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War for Israli Independence
On Nov. 29, 1947, the United Nations decides to partition Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state. -
Period: to
Arab-Israli Conflict
War between Arab nd Israel. -
Suez crisis
Israeli leadership grows increasingly weary of cross-border attacks from the Egyptian-controlled Gaza Strip as well as Egypt's attempts to block Israeli shipping in the Suez Canal and Gulf of Aqaba. -
Six-Day War, June 5-10, 1967
The U.N. force is able to prevent major Arab invasions of Israel until the summer of 1967, when Egyptian forces gather in Sinai and Nasser orders the international troops to leave. -
Yom Kippur War, Oct. 6-24, 1973
Sadat, allied with President Hafez Assad of Syria, attacks Israel on Oct. 6, 1973 — on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. Israel fights back and gains back most of the ground lost in the initial attack. -
Camp David Accords, 1978-1979
Egyptian and Israeli leaders meet at Camp David with President Carter in 1978 to discuss a treaty in which Egypt would regain full control of the Sinai Peninsula. The treaty is signed on March 26, 1979, lending hope to a future of peace in the region. -
Intifada, Hamas and Hezbollah, mid- to late 1980s
Palestinian refugees in the occupied territories demand statehood and the right to self-determination. Expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Israel's attack on Lebanon gives rise to three security threats — the intifada (or uprising) of Palestinians in the occupied territories; Hezbollah (Party of God), a militia aimed at ending Israel's control of southern Lebanon; and Hamas, an ultra-religious group that seeks to liberate Palestine according to the laws of Islam. -
Israeli invasion of Lebanon, 1982
In June 1982, Israel invades Lebanon. Israeli troops reach Beirut, cornering the PLO and Syrian fighters. The United States intervenes, and a force of U.S. and Western European troops help with the PLO and Syrian evacuation. -
Palestinian statehood declared, 1988
Yasser Arafat seeks sole leadership of the Palestinian people and proves a prudent diplomat. Arafat declares Palestinian statehood in November 1988 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. -
Oslo Accords, 1993
Failed peace talks in Madrid in 1991 provide the framework for talks in Oslo, Norway, in 1993. Both sides agree to a Declaration of Principles, which is signed in Washington on Sept. 13, 1993 -
Wye Accords, 1998
Arafat agrees to crack down on terrorism, and Israel agrees to withdraw from a percentage of occupied land. Palestinians agree to withdraw elements of its charter that are hostile to Israel, and both sides agree to a third phase of negotiations -
Camp David, 2000
Tensions mount as the September deadline approaches with no treaty in sight. Clinton begins a last-ditch peace effort by hosting Arafat and Barak at Camp David.