Arab -Israeli conflict 1945-1979

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Arab -Israeli conflict 1945-1979

• Crisis in the Middle East

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Day one

• Roots of the conflict 1900-1945

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Geography

• Modern day Israel and Palestine
• Located on the Eastern side of the Mediterranean
  Sea
• Approximately 10,000 square miles

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Origins of the Conflict

• Jews claim land back to 2000 BCE (Canaan)
• For hundreds of years, the Israelites were
  invaded, exiled and conquered
• Jewish Diaspora Romans disperse Jews and raze
  Jerusalem (70 CE)

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Ottoman empire

• Ottoman Empire takes over in 1517 Palestine is
  now part of the Ottoman (Muslim) Empire

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The break-up of the Ottoman empire

• At the turn of the 20th century most of the ME
  was still under Ottoman control but the empire
  was imploding.
• Young Turk movement
• Arab Consciousness
• Imperialism
• European powers wanted influence in the crumbling
  empire.

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The Zionist Movement (1898)

• Zionism the establishment of a Jewish state in
  Palestine the ancient homeland of the Jews.
• The movement was founded by Theodore Herzl in the
  late 19th century.
• Because of Jewish persecution the Zionist
  movement was gaining popularity among Jews
• Jewish settlers began to move to Palestine.

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World War I

• Ottoman Turkey joined the Central powersUK and
  France began to plot the division of the Middle
  East.
• Britain promises Palestinian Arabs an Arab state
  in exchange for their help in defeating the
  Ottoman Empire.
• At the same time Britain also issued The Balfour
  Declaration
• Issued in 1917 declared that a there should be a
  Jewish national home in Palestine. Free Palestine
• Desire to encourage Jewish businessmen in America
  to support Wilsons call for war loans.

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The Mandate System

• An authorization granted by the League of Nations
  to a member nation to govern the former German or
  Turkish colonies, such as the British mandate in
  Palestine. (San Remo Conference)
• The Balfour Declaration was included in the
  obligations for the governance of Palestine thus
  binding Britain to Jewish interests.

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The British Mandate in Palestine, 1922-1945

• Continued Jewish immigration, British support for
  the Zionist position, rejection of Arab demands
  for independence were met with resentment and led
  to several bloody clashes which created
  bitterness on all sides.

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Source analysis 1922-1945
Chapter X. - ConclusionConsidering the attitude
which both the Arab and the Jewish
representatives adopted in giving evidence, the
Commission think it improbable that either party
will be satisfied at first sight with the
proposals submitted for the adjustment of their
rival claims. For Partition means that neither
will get all it wants. It means that the Arabs
must acquiesce in the exclusion from their
sovereignty of a piece of territory, long
occupied and once ruled by them. It means that
the Jews must be content with less than the Land
of Israel they once ruled and have hoped to rule
again. But it seems possible that on reflection
both parties will come to realize that the
drawbacks of Partition are outweighed by its
advantages. For, if it offers neither party all
it wants, it offers each what it wants most,
namely freedom and security.
Peel Report 1937 Chapter X. - Conclusion
Considering the attitude which both the Arab and
the Jewish representatives adopted in giving
evidence, the Commission think it improbable that
either party will be satisfied at first sight
with the proposals submitted for the adjustment
of their rival claims. For Partition means that
neither will get all it wants. It means that the
Arabs must acquiesce in the exclusion from their
sovereignty of a piece of territory, long
occupied and once ruled by them. It means that
the Jews must be content with less than the Land
of Israel they once ruled and have hoped to rule
again. But it seems possible that on reflection
both parties will come to realize that the
drawbacks of Partition are outweighed by its
advantages. For, if it offers neither party all
it wants, it offers each what it wants most,
namely freedom and security. To both Arabs and
Jews Partition offers a prospect--and there is
none in any other policy--of obtaining the
inestimable boon of peace. It is surely worth
some sacrifice on both sides if the quarrel which
the Mandate started could he ended with its
termination.
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British White Paper- 1939 The Royal Commission
and previous commissions of Enquiry have drawn
attention to the ambiguity of certain expressions
in the Mandate, such as the expression a
national home for the Jewish people', and they
have found in this ambiguity and the resulting
uncertainty as to the objectives of policy a
fundamental cause of unrest and hostility between
Arabs and Jews. His Majesty's Government are
convinced that in the interests of the peace and
well being of the whole people of Palestine a
clear definition of policy and objectives is
essential. 1. The objective of His Majesty's
Government is the establishment within 10 years
of an independent Palestine State in such treaty
relations with the United Kingdom as will provide
satisfactorily for the commercial and strategic
requirements of both countries in the future 2.
Jewish immigration during the next five years
will be at a rate which, if economic absorptive
capacity permits, will bring the Jewish
population up to approximately one third of the
total population of the countryof some 75,000
immigrants over the next five years. After the
period of five years, no further Jewish
immigration will be permitted unless the Arabs of
Palestine are prepared to acquiesce in it.
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The impact of WWII on the British Mandate in
Palestine.

• 6,000,000 Jews were killed as a direct result of
  the Holocaust
• Hundreds of thousands more were left homeless
  after World War II
• Many countries would not allow displaced Jews to
  live in their countries
• UK was looking for an honorable way out of the
  situation in Palestine.

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Day 2 1945-1948

• The last years of the British Mandate, UNSCOP and
  Partition.

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Key Terms

1. Haganah An underground Jewish group created in
   1920, Haganah became a countrywide organization
   that involved young adults.
2. Irgun An extreme Jewish organization founded in
   1931 after a split within Haganah. They were
   more militant and advocated armed insurrection
   against the British and Arabs.
3. Lehi Radical armed Zionist group dedicated to
   the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine.
   Lehi was responsible for the assassination of the
   UKs top official in Palestine.
4. United Resistance In 1945 these three
   underground groups joined together with the aim
   of creating an independent homeland ASAP.
5. UN SCOP United Nations special Committee on
   Palestine.

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Britain and the post-war ME

• Following WWII UK had significant holdings in the
  ME but faced financial difficulties.
• In Palestine the UK had to figure out what to do
  with the mandate. Key issues
• Growing US interest in Palestine
• Cold War Soviet interests in Palestine.
• Actions of Arabs and Jews during the war
  increased violence.
• Pro-Jewish support following the Holocaust
• Displaced Persons

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Developments in Palestine 1945-46

• Arabs and Jews were unhappy to see the return of
  the British post WWII.
• Arabs suffered from a lack of political structure
  and leadership and were in a poor position to
  represent their own interests.
• Jewish AgencyJews were in a better political
  position. The agency led by David Ben Gurion
  continued to represent Jewish interests to the
  British.
• Zionist Underground activity had begun to
  increase.

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Diplomacy and the role of the United States

• Committee of Enquiry was set up in November 1945
  to resolve the Arab-Israeli situation.
• Final recommendation partition was rejected as
  unworkable and not in the best interest of the
  population.
• Meanwhile, President Truman supported the
  Zionists and supported increased Jewish
  immigration into Palestinethis angered the
  British government.

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King David Hotel

• Hotel was the headquarters of the British Mandate
  government and military command center.

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King David Hotel bombing 7/22/46

• The Causes
• After WWII the British decided to enforce tough
  measures to regain their authoritythey were
  frustrated with the actions of sabotage and
  violence carried out by the underground
  resistance groups.
• The British launched a campaign to search for
  weapons and imprisoned Zionists.
• The bombing
• The King David Hotel bombing was an attack
  carried out by the militant Zionist group Irgun.
• Telephoned warnings were sent to the switchboard
  by the hotel's main lobby, the Palestine Post
  newspaper, and the French consulate.
• No evacuation was carried out.
• 91 people were killed and 46 were injured.
• Controversy has arisen over the timing and
  adequacy of these warnings and the reasons why
  the hotel was not evacuated.
• The effects
• Jewish Agency condemned the attack
• Worsened relations between the British and
  Palestinian Jews
• Britain desired to turn over the mandate to the
  UN.

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Towards Partition

• UNSCOP is established in May of 1947.
• 11 man committee toured Palestine.
• Palestinian Arabs refused to cooperate
  fullybelieved the committee was weighted against
  them.
• Jewish groups offered full cooperation and
  promoted their interests.
• Event that influenced their decision
• Exodus
• A ship that carried Jewish emigrants, that left
  France on July 11, 1947, with the intent of
  taking its passengers to Palestine.
• Most of the emigrants were Holocaust survivor
  refugees, who had no legal immigration
  certificates to Palestine.
• Following wide media coverage, the British Navy
  seized the ship, and deported all its passengers
  back to Europe.
• Realizing that they were not bound for Cyprus,
  the emigrants conducted a 24-hour hunger strike,
  refusing to cooperate with the British
  authorities.
• But the British government had no intention of
  backing down or relaxing its policy. Were sent
  to Germany.
• During this time, media coverage of the human
  ordeal intensified and the British became pressed
  to find a solution.
• The matter came to the attention of UNSCOP and
  helped influence their final decision.

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The Exodus
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UNSCOP Report, August 1947

• End to the mandate
• Partition plan
• Co-operate in an economic Union and share
  currency.
• Jerusalem would be governed under an
  international trusteeship
• Jewish state would be larger than the Arab state.

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The UN vote for Partition, November 1947

• 2/3 vote was needed
• GA vote
• 33 supported
• 13 againstALL Islamic countries voted against
  the Partition.
• 10 abstained

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• Final plan approved by the UN
• 3 cantons each, connected at points

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Day three From partition to war 11/47-5/48

• Key Terms
• Fataha radical Palestinian organization founded
  in the 1950s, including Yasser Arafat, to
  liberate Palestine.
• Arab LeagueOrganization started in 1945 to
  promote Arab affairs and cooperation.

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Partition

• The UN decision was met by outrage in the Arab
  world.
• The Arabs had no clear political strategy to
  pursuethey were suspicious of each other and
  some Arab leaders had their own self interest in
  mind.
• The Arab League proclaimed jihad against the Jews
  which gave them a bad reputation in much of the
  world.
• The Jewish movement had superior leadership and
  organization. They also had experienced soldiers
  many who had fought during WWII.
• Plan D
• Gain control of vital areas of the Hebrew State
  and defend its borders from attack.

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Deir Yassin

• A month before the declaration of the state of
  Israel an number of Arabs were killed by Jewish
  paramilitaries in the village of Deir Yassin near
  Jerusalem100-254 were killed.
• The event encouraged Arab states to unite and
  intervene in 1948, against the creation of the
  state of Israel.

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Israel is Born!

• May 14, 1948 in Tel Aviv, the state of Israel was
  declared.
• PresidentChaim Weizmann
• PMDavid Ben Gurion
• On the same day, Arab forces from neighboring
  forces invaded.

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The Arab-Israeli War (1948)

• On May 15, 1948, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,
  Saudi Arabia and Syria invaded the newly formed
  Israelcombined population equals 40 million
  (Jewish state 750,000).
• Arab countries committed less than 30,000 men
  while the Jews had over 65,000 in the field.
• The Arabs were not prepared for conflict and
  often pursued their own political and territorial
  objectives.
• Israel was able to import heavy weaponry.

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Armistice

• With support from the United States, Israel was
  able to not only defeat the Arabs, but expand
  their territory.
• Negotiations began in January 1949 on the Greek
  Island of Rhodes and an agreement was signed in
  February.

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Israel after the 1948 War Israel occupied 20
more than she had been promised in the Partition
plan
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Consequences of the war

• 1948 Exodus
• 750,000 Palestinian Arabs were expelled or fled.
• Most have still not been able to return and are
  scattered in neighboring countries.
• Military defeat split the Arab League
• Jordan gained territory
• Great Britain lost all influence in the region
• Replaced by the US

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Day four

• Demographic shifts The Palestinian Diaspora,
  Jewish immigration and the economic development
  of the Israeli state

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Key terms

• Diasporadispersion, scattering or forced exile.
• IntifadaArabic for uprising. Name given to
  the period of Palestinian resistance to Israeli
  occupation from 1987.

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The origins of the Palestinian Diaspora, 1947

• Palestinians claim that the Israelis followed a
  conscious policy of expulsion that started under
  the British Mandate

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The role of the UN in the refugee crisis

• Majority of Palestinians fled to neighboring
  countries.
• UN passed a resolution calling for a return of
  Palestinians to their homes and compensation if
  they choose not to return.
• Israel would still have control of the land they
  gained in the 1948 war.
• Plan was rejected by the Arab states.

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UN role continued

• UN relief and Works agency (UNRWA) helped set up
  camps in neighboring countries.
• Irrigation projects, healthcare and schools were
  also established.
• Approximately 35 of Palestinian refugees are
  still under UN controlthe remainder have become
  part of the population of other Arab countries.

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Jewish immigration (Aliyah)

• Israel passed laws forbidding the return of
  Palestinian refugees to claim land and
  propertymany new Israeli settlements were built
  in the West Bank.
• Law of return (1950)
• Right of every Jew to settle in Israel
• Citizenship Law (1952)
• Immediate citizenship to immigrants.
• AshkenazimJews from France, Germany and Eastern
  Europe.
• SephardimJews from Spain and Portugal
• OrientalJews from Iran, Iraq and Morocco.

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Economic development

• Within 30 years Israel became an industrial
  economic power in the region.
• Initially, Israel had to import raw materials and
  relied on outside help via loans in order to
  advance transport, aid agriculture and build the
  basic infrastructure in order to sustain the new
  nation.

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Day 5

• The Suez crisis of 1956

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The Egyptian Revolution and the emergence of
Nasser

• Egyptian army officers (Free Officers Movement)
  during the War of Independence of Israel plotted
  to over through the monarch of Egypt because he
  was corrupt and incompetent.
• The Egyptian Revolution eventually resulted in
  Gamal Abdul Nasser as prime minister and
  president.
• Land redistribution program
• Aswan Dam project
• Control flooding of the Nile
• Loans were initially scheduled to come from the
  US and UK through the World Bank

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Relations deteriorate

• Nasser started to look for more sophisticated
  weaponry.
• Chinese and Russians were willing to sell arms
• Russians offered to lend money for the dam.
• Nasser aids Algerians against France.
• Nasser supported the dismissal of Jordan's
  pro-British head of Army.
• Egypts diplomatic recognition of Communist China
• In retaliation the US, UK and France refuse to
  loan money for Aswan Dam.

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Crisis to war

• Arab-Israeli conflict becomes intertwined with
  the Cold War.
• Nasser nationalizes Suez canal.
• Cut off UK sea links
• Tripartite talksUS, UK and France announced that
  that the Suez canal was to be an international
  waterway whose board would report to the UN.
• Egypt rejected

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Operation Muskateer

• Secretly military preparations were started by
  the UK and France.
• The plan included an Israeli invasion of Egypt.
• UK and France would intervene, occupy the canal
  zone and remove Nasser.

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October November 1956

• War lasted one week
• War worsened Arab Israeli relations.
• 1. Israel quickly captured most of Sinai and
  Gaza
• 2. Anglo-France ultimatum to both sides to
  withdraw.
• 3. Egypt rejected and appealed to the UN.
• British and France aircraft attack Egyptian
  airfields.
• America orders a ceasefire
• Results
• handout

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1956 Suez Crisis

• Israel withdrew fully within a year, and the
  original border was restored

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Day 6

• The development of Arabism and the emergence of
  the PLO

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Arabism before 1948

• Identified with Arab nationalism and an awakening
  of consciousness among intellectuals in the Arab
  world.
• Self-determination
• Independence
• Arab culture
• Politically
• Pan-Arab ideology that has not been very
  successful at uniting the Arabs in a a union of
  nation states.
• Arab League (1945) currently has 22 members

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Continued

• Began during WWI and continued after the defeat
  of the Ottoman empire.
• The mandate system frustrated the Arabs and
  resulted in the more radical development of
  Arabism in the 1930s.
• Baathism
• Founded by Michel Aflaq and attempted to combine
  socialism with the vision of a pan-Arab nation.

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Nasser and Arab Socialism

• The Arab-Israeli war helped create a more radical
  strain of nationalism and Arabs found a common
  focal point of hatred towards Israel.
• In the 1950s the Arab Nationalist movement
  became hostile towards the West and Israel while
  promoting a type of socialism that promoted
  social progress and the celebration of a shared
  history language and culture.
• The movement had difficulty unifying politically
  however found some success from Nasser in Egypt.
• Nasser became the leader of the pan-Arab
  ideological movement which tried to unite the
  Arab cause and reached its height in the years
  after the Suez crisis of 1956.
• Nasser saw the potential of a united Arab world.

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Nasser and Arab Socialism continued

• 1958-1961Egypt and Syria merge to become the
  United Arab Republic.
• After the Arab defeat in the war of 1967, support
  for Pan-Arabism declined, and Nasser simply
  focused on recovering lost territory.

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The formation of the PLO

• Islamic fundamentalism offered an alternative
  path to Arabism.
• In frustration with the lack of progress made for
  the poor and Arab unity, some sought
  representation and action through the Palestinian
  Liberation Organization.

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PLO

• A minority of Palestinians came to believe that
  the liberation of their homeland had to happen in
  order for Arab unity to become a reality.
• 1954-they took the name Fatah and were led by
  Yasser Arafat, Khali al-Wazir, and Salah Khalaf
  out of Damascus.
• Used Guerilla warfare which would attract others
  to their cause and encouraged armed conflict as a
  means to recover Palestine
• 1964at the Arab summit in Cairo the PLO was
  officially established and formed and umbrella
  under which other resistance groups would operate
  (first leader Ahmad Shuqeiri)
• 1969Yasser Arafat becomes the leader of the PLO.

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Palestinian Activism, 1967-1969

• Group presentations
• Karemeh, March 1968
• Black September, 1970
• Munich 1972
• Palestinian recognition of the UN, 1974
• The Entebbe raid, July 1976
• Explain the causes of the event
• Explain the actual event
• What were the effects of the event
• How did the event tie into the larger
  Arab-Israeli crisis
• Visualcan include media coverage of the actual
  event.

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Day 7 Six Day war and Yom Kippur war

• After the 1956 war, Egypt agreed to the
  stationing of a UN peacekeeping force in the
  Sinai in order to keep that border region
  demilitarized.
• Nasser also agreed to reopen the Straits of Tiran
  to Israeli shipping. As a result, the border
  between Egypt and Israel remained quiet for a
  while

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Causes of the six day war 1967

• The creation of the PLO
• April 1967 Israel shot down a Syrian MIG jet
  resulting in the unification of Arab states.
• In the spring of 1967, the USSR fed the Syrian
  government false information that Israel was
  planning to invade Syria. In response, Nasser
  closed the Straits to Israeli ships and demanded
  UN withdraw from Sinaithe buffer was removed.

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The Six-Day War (1967)

• Egypt and other Arab states, began a new plan to
  invade Israel
• After it became clear that the attack was
  imminent, Israel attacked first.
• During the first 24 hours Israeli jets destroyed
  the air forces of Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Syria
  which ensured themselves victory in the war.
• The resulting six day war ended with an
  overwhelming Israeli victory.
• Israel re-took the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan
  Heights, the West Bank and all of
  Jerusalemtripled in size.
• UN sponsored cease-fire ended the conflict.

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Effects of the war

• 15,000 Arabs died and Nasser resigned.
• Decline in pan-arabism and growth in
  fundamentalist Palestinian and Islamic
  nationalism.
• More Palestinian refugees scattered throughout
  the region.

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• Effects of the Six Day War

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• Gains Jerusalem, Golan Heights, Gaza, and Sinai
  Peninsula (ensures access to Red Sea)

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Developments between the wars 1967-1973

• Initially Israel declared herself ready to hand
  back territories in return for a guarantee of
  full and lasting peace and recognition of
  Israels right to exist. Events led to a change
  in policy.
• 1967-1970 War of attrition between Egypt and
  Israel.
• Palestinian activism
• Anwar Sadat takes control in Egypt.
• Seeks détente with the USA
• Goes to war against Israel.

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The Yom Kippur War (1973)

• Egypt and Syria lead a surprise attack on Israel
  during the holy day of Yom Kippur in 1973
• At first, Israel has heavy losses, but the United
  States sent more than 2 Billion dollars in
  military aid, and Israel bounces back
• After several weeks, a truce was signed, but no
  official treaty Israel actually gained more land
  as a result of the war

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Consequences of the war

• Israel claimed victory on the battlefield but
  realized they could be beaten.
• Politically, Sadat emerged as a world figure and
  hero to the Arabs.
• UN passed resolution 338 which called for a
  ceasefire.

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Peace?

• No Arab countries recognized Israel as an
  independent state until Egypt (president Anwar
  Sadat) approached Israel with a proposal in 1977
• He would officially recognize Israel in exchange
  for the Sinai Peninsula being returned to Egypt

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The Camp David Accords

• US president Carter invited the two leaders
  (Sadat and Menachem Begin) to Camp David in
  Maryland.
• The Camp David accords were signed in September
  1978.
• As a result, Israel and Egypt became the two
  largest recipients of US military aid

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End of IB unit

• Blood and Tears documentary.

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Why no Palestine?

• The intifadas of 1987 and 2000!
• Palestinians practice civil disobedience against
  Israel boycotts, riots, attacks on Israeli
  soldiers
• Not successful (not much change), but it did
  bring attention to the situation from the rest of
  the world
• Led to the Oslo accords

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Peace?

• 1993 Oslo peace accords Israel PLO agree on
  a plan for autonomy in West Bank and Gaza for the
  Palestinians
• 1994 Gaza and Jericho given to Palestinian
  Authority (government for Palestinians)
• But no peace?

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What Next?

• Arafat, leader of the Palestine Authority,
  denounces the violence, but says he cannot
  control ithe dies.
• Jan 9, 2005 Mahmoud Abbas elected President of
  the Palestinian National Authority.

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Can there ever be peace?

• Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud
  Abbas were working towards peace but Sharon
  suffered a stroke and the Palestinian Islamist
  group Hamas, swept Palestinian elections.

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Ariel view of security barrier
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