Arab-Israeli Conflict

Suez Canal Crisis 1956War with Egypt

• Israel’s victory had effects throughout the Arab world.

• The victory discredited many of the region’s leaders, and young nationalist leaders came to power in places such as Egypt.

• 1922, Egypt gained formal independence from Great Britain

• However British troops occupied Suez Canal Zone

• 1936 treaty allowed Britain to defend Egypt if attacked

A New Government• Egyptian King Farouk

I strongly pro-British, seen as dependent on Britain for power

• Egypt’s loss in first Arab-Israeli war discredited Farouk, leaders of Egypt’s parliament

Farouk Discredited• Many believed

corruption in palace, parliament, army contributed to defeat

• Gap between rich, poor in post independence government also angered many Egyptians

Growing Anger

Changes in Egypt

Suez Crisis

• Nasser became most important figure in Arab world after confrontation with Britain, France, Israel over Suez Canal

• Suez Crisis had roots in politics of the Cold War

• After Nasser came to power, refused to join Baghdad Pact, U.S.-led alliance against communism in Middle East

Nasser

• Out of dissatisfaction came 1952 military coup led by 34-year old colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser; forced King Farouk out of power

• Nasser, followers abolished monarchy, created single government party, undertook ambitious land reform program to gain support among poor

Dealing Arms

• Nasser requested western countries sell him arms; they refused

• Turned to Soviet-controlled Czechoslovakia, signed arms deal

• U.S., Britain responded by refusing to loan Egypt money to build Aswan Dam

Growing Hostility

• Nasser’s action celebrated as act of defiance by people in Arab world

• British, French outraged by seizure of property

• Hostility also growing between Egypt, Israel

Nationalizing the Canal

• Nasser enraged that funding denied for building dam on Nile River

• Decided to nationalize, take control of, Suez Canal, which was owned by international company controlled by Britain, France

Growing Crisis

• Countries withdrew; Egypt left in control of Suez Canal

• Suez Crisis had become great victory for Nasser

• Nasser promoted Pan-Arabism, or Arab unity

• Brought Egypt, Syria together as United Arab Republic, but Syria withdrew two years later

Nasser Popular in Arab World

• October 1956, Britain, France, Israel launched coordinated attack on Egypt

• Militarily defeated Egyptian forces

• U.S. did not support actions, which created tensions with Soviet Union; pressured Britain, France, Israel to withdraw, which they did

Attack on Egypt

Pan-Arabism

Arab-Israeli War of 1956

• USSR signs arms agreement with Egypt in 1955.

• Israelis feel threatened by arms build up and launch pre-emptive strike against Egypt.– Attack and seize the Sinai and Gaza Strip.

• Relinquished in 1957.

• French and British retake Suez Canal which Egypt had seized several months earlier.

• UN establishes peace keeping force in Sinai that is still in place today.

Egypt

• Her military was angry at being defeated by Israel and sought revenge.

• Egypt closed the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli ships in 1949, and continued to try to strangle Israeli trade this way.

• She supported Arab Palestinians in the Gaza strip and enabled them to launch attacks into Israel.

The Suez Canal- closed to Israeli ships, important for oil.

Petrol shortages caused by the Canal closure caused problems in the West.

Suez Crisis of 1956

• Egyptian President Nasser ordered the seizure of the Suez Canal in 1956

• Britain, France, and Israel conduct a joint military attack against Egypt

• US and USSR condemn the attack, all forces withdraw from Egypt by March of 1957

• Nasser becomes a Pan-Arab hero, Israel viewed as an agent for Western aggression

The Suez Campaign : A test of might for the young nation of Israel.

Israel expands at Egyptian expense.

But the United Nations is called in by the USA to stop the war.

The USA found itself unable to support Britain and France. With Soviet (USSR) support the United Nations was allowed to act.

Watchful of the Soviet advance into Hungary the USA couldn’t take a moral defence of Hungary and allow its own allies to walk into Egypt. Cold War brinkmanship took precedence over the Middle East.

The USA put financial pressure on Britain to quit . Saudi Arabia meanwhile cut back Britain’s oil supplies.

PLO

Flag of the PLO-Palestinian Liberation Organisation.

By Arabs the PLO were seen as freedom fighters.By Jewish settlers the PLO were seen as terrorists.

Yasser Arafat- leader of the PLO from 1968 onwards.

The Palestinians (Arabs) set up a more efficient organisation to promote itself in 1964- with the assistance of the Arab League (all the Arab nations).

This was the PLO – or Palestinian Liberation Organisation, based originally on the West Bank

Es Samu

• 1966 some Israeli soldiers were killed by a road-side bomb.

• Israel blamed the newly formed PLO for this terrorist outrage and mobilised a large force of men and tanks.

• The target was a Palestinian refugee camp at Es Samu thought to harbour terrorists.This camp was on Jordanian land.

• The IDF attacked the camp, and also Jordanian soldiers who were nearby, before withdrawing.

Israeli tank of 1967 Samu raid.

Six Day War 1967

The Arab-Israeli conflict that began in 1948 has continued through the years. In 1967 and again in 1973, war erupted. Six years after the 1973 war, Egypt and Israel singed a peace agreement, but unrest among Palestinian Arabs in Israel remained a major problem.

• 1967, Egypt demanded UN remove troops from Gaza, Sinai Peninsula

• Egyptian troops moved into Sinai to close off Gulf of Aqaba, Israel’s route to Red Sea

War in 1967, 1973• Israel expected large-

scale Arab attack, decided to strike first

• Launched air strikes against Egypt, Syria, Jordan; destroyed most of airplanes on ground

• Ground troops moved in, defeated Arabs

Israeli Attacks• In Six-Day War Israel

took control of Golan Heights, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem

• Took control of land in West Bank, Gaza with large Palestinian population

Six-Day War

The Arab-Israeli Conflict

June/Six Day War

• Nasser, equipped with Soviet supplies, convinces Arab allies that they are ready to confront Israel (Bluff?)

• May, 1967: Arabs invade Sinai and block Israeli shipping

• Israel unleashes massive air attack (June 5th)• Defeats Arab enemies in six days (June 11th)-

Occupies Golan Heights• Nasser Humiliated

1967 War

Israel believes neighbors are preparing for war Egypt requests withdrawal of UN in May 1967 and denies Israel

access to the Red Sea by closing Straits of Tiran Jordan and Egypt sign mutual defense agreement Continued terrorist attacks from Syria’s Golan Heights region

Israeli surprise attack against Egypt on June 5, 1967 Also attacks Syria, Jordan Within six days Israel defeats Egypt, Syria, Jordan

Takes control of West Bank , Gaza Strip Control of all of Jerusalem Control of Sinai (from Egypt) Control of Golan Heights (from Syria)

Six Day War

5-10 June 1967Egypt, Jordan, and Syria begin military mobilization.Israel launches surprise pre-emptive strike. Destroys most of Egyptian Air Force on the ground.

Knocked out 350 aircraft in first three hours. Armored forces supported by air and infantry quickly take

Sinai, Golan Heights, West Bank (including Arab portion of Jerusalem, and Gaza.

Destroyed over 200 Arab tanks in two days.

UN arranges cease-fire, but terms did not specify exactly what land Israel was required to give up.

Forces.Israel 264,000 men

Egypt 100,000 men

Jordan 55,000 men

Syria 75,000 men

Map of war zone.

The Sinai Desert. Main Egyptian forces dug in here. Jordanian forces

ready here

Syrian forces ready here

The Six Day War

• In 1967, after a month of escalating tension Israel attacked Syria and Egypt. In six days both Arab armies were crushed as was the army of Jordan which attempted to come to their aid.

• At the war’s end Israel occupied all of Palestine, the Syrian Golan Heights and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsular.

1960s– Result: app. 800,000 Palestinians are displaced

(PALESTINIAN REFUGEES)– Yasser Arafat founds the Palestinian Liberation

Organization (PLO) 1964• Six-Day War (Jun 5–11, 1967)

– Israel acquires West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights – OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

• Fighting causes many Palestinians to flee into neighboring Arab countries, especially from the Golan Heights

• OC’s under martial law – not represented by MP’s

Israel before and after the six-day war 1967.

Dead Wounded

Israel 1,029 2,400

Egypt 11,500 20,000

Jordan 700 2,500

Syria 2,500 5,000

Casualties

Results• Israel had restored its image as an independent and strong nation.

• Israel was now three times bigger than it had been in 1966.

• The pan-Arab ideas of Nasser had taken a huge knock.

• Israel now had the security risk of an extra 1 million Arab people inside its own borders. About 1/3 million Arabs fled to Jordan- where they were easy prey to PLO recruiters.

• Israel was now easier to defend against outside aggression having wide deserts and mountains just inside its borders.

• The status of the new territories was problematic. Should the residents get citizen status?Could you have an Israeli/Arab Palestinian? Did Israel really want all the land- especially that with inherent ownership problems (eg the Gaza Strip)?

• Israel launched a huge settlement plan- to occupy the land won with people loyal to Israel.

Palestinian Refugees

More refugees

Many Arabs fled from Israel. This is a refugee camp in Syria.

The people here would harbour grudges about their lost homes for years to come.

The words of the PLO would be very persuasive for them.

How would you feel if you had lost your home in a war?

United Nations Resolution 242

• ‘Land for peace’ This was the idea that Israel might give back some of the captured land if the Arabs agreed to drop ownership claims to other parts of the region and their threats of war against Israel.

• Arguments over this would, unfortunately, lead to future wars. The basic questions of ownership were still not resolved.

• For now Israel was celebrating. Gamal Nasser was fuming, however, and thinking of ways to retreive his reputation.

The Khartoum Resolution1967

• The Arab leaders of the Arab league met in this city to discuss what to do next with Israel.

• They had been badly beaten in the Six Day War.• The Palestinian issue was still unresolved.• They decided to have:

– No recognition of the State of Israel. – No peace with Israel. – No negotiations with Israel.

Israeli Palestinian and Arab Nations

• Land gained is a buffer zone to deter future attacks– Begin to build settlements in

West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights

• Unified Jerusalem under Israeli control

• West Bank and Gaza Strip become known as “Occupied Territories”

• Some will accept Israel at pre-1967 War borders.

• Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) later begins to use terrorism to attract attention to its cause of an independent state.

Perspectives on and Aftermath of 1967 War

Reflection

• Write for three minutes about BOTH of the following questions.– If you were Israeli, how might you feel about the

1967 war and its outcome? – If you were Palestinian, how might you feel

about the 1967 war and its outcome?

‘Black September’ 1968• In Syria some army units called ‘The Palestinian Liberation

Army’(PLA) had been equipping.

• The US, meanwhile, promised aid to King Hussein of Jordan, and even Israel flew threatening missions over Syria to stop her supporting the PLO with the PLA.

• The death of Gamal Nasser (September 1968) took real authority away from the Palestinians. Without his support they had to stop the conflict.

• Yasser Arafat , leader of the PLO, immediately began looking for new sponsors for the Palestinian cause. The Palestinians called this time ‘Black September’ because their cause, for a while, looked lost.

Greater Israel---Late 1960s and Early 1970s

• Following the 1967 war the UNSC passed resolution 242 which reaffirmed “the inadmissibility of the acquistion of territory by war.”

• Israel ignored the resolution and began settling the occupied territories, and went on to annex the Syrian Golan Heights and East Jerusalem.

• Israel’s refusal to return captured territory led to the 1969-70 War of Attrition and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

• Moshe Dayan, confident in Israel’s military prowess announced, “There is no more Palestine. Finished!”

International Terrorism in the late 1960s and into the 1970s

• Following the 1967 war Palestinian militant groups used international terrorism to bring attention to their cause.

• George Habash, leader of the PFLP justified such acts as “For decades world attention has neither been for or against the Palestinians. It simply ignored us. At least the world is talking about us now.”

• Many Palestinian actions however, like the 1978 Coast Road Massacre or the murder of 22 children in the 1974 Ma’alot School Massacre, were unjustified and unjustifiable.