Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Creation of IsraelBalfour Declaration (1917)-first spoke about creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Zionism encourages Jewish immigration to Palestine, which is under British Rule.

After WWII, the UN passes Resolution 181, which calls for a partition of Palestine.

UN Resolution 181-1947

Resolution 181Palestine would receive about 43% of the land including the highlands and 1/3 of the coastline.

The highlands contain the major aquifers of Palestine, which supply towns with water.

The bulk of the Jewish land was the Negev Desert, was not not suitable for agricultural or urban growth.

Resolution 181-Reactions

• “The Jewish people have always regarded Palestine as a single country which was theirs and will become theirs once again. No Jew will accept partition as a just and rightful solution” -David Ben-Gurion

• A majority of the Jewish groups announced their acceptance of the offer.

Resolution 181-Reactions

• The Arab leadership opposed the plan. They argued that it violated the rights of the majority of the people in Palestine, which at the time was 67% non-Jewish and 33% Jewish.

• Like the Israelis, many Palestinians would have accepted the offer.

Resolution 181-Reactions

• Both groups were willing to compromise, but also secretly hoped that they would be able to outlast the other side.

• Each side feared being attacked and taken over by the other side.

Israeli IndependenceGeneral David Ben-Gurion led Israel, becomes first Prime Minister (1948-49).

Arabs and Israelis fight for 8 months: Israel becomes a nation, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are ruled by Jordan and Egypt, respectively.

Six-Day War (1967 War)Gamel Nasser, PM of Egypt, creates a coalition of Arab states called the Arab League (Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon)

Sensing an imminent attack, Israel strikes the Egyptian Air Force while it is still on the ground, decimating it.

With no air force, Israeli troops easily route the Arabs.

Six Day War (1967 War)

As a result of the war, Israel gains huge amounts of land, including the Gaza Strip (Egypt), West Bank (Jordan), Golan Heights (Syria), and Sinai Peninsula (Egypt).

Results of Six-Day War (1967)

JerusalemEast Jerusalem (Pal.), West Jerusalem (Isr.)

During the Six-Day War (1967), Israeli troops occupied all of Jerusalem.

Ever since, Israel has claimed sovereignty over all of Jerusalem, even though it violates International Law.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their Palestinian State.

Annexation of Jerusalem (1967)

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PLO and Yassir ArafatPLO-Palestinian Liberation Organization was created in 1964, 3 years before the Six-Day War

Its goal was to destroy the “Zionist Entity” and return Arabs to the Palestinian land that existed before the Arab-Israeli war of 1948.

Yom Kippur War (1973)Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel

Its goal was to destroy the “Zionist Entity” and return Arabs to the Palestinian land that existed before the Arab-Israeli war of 1948.