ARAB-ISREALI CONFLICT

1948-1973

Countries in middle east Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Turkey and UAE

Israel created in Palestine 1948 through UN (UN partition) give land to Israel.

Large land went to Israel then small land went to Arabs

Palestine Jew minority, the majority Arab.Arab countries did not like land given to Israel and

blamed the British and the US.

WHY DID THE CREATION OF ISRAEL CREAT THE FIRST WAR?

Israel Wanted land back (Zionist movement) persecution of Jews by Hitler leading to holocaust 6 million killed, Jews wanted safe haven. But large Arab majority Jews minority, Arabs afraid.

British got involved Britain wanted Jewish national home in Palestine. Arabs protested

Arabs wanted independence, and cease of Jewish immigrants.

1948 war of independence. after the partition was signed Lebanon, Egypt,

Syria Jordan and Iraq attacked Israel.Outcome of the war is. The Israelis won. Ended up

with most of Palestine. (1948-9)Israel won cause: 1 troops gained military experience

WW2 fighting with British, 2 fought desperately, they were determined.

Arabs lost: divided, demoralized, poor equipment military organz destroyed by British. No clear leadership, less men.

Only Jordan had success. Gained west bank and east Jerusalem. UN called for ceasefire. Israel n Arab nations agreed.

Six day war of 1967

Arab sates did not sign a peace treaty in 1948-9 (armistice). did not want to recognize Israel.

Attack lead by Iraq, Syria, Egypt.

Iraq new government leader come to power 1963. believed in Arab independence left wing. Wanted to destroy Israel.

Egypt colonel Nasser popular, international affairs and improving conditions. Decided to attack. Had Iraq and Syria behind him.

Syria was very anti- Israel set up the el fatah. Bombed Jewish settlements.

The Israelis adopted a policy of kind of kill or be killed. They attacked first air strikes destroyed Egyptian air force. Troops were fast captured Gaza strip n whole Sinai, whole Jerusalem, west bank from Jordan golden heights Syria. UN intervened ceasefire signed.

Result of war: land not given back buffer zone for Israel. But Arab’s under Israeli rule caused problem

Arab countries humiliated.

The war almost escalated as Egypt called soviet support

The Israelis would have to fight the soviets

Then the USA intervened

Sectary of state arranged a ceasefire in 1970

Nasser died soon afterwards and a new era in the Arab Israeli conflict had begun

Yom Kippur war of 1973

Causes. Pressure form PLO( Palestine liberation organisation) leader Yasser Arafat for more action of Israel.

Extreme groups formed PFLP ( popular front of the liberation of Palestine) terrorist attacks.

Syria, Jordan and Egypt attacked again. Egyptians were confident new modern day technology and trained by Russians.

Nasser replaced by Anwar Sadat. Wanted to regain the Suez and the Sinai

He sought to improve relations with the US ( by sacking anti-American members of govn)

1971 said he would sign peace agreement with Israeli if they withdraw from Sinai

The Israelis and Americans did not respond. America occupied with Vietnam war Israeli prime minister Golda Meir not prepared to negotiate.

Sadat wanted to fulfill ambitions with war, went to USSR for more weapons, the USSR did not help

6 October Egypt and Syria launched attack on Israel, it was the holy holiday were everything was in a standstill. Attack came as complete surprise.

Israelis fought back and the Syrians were in retreat. Fear that the Israelis would attack Damascus Soviet Union came to the aid of the attackers. USA joined with Israel

The Egyptians pushed beyond protection over missiles in Sinai. This allowed the Israelis to be able to destroy the Egyptians tanks.

The Israeli could then encircle the Egyptians across the canal.

Outcome of the war. could have been a permanent peace deal.

Egyptian and Israeli leaders meet (different rooms) in Geneva.

Arab oil producers tried pressure western countries as they were friendly to Israel. They reduced oil supply. Oil shortages in the world. OPEC ( the organisation of petroleum exporting countries) raised oil prices cause inflation and energy crisis world industrial nations.

This war effected both Israel and Egypt's economy

Prime minister Golba Meir and Defence minister Moshe resigned April 1974.

Although the Arabs lost in battle they regained some of their prestige as fighters and achieved a political victory

They broke stalemate which was in the region since 1967

With oil blockade they found an influential weapon to deal with the western countries.

Superpowers 1960’s 1970’s

The USA avoided involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict 1960’s as they had been preoccupied by the Vietnam war.

The soviet Union had established and arms trade with the Arab sates.

The British and the French had supplied weapons to Israel in 1967 war.

In the Yom Kippur war the superpowers were about to meet each other head on

The soviet Union did not want to see the diffusing and the conflict of the Arab-Israeli conflict whereas the Americans had sought this and signed the peace agreement in camp David Washington.

Impact of war on civilians

there were four wars

1948: war of independence

1956: Sinai war

1967: 6 day war

1973 Yom Kippur war

Israel won all of them.

War of independence

This was a bad war as countries committed atrocities

As the fighting continued the Haganah’s plan D was one in which caused great controversy as historian have thought it was a plan which would enable them to dispel the Arabs in Palestine.

Which led to the Deir Yassin massacre

This attack was carried out by members of the Irgun and Stern gang. There was a strong Arab resistance. Leaders forced gang members to throw grenades at any old house

The Arabs retreated leaving children, woman and old men defenseless

Which the Israelis took advantage of. They kept on killing them although defensless

The ones who survived were paraded in the streets of Jerusalem and others were shot

This was a great propaganda tool for the Arabs as they could use this to stir up trouble.

Also it led to wide spread violence against the Jews leading to 78 people being injured during a ambulance ride to the Hadassah hospital

Refugee problem

The war of independence of 1948-49 saw over 750,000 Palestinians leave Palestine

The was great debate is about where they belonged and their political rights

The Israelis thought that they had left their homes willingly. So they did not feel obliged to take them in.

The Arabs claimed they were kicked out of their own land. Also the Israelis made up stories in which they could use as to be able to kick out the Palestinians from their land. They used radio for this. The diseases they described where typhus and cholera.

There was a resolution which was passed in the Un resolution 194, which allowed refugees to return home and live in peace with their neighbors. However the isrealis did not want this.

Many of the refugees went to the other Arab nations. Such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, the Gaza strip, west bank and the gulf states.

Most of the refugees are farmers.

Loads of people wanted to flee the violence especially after the the Deir Yassin massacre.

Israel is we know it today

Camp David

Sadat wanted to secure permanent peace for his country. after the Yom kipper war.

Also he wanted to resolve the Palestinian problem.

November 1977 he went to Egypt and proclaimed he wanted peace with Israel.

The peace talks begun however they were not well received from both ends.

President jimmy carter called a meeting in camp David USA.

Two agreements were met at the end of these discussions.

1. A framework for peace was established and also a framework for an Egypt- Israeli peace.

2. That all Jewish settlements should leave Sinai.

This treaty was signed at in Washington on 26 march 1979.

the Arab Israeli wars were mainly caused by nationalism and religion

Many Arab nations wanted to be self- determined as they have been ruled by outside influences for many years

the Interference of other countries. Arabs resented it.Egypt (British troops) Jordan (British gave throne to king Abdullah)

assassinated in 1951: successor king Hussein managed to withdraw troops.

Iraq (British) king Faisal and PM Nuri- es- Said pro-British.

Iran (USSR) communist

Bibliography

• Shulze, Kirsten E. The Arab - Israeli Conflict. Edinburgh Gate: Addison Wesley Longman Limited, 1999.

• Dennett, Bruce, and Stephen Dixon. Key Features of Modern History. New York: Oxford University P, 2005.

• Lowe, Norman. Mastering World History. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.