1. Arab-Israeli Conflict

2. Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916
Secret Agreement between France & Britain
Defined the spheres of influence that France & Britain would have over Ottoman land after WWI

3. The Balfour Declaration
Foreign Office November 2nd, Dear Lord Rothschild: I have much pleasure in conveying to you on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet: His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country. I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation. Yours, Arthur James Balfour

4. Post–WWI Reality

5. Inter-War Period
Arabs felt betrayed by the West after promised & denied independence
Balfour Declaration led to a commitment by Britain to a national homeland for Jews in Palestine (but the Palestinians were there) and furthered the Zionist movement begun in the late 19th century
At first, Arabs welcomed economic boost, but when Jews began to clear the land of Arab tenants & refused to hire Palestinian workers  conflict

6. Post-WWII
After the holocaust, Jewish migration to Israel, conflict w/ Palestinians & world-wide sympathy led to Britain referring the Palestinian issue it created to the U.N.
1947 – U.N. called for a partition of Palestine w/ Jerusalem as an international city (Jews got 55% land while only 34% of the population)  Palestine & Islamic countries voted against, but Jews voted for
May 14, 1948 – Israel independent w/ David Ben Gurion as P.M.

8. 1948-1949 The day after independence, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,
Saudi Arabia & Syria invaded Israel
Israel seized ½
Palestinian land
Egypt  Gaza Strip
Jordan  West Bank
Palestinians  no
land (refugees)

10. 1956 Suez Crisis 1956 Suez Crisis Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egyptian
President, nationalized the Suez
Canal  Britain, France & Israel
invaded Egypt & took the Canal
Pressure by U.S. & U.S.S.R.
forced Israel to withdraw
 Egypt in charge of Canal

11. 1967 Six-Day War Nasser moved to close off the Gulf
of Aqaba  Israel attacked Egypt,
Iran, Jordan & Syria
Israel  Sinai Peninsula
(incl. Gaza Strip), Golan
Heights, West Bank &
Old Jerusalem

12. After the 1973 War
1973
Anwar Sadat (Nasser’s successor) led surprise Arab
attack on Yom Kippur & Golda Meir (Israeli P.M.)
launched counterattack – truce signed, but no peace treaty

13. PEACE? November 1977 1970s & 1980s 1993 Declaration of Principles
1978 U.S. Pres. Carter invited
Sadat & Menachem Begin (Israeli
P.M.) to Camp David
1979 Camp David Accords
World praised Sadat, but Muslim
extremists assassinated him 1981
1982 Israel withdrew from Sinai
November 1977
In Jerusalem, Sadat offered peace
to Israel in exchange for withdrawal
from 1967 War territories
& recognize Palestinians’ rights
1970s & 1980s
Palestinian Liberation Organization
(PLO) formed under Yasir Arafat
Campaign of civil disobedience
(intifada) influenced world opinion
October 1991, Israeli &
Palestinian delegates met for the
first time in peace talks
Yitzak Rabin (Israeli P.M.)
agreed to give Palestinians
self-rule in the Gaza Strip &
West Bank
1993 Rabin & Arafat signed at
the White House in D.C.
1995 Rabin assassinated
1993 Declaration of
Principles
(peace talks at Oslo, Norway)

15. Israeli Settlements

16. Will Recent Events Lead to Peace?
negotiations for a final settlement (at Camp David) ended in deadlock – each side blaming the other
2nd Intifada - violence resumed after Ariel Sharon (then General) visited the temple mount
2002 – Saudi proposal for peace was adopted by the Arab League & became a U.N. Resolution (1st time Arab countries called for a Palestine alongside Israel) – Israel rejected it
Suicide bombings & resultant Israeli occupation continues to hinder peace

18. Israel’s Security Barrier (a. k. a
Israel’s Security Barrier (a.k.a. “Security Fence” or “Apartheid Wall”)

22. Recent Event  Peace? (cont.)
2004 – Syria tried to renew peace treaty talks w/ Israel from 1967, but has met cool reception
November 11, Yasser Arafat died  Mahmoud Abbas became Palestinian leader
2005 – Sharm El Sheikh Conference – both sides agreed to end violence & Israel’s Knesset approved Disengagement Plan (withdrawal of 24 settlements)
Nevertheless violence continued
2006 – Hamas (organization w/ terrorist ties) won election in Palestinian legislature (Abbas still President)
2012 – the State of Palestine replaced the PLO in the UN & upgraded its status as “non-member observer”
Egypt is leading cease-fire efforts re: current flare-ups