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Balfour Declaration
An official letter from the British Foreign Office headed by Lord Arthur Balfour, the UK's Foreign Secretary (from December 1916 to October 1919), to Baron Rothschild, who was seen as a representative of the Jewish people. The letter stated that the British government "view[ed] with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done -
United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine
A resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 29 November 1947 by a vote of 33 to 13, with 10 abstentions. The resolution recommended the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the partition of the territory into two states, one Jewish and one Arab, with the Jerusalem-Bethlehem area being under special international protection, administered by the United Nations -
Palestine Liberation Organization
A political and paramilitary organization founded in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people," by over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed observer status at the United Nations since 1974. -
Six Day War
A war between Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. At the war's end, Israel had gained control of the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights -
Munich massacre
Members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually murdered by the militant group Black September. By the end of the ordeal, the terrorists had killed eleven Israeli athletes and coaches and one West German police officer. -
Yom Kippur War
War between Israel and a coalition of Arab states backing Egypt and Syria. The war began with a joint surprise attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. -
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David. The Accords led directly to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty -
First Intifada
A Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in the Palestinian Territories. The Israeli countermeasures (particularly during the earlier years of the Intifada) resulted in international attention to the Palestinians' cause. -
Oslo Accords
It was the first direct, face-to-face agreement between the government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Many Palestinians feared that Israel was not serious about dismantling their settlements in the West Bank, especially around Jerusalem. They feared they might even accelerate their settlement program in the long run, by building more settlements and expanding existing ones. -
Second Intifada
The second Palestinian uprising, a period of intensified Palestinian-Israeli violence, which began in late September 2000. The death toll, including both military and civilian, is estimated to be 5,500 Palestinians and over 1,000 Israelis, as well as 64 foreign citizens.
