Creation of Israel &Conflicts of the Middle East

Israel Becomes a State

• After winning World War II, Allied leaders desire state for Jews.

• Zionists – support state for European Jews

• Holocaust – Six million Jews killed in

Europe– Anti-Semitism - hatred

against Jews.

• European leaders decide to give Jews their traditional homeland in Palestine.

• UN Partition Plan (1947) suggests two separate states – Israel for the Jews, Palestine for the Arabs– Jews accepted the plan– Arabs did not

Israel, 1948• US gives immediate

support & recognition to the new Jewish state.

• Palestinian Arabs who lived in the area opposed the new state and declared war within 24 hours.– Egypt and other Arab

nations also declare war on Israel

• Israel wins First Arab-Israeli War (lasted 15 months)

Suez Crisis - 1956• Egypt takes over the Suez

Canal in 1951– Prevents Israeli and Israel-

bound ships from passing– Sinai Pen. set up as Egyptian

military base

• 1956 - Israel invades Egypt with British and U.S. support– Israel wins Second Arab-Israeli

War– Israel takes Gaza Strip and Sinai

Peninsula from Egypt

• United Nations resolves conflict.

Six Day War - 1967

• Arab nations move troops to the border of Israel.

• Israel strikes quickly with U.S. weapons.

• Israel captures…– Sinai from Egypt– West Bank from Jordan– Golan Heights from Syria

• (video clip)

1972 Munich Olympics• September 5, 1972– Eight Palestinian terrorists sneak

into Olympic Village– 11 Israeli athletes are taken

hostage– terrorists demanded release of

234 Palestinians held in Israel– Rescue attempt failed– All 11 Israeli hostages, 5 terrorists

were killed– Games continued with flags

flown at half-mast

Arab Israeli War 1973(aka Yom Kippur War)

• Fourth Arab-Israeli War• Cause: Revenge for loss of

land in 1967.• Arab nations mass forces

on borders of Israel.• Israel again defeats all

attacks• Result: Arabs (OPEC)

embargo oil to U.S and Europe for supporting Israel.

Camp David Accords 1978

• Egypt (Sadat) signs peace accord with Israel (Begin) in Washington DC

• Egypt is only Arab country to attempt peace

• President Sadat is assassinated soon after in Egypt.