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Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
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Hussein-McMahon correspondance
In an exchange of ten letters between Sir Henry McMahon, Britain’s high commissioner in Egypt, and Sharif Hussein bin Ali, Emir of Mecca and King of the Arabs (and great, great grandfather of King Abdullah of modern-day Jordan), Britain
pledged to support Arab independence if Hussein’s
forces revolted against the Ottomans. -
Balfour Declaration
This document stated that the zionists would recive support from the British and United States in their establishment in Palestine of a National Home for the Jewish People. This was done by these nations to 1) rally the Jews to the side of the Allies 2) Secure lasting British influence of the region east of the Suez Canal, and 3) out of sympathy for the zionists -
Britain wins control over the area of Palestine from the Ottoman Empire
This area becomes known as British-mandate Palestine. This control over the land lasts from 1918 to 1948 and Britain, who sympathisis with the Jews, now governs over the Jews and Arabs in this area. -
The first physical conflict
Britain had given the area of Palestine they mandated to Emir Abdullah. After this, the first major intercommunal violence of the period erupts and leads to the death of some Jews and Arabs. The Jews describe this event as being riots while the Palestinians describe their actions against this mandate as being revolts. -
The second eruption of violence
The second major intercommunal violence erupts in Jerusalem, spreading throughout the country, particularly in Hebron, where sixty-seven Jews are killed. -
Arab resistance
Arab residences of British mandated Palestine began to riot (Jewish perspective) or revolt (Palestinian perspective) after the killing of Sheikh Izz al-Din al-Qassam by the British. These revolts resulted in seizure of illegal arms destined for the Jewish defense force and much intercommunal violence. This lasts until 1939 until the British banned most land sales to the Jews in attempt to win Arab support in their war with Germany. This gave power over the land to the Palestinians as land could -
Period: to
Arab Riots
Arab residences of British mandated Palestine began to riot (Jewish perspective) or revolt (Palestinian perspective) after the killing of Sheikh Izz al-Din al-Qassam by the British. These revolts resulted in seizure of illegal arms destined for the Jewish defense force and much intercommunal violence. This lasts until 1939 until the British banned most land sales to the Jews in attempt to win Arab support in their war with Germany. This gave power over the land to the Palestinians as land could -
Recommendation of two seperate states
The General Assembly of the United Nations recommended the partition of British-mandate Palestine into two separate states, one for Jews and one for Arabs. Fighting breaks out soon thereafter, as all the surrounding Arab states rejected the partition plan. Zionist leaders accepted the proposal for tactical and strategic reasons while Palestinians considered this proposal unrepresentative of the demographic distribution of Jews and Arabs living in Palestine at this time and therefore rejected it. -
Establishment of state of Israel
In May, Zionist leaders proclaimed the state of Israel. Fighting breaks out between the newly declared state of Israel and its Arab neighbors as British troops are leaving the country. This war is known by the Israelis as the Milhemet Hatzma'ut, or war of independance while it is known as al-Nakbah, or the Catastrophe, by the Palestinians. Some 700,00 Palestinians either fled or were driven from what had been British-mandate Palestine. Israel then gains control over large tracts of land. -
Founding of the Palestine Liberation Organization
Following an Arab League decision, 422 Palestinian national figures meet in Jerusalem under the chairmanship of Ahmad Shuqeiri, who founded the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and laid down the structure of the Palestine National Council (PNC), the PLO Executive Committee, the National Fund and the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA). The meeting also approved a Palestinian national covenant and basic law. -
Israel gains further control
In the Six Day War (Israeli perspective) or the Setback ( Palestinian perspective), Israel gains control over territory formerly controlled by Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. In this time, Israel triples its territory of control. Palestinians viewed this as violation of international law. Iraq then sent forces into Jordan to support the warand the PLO moved its operations to Jordan. -
War declaration upon the PLO
Frustrated with and feeling threatened by the Palestine Liberation Organization’s involvement in Jordanian politics, King Hussein declares war on the PLO and imposes martial law. Three
thousand people lost their lives in the fighting that ensued between the Jordanian and the PLO forces. In a peace agreement brokered by the Arab League and by Gamel Abdel Nasser, leader of Egypt, the PLO agreed to move its headquarters from Jordan to Lebanon. -
Egypt and Syria organize a surprise attack on Israeli forces
Israelis refer to the war as the Yom Kippur war and saw this as a victory because it maintained possession of the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Arabas refer to the war as the Ramadan war and saw it a political victory for Egypt and Syria although they didn't regain control over the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights. They also believe Israels military vulnerabilities were exposed in this war. -
the first "Land Day"
In what has become an annual event, the first “Land Day” protests by Palestinian citizens of Israel erupt to protest Government confiscations of Palestinian land and other discrimination in access
to land and housing. -
The return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt
Israel agrees to hand back the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in return for peace and normalization. This was significant because it was the first time an Arab country signed a peace treaty with Israel and thus accepted the state’s existence. Signing the Camp David accord made Sadat unpopular among many Egyptians as well as Arabs living outside Egypt. Egypt is expelled from the Arab League as a reaction to the peace agreement with Israel. Yet in
1980, Egypt and Israel establish diplomatic relations. -
Israel invades Lebanon
srael invades Lebanon and establishes a “security zone” in Southern Lebanon in order to block Hezbollah (a Lebanese Shi’a Muslim group whose name means “Party of God” in Arabic) forces from staging attacks on Northern Israeli communities from Lebanon. The Israeli Army reaches Beirut and succeeds in driving out Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Arafrat moves his organization to Tunisia.
Arafat moves his organization to Tunisia. -
Killing of 2000 unarmed Palestinians
Israel-allied Christian militias enter the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps (housing Palestinian refugees) in Beirut and massacre about 2,000 unarmed Palestinians after PLO fighters are forced out of Lebanon by Israel. The Israeli army occupied the camps at the time. An official Israeli inquiry found Defense Minister Ariel Sharon indirectly responsible for the killings of these Palestinians. -
Israel withdrawals from Lebanon
Israel makes a phased withdrawal from most of Lebanon, except for a “security zone” in south. -
Palestinian Intifada in the West Bank and Gaza
The Intifada was in protest of continued Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and involved demonstrations, strikes, riots and violence.The Intifada also marked the first time that Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza became significantly involved in the movement against Israeli
occupation. Israeli public opinion changed and the majority of Israelis became in favor of entering into peace negotiations with the Palestinians. More than 20,000 people were killed or injured. -
Madrid Peace Conference
The Madrid Peace Conference takes place in Madrid, Spain. The conference includes delegations from Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Palestinians. The Madrid conference marks the first time most of the Arab parties (except for Egypt) and Israel sat down at a table together. The conference is organized along bi-lateral lines as well as multilateral lines. -
Negotiation in Oslo, Norway
Israel recognized the PLO and gave them limited autonomy in return for peace. The PLO in turn gave up its claims to Israel’s
territory as defined by its borders before the 1967 war and to end the Intifada to establish security in the West Bank and Gaza. The significant about Oslo is that it ended the existential conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. The two sides were no longer claiming the other did not have the right to exist on that land.
that the other did not hav -
West Bank town to Palestinian rule
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel hands over 80% of the West Bank town of Hebron to Palestinian rule, but holds on to the remainder, where several hundred Jewish settlers live among 20,000 Palestinians. -
Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon
On May 23, 2000, Israel unilaterally withdraws from the area of Lebanon it was occupying since 1982. And in July, a peace summit between Palestinian and Israeli leaders and negotiators at Camp David ends deadlocked over competing claims to Jerusalem. Palestinians and Israelis accuse each other of not being willing to make the compromises for an agreement. Israel believes handing over 95% of the West Bank is generous while Palestinians believe they deserve 100%.
