1 Historical Background to the Palestine-Israel Conflict Prepared for the Forum on the Palestine-Israel Conflict 09 May 2002 at the UP PCED Hostel By Rey Claro Casambre of the PHILIPPINE PEACE CENTER and the INTERNATONAL LEAGUE OF PEOPLES’ STRUGGLE Study Commission on Peace

2 Introduction This paper aims to provide a brief historical background on the war currently raging in the Occupied Territories, especially at the West Bank, between the Palestinians and the Israelis

3 The history of the Palestine-Israel conflict may be discussed in four periods From ancient times to the end of World War I The British Mandate of Palestine – The establishment of the state of Israel and the Israel-Arab Wars ( ) Peace talks and the First Intefada

4 Ancient Times to the End of World War I 1250 BC - Israelites conquer Canaan; King David, Solomon ( )and other Hebrew rulers 586BC - Jews driven out by Assyrian conqueror Nebuchadnezzer Succession of Assyrian, Persian (539BC), Greek (333BC), Egyptian, Syrian, Roman Byzantine (63 BC), and Arab rulers from Damascus ( ), Iraq ( ), and Cairo ( , ), and the Crusaders ( ). Palestine incorporated into the Ottoman Empire from Zionism – the movement to establish a separate Jewish state in Palestine – was born in the end of the 19 th century

5 The Middle East in 1917 Middle East in 1917

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7 The British Mandate ( ) The Balfour Declaration of 1917 pledged Britain’s support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and paid lip service to safeguarding the civil and political rights of the non-Jewish communities in Palestine Successive waves of migrations increased Jewish population in Palestine from less than 6% in 1903 to 31% in 1945

8 UN RESOLUTION 181 PAVES WAY TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ISRAEL IN PALESTINE 29 Nov UN Resolution 181 – partitioning Palestine into a Jewish state (56.5% of Palestine) and a Palestinian state (43%); rejected by the Palestinians and Arab states. 14 May State of Israel proclaimed in Tel Aviv at 4:00 P.M., recognized by US President Truman 15 May British Mandate ends. Declaration of State of Israel comes into effect. 15 May British Mandate ends. Declaration of State of Israel comes into effect.

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10 The Arab-Israeli Wars 1949 – First Arab-Israeli War 1956 – Suez Campaign (Oct 29-Nov 5) Six-Day War (June 5-10) Israel occupies: Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, & the West Bank Israel occupies: Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, & the West Bank October War (Yom Kippur) Israeli invasion of Lebanon

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13 Six-Day War 1967 June 5-10

14 October 1973 War (Yom Kippur)

15 Peace Talks and the Intefada  1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt; Israel turns over Sinai to Egypt in exchange for recognition of right to exist  the outbreak of the first Palestinian intefada in December 1987 triggered by death of Palestinian youths run over by Israeli lorry (military personnel carrier)  Yasser Arafat's condemnation of terrorism and recognition of the state of Israel in December  1991 October - The Madrid peace conference

secret Israeli-Palestinian talks in Oslo, Norway 1993 Declaration of Principles (DoP), signed by Yasser Arafat and Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin: o set up the Palestinian Authority, but failed to resolve the issues of : o failed to resolve the issues of : § return of Palestinian refugees § the status of Jerusalem § Israeli settlements § final Palestine-Israel borders 1994 – Arafat returned to Gaza Strip and West bank to head the Palestinian Authority

17 However, Israel wielded full authority and control by frequently sealing off the Palestinian- governed areas from the rest of the Occupied Territories and from Israel.

18 July 2000 – Camp David Summit called by US President Bill Clinton. After two weeks of intensive negotiation with Arafat and Barak, the talks end without a deal. Barak resigns shortly after and Ariel Sharon elected Prime Minister 27 September Second Intefada erupts

Since 2002 – additions by Joe Naumann Hamas wins elections in Gaza Hamas fires missiles into Israel Israel bombs and invades Gaza 19