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Period: to
Conflict in Israel
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Six-Day War
Egypt demanded that the UN remove its troops from Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt then began to close off the Gulf of Aqaba, Israel’s route to the Red Sea. Israel was then expecting an Arab attack and decided to strike first. Israeli troops moved in and rapidly defeated Arab forces. Israel took control of the Golan Heights, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and East Jerusalem. -
Palestinian unrest
In 1947, Palestine was supposed to make into two states-a Jewish state and an Arab state. After the Arab-Israeli war the land set aside for the Arab state was occupied by Israel, Egypt, and Jordan. In 1964 a Palestinian nationalist group known as the PLO formed. Their goal was to destroy Israel. The PLO launched a number of Guerrilla attacks against Israel. Attacks lasted until 1982. -
Yom KIppur War
Egypt and Syria determined to win back their territory, led a surprise attack against Israel. At first, Arab forces made gains in the war. Israel's government was not ready for the war and asked for help from the U.S military. With the U.S. support, Israel made a surprise gain and pushed back the Egyptian forces. After weeks of fighting, both side agreed on a cease-fire. During the war, members of the OPEC declared an oil embargo to countries supporting Israel. This made the price of oil rise. -
Camp David Accords
1977, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat claimed that Egypt wanted peace with Israel. To help the cause, U.S. president Jimmy Carter invited Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to Camp David. In 1978, Sadat and Begin reached an agreement known as the Camp David Accords. Egypt recognized Israel and Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt. The treaty ended 30 years of hostility. -
The Intifada
Tensions were building in the West Bank and Gaza, where Israel began building settlements. Resentment of the settlement rose leading to the rebellion known as the Intifada. During the intifada, violent riots took place until the 1990's. In 1993 PLO leader Yasser Afrat and Yitzhak Rabin negotiated the Oslo Accords to end the violence and for Palestine to gradually gain control of the West Bank and Gaza. Israel and PLO were supposed to sign a permanent agreement in 1988. -
The Second Intifada
Extremists on both sides worked hard to undermine the peace process. A militant group Hamas launched suicide bombings in Israel. Rabin, the prime minister, was assassinated in 1995. Rising tensions caused a second intifada, this time more violent than the first. Hamas sent suicide bombers into Israel to attack civilians. Israel countered by sending in troops with tanks, guns, fighter jets, and helicopters into Gaza and the West Bank. -
After Yasser Arafat's Death
After Yasser Arafat’s death, Israel’s prime minister Ariel Sharon decided that Israel would withdraw from Gaza and the West Bank. In 2005 Israeli settlers were told to leave Gaza and Gaza was returned to Palestine. Tensions grew when Hamas won control over Palestinian parliament in 2006. Armed conflict erupted when militants kidnapped Israeli soldiers. Israel then launched massive attacks against Palestine to root out extremists.
