The IsraelPalestinian Conflict

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The Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Mr. H Productions
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Ancient History
Once upon a time, three religions claimed
Jerusalem in Palestine as a holy place, and each
controlled the region at various times.
How are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam related
to each other and to Jerusalem?
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Jerusalems Importance to Three World Religions
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Late 19th/Early 20th Century Regional History

• Region controlled by Ottoman Empire until 1920
• Zionist movement begins in late 1800s . . . Jews
  begin moving into Palestine tensions rise with
  local Arabs
• British Foreign Secretary Balfour (1917) issues
  Balfour Declaration that "viewed with favour
  the establishment in Palestine of a national home
  for the Jewish people
• Palestine becomes British League of Nations
  mandate (1920) Jewish immigration resumes after
  WWI
• British introduce White Paper (1939), limiting
  Jewish immigration during WWII to 75,000 and
  restricting purchase of land by Jews response to
  the Great Arab Uprising (1936-1939)
• Holocaust in Europe leads to greater immigration
  from Europe after war

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The Region Called Palestine Under the British
Mandate
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The UN Partition Plan

• Due to Holocaust horrors, Jewish immigration, and
  violence between Arabs and Jews in Palestine . .
  .
• The United Nations (1947) draws up plan to create
  a Jewish homeland as well as a homeland for the
  Palestinian Arabs in the region.
• How would you feel as a Palestinian Arab about
  the UN plan?
• What conflicts might the UN plan on the map have
  led to?

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The 1948 War

• Due to violence/administration costs, Great
  Britain pulls out of region (1948)
• Israel declares independence surrounding Arab
  countries immediately attack Israel.
• Israel wins.
• Palestinians Arabs flee/forced to flee fighting
  but are not welcomed in the surrounding Arab
  countries -- most have to live in refugee camps.

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Israel The Early Years
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How did the new country of Israel compare to the
UN plan after the 1948 war?
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1956 Suez Crisis

• Egypt attacked by secret alliance of France,
  Britain, and Israel
• Why? Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser
  nationalized Suez Canal (important asset to
  French and British economies) Israel wanted to
  re-open the canal for Israeli shipping and end
  Egyptian-supported guerrilla incursions across
  Sinai Peninsula
• Ended why? USSR threatened to intervene on
  behalf of Egypt USA feared larger war and forced
  the British and French to withdraw
• Connection to Hungary?

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The 1967 War (The 6 Day War)

• Israel (1967) launches preemptive strike against
  neighbors.
• Israel wins new territory all of Jerusalem,
  West Bank, Gaza, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan
  Heights.
• Green line pre-1967 borders

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The 1973 (Yom Kippur) War

• Israel attacked by Arab neighbors during Yom
  Kippur holiday (1973)
• USA and western Europe aid Israel Israel
  repulses attack (nuclear threat?)
• Arab countries in OPEC (1960) retaliate by
  cutting off oil to USA and western Europe . . .

Welcome to the world of the 1st oil crisis . . .
Supplies down, prices up, and rationing
implemented!
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1982 Invasion of Lebanon

• PLO (expelled from Jordan 1970 led by Yasser
  Arafat) and Syrian forces launching raids and
  rockets into northern Israel from southern
  Lebanon during Lebanese civil war
• Israel invades Lebanon (1982) drives out PLO and
  Syrian forces and sets up puppet state in south
  Lebanon until 2000
• Israelis blamed for refugee camp atrocities
  against Palestinians
• Syria and Iran begin support for Hezbullah in
  Lebanon to continue fight against Israel
• USA involvement in war/peacekeeping blamed by
  Osama bin Ladin for 9/11 attack

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What about the neighbors nowadays?

• Egypt -- signed Camp David peace accords with
  Israel (1978/1979) recognized Israel, got back
  Sinai and 2 bil./year aid from USA (Israel gets
  3 bil.)
• Jordan -- signed Peace Treaty with Israel (1994)
  recognized Israel, got USA debt forgiven (700
  mil.) and military equipment
• Syria -- no treaty, no Israel recognition, no
  return of Golan Heights economic boycott
• Lebanon -- formally remains at war with Israel
  refuses to recognize Israel boycott
• Saudi Arabia -- refuses to recognize Israel
  proposed peace plan 2002 boycott
• Iraq -- refuses to recognize boycott
• Iran -- refuses to recognize Israel boycott
  threatens to destroy

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Israel and the Palestinians Today

• Israel controls the Golan Heights (Syria), Gaza,
  the West Bank, all of Jerusalem.
• Palestinian Arabs mostly live in Gaza, the West
  Bank, and East Jerusalem, or refugee camps in
  other countries.
• The Palestinians are currently engaged in an
  uprising (intifada) in the occupied territories
  (mostly the West Bank).

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Some Key Israel Facts

• 80 of 6 million Israelis are Jewish, 20 are
  Arab (Muslim and Christian)
• There are thousands of Israeli settlers who have
  moved into the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem,
  West Bank and Gaza since 1973 Gaza just had a
  unilateral withdrawal by Israel.
• GDP per capita in Israel is 20,000.
• Israels biggest trade partner is the USA.
• Israel is a democracy.
• Much of Israels water comes from the West Bank.

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Some Key Palestinian Facts

• 85 of the 3 million people living in the West
  Bank and Gaza are Palestinian Arabs, 15 are
  Jewish settlers.
• There are 4-6 million Palestinian refugees living
  in surrounding countries (40 of Jordans
  population).
• GDP/capita in the West Bank 1000 and Gaza
  600.
• The biggest trade partner for the West Bank/Gaza
  is Israel.
• Palestinian government (Palestinian Authority) is
  now democratic.
• Borders of the West Bank/Gaza are controlled by
  Israel.
• Thousands of Palestinians living in occupied
  territories work in Israel.

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Israel Wants

• Security -- no more attacks by neighbors or
  suicide bombers, and a recognition of their right
  to exist.
• Access to water.
• No right of return for Palestinians who used to
  live in what is now Israel.
• All of Jerusalem as their capital.

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Palestinians Want

• A country . . . Gaza, West Bank, East Jerusalem.
• Control over their own country, including
  borders.
• Access to the water in their territory.
• Right of return for Palestinian refugees to
  former homes in what is now Israel.
• Jerusalem (at least the east part, including the
  Old City) as their capital.

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So How Does the Conflict Get Resolved?

• Oslo Accords (1993) -- PLO and Israel agree to
  peace, ending Intifada 1 Palestinian Authority
  set up to partially self-govern occupied
  territories sticky issues to be addressed
  beginning 1998 Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and others
  do not accept
• Camp David (2000) -- Israel and Palestinians
  agree on most principles, but not right of
  return . . . Meeting collapses with no
  agreement both sides lose faith in process
  Intifada 2 begins when Sharon visits al-Aqsa
• Road Map for Peace (2003) -- USA, EU, UN, Russia
  proposal . . . Dead after 9/11 and war on terror
• Currently? The Wall, Kadima, and Hamas (2006)

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Hamas and Kadima

• Both political parties elected to power in 2006
• Kadima (Israel) and Hamas (PA) are not formally
  negotiating
• Hamas is seen as a terrorist organization by the
  USA and Israel international boycott
• Hamas and Fatah (Arafats party) are fighting
  over power in the Palestinian territories
  recently formed coalition

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So in the meantimeThe Wall!