fled or were forced to leave  Many went to UN camps in nearby Arab countries  Supposed to be temporary

Who should get Jerusalem?  Both sides want Jerusalem to be their capital.

How can Israeli security be balanced with Palestinian freedom of movement?

Will Hamas and Hezbollah accept a peace plan?