ISRAEL AND PALESTINE History, Wars, Politics and The Peace Process.

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ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

History, Wars, Politics and

The Peace Process

THE HISTORY

• Hebrews expelled from Palestine by the Romans in 70AD

• The “diaspora”• Suffer persecution in Europe• Zionist Movement - European

movement begun by Theodore Hertzl in 1890’s that called for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Balfour Declaration

• Balfour Declaration - 1917 letter in which British officials show support for the concept of a Jewish homeland in Palestine

• Palestine was a British Mandate after WWI

Founding of Israel• Jewish people leave

Europe because of persecution and settle in Palestine, especially after WWII.

• Kibbutz - communal farms organized by Jewish settlers. Share work and profits.

The State of Israel

• UN Partition 1947 - Territory of Palestine is divided by UN to provide a homeland for the Jewish people after WWII.

• 1948 Israel declares itself an independent nation.

• Arab countries object and declare war on Israel

Palestinians

• Arab inhabitants of the territory that becomes Israel

• 1948 - 750,000 Palestinians are driven from or leave their homes and villages at the start of the war between Israel and the Arab countries.

“The Camps”

• They go to refugee camps in West Bank or neighboring Arab countries

• “the camps” - Palestinians still living in these areas after 60 years

“The Right of Return”• Palestinians want the

right to return to their original villages and homes and demonstrate carrying “keys”

Suez Crisis 1956

• Nasser wants to take back control of Suez Canal from France and Britain

• US backs him up, rather than siding with their European Friends

The Six Day War• Arabs plan to attack

Israel again• Israelis pull off pre-

emptive strike (hit them first) and destroy their arms.

• Humiliating defeat for Arabs

• Israelis control West Bank and Gaza

“The Territories”• Israel takes control

of the traditional Arab territories, including Jerusalem and the Western Wall

• West Bank, Gaza and Golan Heights

• Is it right to take land in warfare?

The Settlements• Ultra

Conservative Jews seek to settle in these Arab areas and claim them for Israel

ANWAR SADAT

Yom Kippur War 1973

• Started by Anwar Sadat of Egypt to shake up diplomatic situation, get Israel to talk

• Arabs catch Israel off guard on a holy day, take the war to Israel

• Satisfy the demands of honor• Israel does win, but Arabs commemorate this

war on Oct. 6• Leads to Camp David peace talks

Israeli Government and Politics

• Knesset - parliamentary democracy– Multiple parties– Proportional representation– Coalition government– Vote of no confidence

Knesset

Golda Meir - 1rst Woman PM of Israel

Israeli Political Parties• LIBERAL/• LABOR PARTY• Willing to negotiate

with the Palestinians• Willing to give up

land for peace

• CONSERVATIVE/• LIKUD PARTY• Military power• Israelis should not

give up any of the land won in war

The Peace Process

• Camp David 1978• Pres. Carter - USA• Pres. Sadat - Egypt• P.M. Begin - Israel• Opens

Communication• Framework for

The Israeli Security Wall

Sadat Assassinated in 1981

• Admired in the West • Nobel Peace Prize• Targeted by

Islamist groups in Egypt for negotiating with Israel

• Assassinated October 6, 1981

The Intifada 1987• Widespread uprising in

Palestinian areas• Street fighting and

guerilla tactics to used to challenge the Israeli Army

• Palestinian boys fight the soldiers with slingshots

• DAVID v. GOLIATH?

Oslo Accords 1993

• Pres. Clinton, Yitzhak Rabin and Yassir Arafat negotiate terms for Palestinian Self Rule

• Israel negotiates directly with PLO

• PLO recognizes Israel’s right to exist

Results of Oslo

• PLO becomes Palestinian Authority• PA responsible for administration of the

of West Bank and Gaza• IDF withdraws from most of the

“territories” • Big problems like Jerusalem, the

settlements, status of Palestinian refugees put off to another time.

Rabin Assassinated 1995• Military hero and former

hardliner sees during Intifada that force won’t solve this problem.

• Negotiates directly with Arafat

• “Land for peace”• Targeted for death by

conservative Jewish groups

Yassir Arafat• Former Terrorist• PLO Hijacks Planes• Achille Lauro • Implicated in Munich• Numerous attacks

on Israeli villages• Wins Nobel Peace

Prize!!!• Dies in 2004

Second Intifada 2000

2006 War With “Lebanon”• Hezbollah militants fire rockets across border

in to Israeli town• Kidnap Israeli soldiers• Israel responds with air strikes• Civilian infrastructure badly damaged• Casualties include many Lebanese civilians

caught in the middle• Ends with cease fire brokered by UN

Gaza 2008

Difficult to isolate targets

• Hamas lobs missiles into Israel

• Israel responds with airstrikes

• IDF ground attack to route out Hamas

• Civilian casualties

Palestinian Authority

• Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority since 2005

• Leader of Fatah political party

• Moderate• Can’t control Gaza

2010 PEACE TALKS

Hamas controls Gaza

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE History, Wars, Politics and The Peace Process.

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