Arab-Israeli Conflict

“The reconciliation of Arab-Israeli conflict today is a

distant reality.”How far do you agree?

Questions

1) What were the 4 wars that were fought between Israel and the other Arab powers?

• 1948 War of Independence

• 1956 Suez War

• 1967 Six-Day War

• 1973 Yom Kippur War

2) What did both sides achieve at the end of all the wars? 1978 - 1979

• Arabs – Egypt – President Sadat convinced that Israel could not be destroyed.

• Israel – economic problems – huge defence expenditure / pressured by USA to settle differences with some moderate Arab states

3) What were the 2 main peace talks at reconciliation? How successful?

• 1978 Camp David (near Washington)

between Israel and Egypt – Terms??

Reactions:

- Condemned by PLO & other Arab

states

- President Sadat was assassinated

1993 Oslo Accordsbetween Israel and PLO• Terms??• Reactions:• Opposed by extremists on both sides• Israel Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin

(Labour party) was assassinated.• 1996 – militant Palestinian groups –

HAMAS & Shiite Islamic group Hizbollah carried out terrorist acts against Israel

• Victory for hard-line Likud Party in Israel

Conclusion

• Breakthroughs in the road to peace.

• At least some were willing to come together to negotiate and concede to one another.

• Give egs. of concessions

• So is the possibility of reconciliation a distant reality?

Why peace is a distant reality? (I)

1) Religion – Jerusalem

2) History – historical events (wars) –Propaganda - “generations within the region had been battling with each other, subsisting on national images demonizing the enemy with atavistic abhorrence.” (Hinchcliffe)

Why peace is a distant reality? (II)

3) Politics – ruling elite on both sides dominated by people who possessed a strong antagonism against the “enemy”

- manipulated the public opinion towards their own – support for war-provoking politicians

- presence of war-mongers – vicious cycle of aggression

Why peace is a distant reality? (III)

• Military – any form of peace may result in a dent in the interests of many high ranking officers

• Acquired strength through aggression & conflict

• Career is dependent on constant crisis• Defence expenditure in Syria - 18% • 3.9% workforce in army – compared to

0.8% in the US.

Why peace can be a reality

• Economics is a source of consolation• Law of economics suggest that peace

is more profitable than war.• Shrewd Jewish businessmen saw the

economic sense of peace – potential markets for Israeli goods in the Arab world

• Willingness of the international community to promote peace – Why?