Modern History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Origins of Conflict - 1890 Land controlled by the Ottoman empire through WWI Majority Arab Muslim population New ideology: Rise of Zionism Create a Jewish state and end the diaspora European Jews organize efforts to create a homeland. By the early 1900s 25,000 have settled in Palestine. Thoedor Herzl

WWI During WWI the British promise Jews, Muslims, and the French different ideas about the future of Palestine A Jewish state – idea from the Balfour Declaration An Arab state independent from the Ottomans A French-British colony – idea of the Sykes-Picot Agreement

Sykes-Picot Agreement Two Potential Options Balfour Declaration 1917 Proposed Sykes-Picot Agreement Dear Lord Rothschild, …On behalf of His Majesty’s Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations... “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people…it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done with may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and the political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.” Arthur James Balfour

The Interwar Years League of Nations grants GB a charter in 1920 to govern areas around Palestine. British Mandate of Palestine Quotas restrict flow of Jews to region Slow Jewish migration continues through the interwar years

During the interwar years GB and the US limited Jewish Migration. Why? WWII and the Shoah During the interwar years GB and the US limited Jewish Migration. Why? During WWII the British forbid the migration of European Jews into Palestine. Why? After the Holocaust there is widespread, international support for the creation of a Jewish state

United Nation Partition Plan - 1947 After WWII the UN attempted to solve the issue of the Jewish/Arab state with the 1947 Partition Plan This agreement split the territory into two separate states Jewish state: Israel David Ben Gurion = First PM Arab state: Palestine

Arab-Israeli Conflicts 1948 – Israel declares independence and is invaded. Defeats Arab invaders and Palestine. No two state solution 1956 – Sinai Peninsula Conflict. Egypt and General Nasser nationalize Suez Canal and close Straight of Tiran. Israel, GB and FR invade. Minimal land exchanged 1967 – Six Day War. Egypt militarizes Sinai Peninsula. Israel launch preemptive attack and captures the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Golan Heights 1973 – Yom Kippur War. Arab nations invade and are pushed back

1948 1956

1967 1973

██ Have been in war with Israel Use the information provided to examine the following political cartoons and maps ██ Gaza and West Bank ██ Israel ██ Arab Nations ██ Have been in war with Israel Why would the Israeli’s have attacked first in the 1967 conflict?

Internal Movements 1964 – Creation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Led by Yasir Arafat. Goal to destroy Israel and return land to Palestinian Arabs

Internal Movements 1987 and 2000 – First and Second Intifada. “Shaking Off” or “Uprising” Civilian movement of civil disobedience, strikes, and boycotts

Peace Accords 1979 – Camp David Peace Accord signed between Egyptian (Sadt) and Israel (Begin) 1993 – Oslo Accord between Israel (Rabin) and the PLO (Abbas) Still no two-state solution

Contemporary Cartoons

No successful two-state solution to this day…

Maintaining peace in the future? Build A Solution Create your own solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict Topics to address: Borders? Government? Reparations? Jerusalem? Maintaining peace in the future?