The Arab-Israeli Conflict

1. The Arab-Israeli Conflict A Look at the Region’s History

2. The Arab-Israeli Dilemma • “Israel is a country which came into being by making another country [Palestine] cease to be.” -- I Eaks, Palestine: Background to Conflict

4. The Problem of Palestine: • Both Jews and Arabs claim the right to control and live in a small territory traditionally known as Palestine.

5. The Jewish Claim • The Old Testament is the story of the struggles of the Jews to survive and their longing for the promised land in Palestine.

6. The Promised Land • They settled there in about 1200 BC. Problems arose in 586 BC (Babylonians) and in 70 AD (Romans). They were forbidden to assemble for prayer or to visit Jerusalem again.

7. Diaspora • For the next 18 centuries they were a people without a homeland, dispersed throughout the world. Yet they never lost their identity or pride in Judaism.

8. The Arab Claim: • In the 7th century AD, Palestine was taken over by Arabs as they spread their religion throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

9. Dome of the Rock • Jerusalem, and more specifically, the Dome of the Rock, became a sacred place for them.

10. The Dilemma • The dilemma is that both groups have STRONG claims to the land. According to tradition, they have a common ancestor, Abraham. That is where we will start.

11. Isaac and Ishmael • In 2000 BC, Abraham was tested by God. From Abraham’s son Isaac came the Jewish race, and from Abraham’s other son Ishmael came the Arabs.

12. Hebrews Flee to Egypt • In 1725 BC, the Hebrews left their homeland due to famine and arrived in Egypt, only to become enslaved for the next 500 years.

13. Moses Frees His People • About 1225 BC, after freeing his people, Moses received the Ten Commandments from God at Mt. Sinai in the Sinai Desert.

14. Kingdom of Israel • Between 1025 and 965 BC, the Kingdom of Israel was created under the leadership of Kings Saul, David, and Solomon.

15. The Babylonians • In 576 BC, the Babylonians conquered the Hebrews, sparking the beginnings of the Diaspora [the settling of Jews outside their homeland].

16. Destruction of the Temple • In 70 AD, the Romans conquered Israel and destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem.

17. Jewish Revolt Suppressed • In 135 AD, the final Jewish revolt is put down. The Diaspora is in full effect.

18. Rome Adopts Christianity • In 313 AD, Constantine recognized Christianity and Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 400 AD.

19. Arab Control of Jerusalem • Muhammad was born in 570 and the Dome of the Rock was built in Jerusalem in 691.

20. Crusaders’ Siege of Jerusalem • In 1099, Crusaders conquered Jerusalem and attempted to set up a Christian kingdom.

21. Ottoman Control of Jerusalem • The Ottoman Empire emerged in 1280 and the Ottomans took control of Jerusalem in 1516.

22. The Birth of Zionism • In the 1880’s, Zionism was born when Theodore Herzl wrote The Jewish State. His thesis: “due to the worldwide persecution of Jews, it is critical for the survival of this race to have a national home…for Jews…and only Jews.”

23. The Dreyfus Affair • Herzl’s sentiments were fueled by the Dreyfus affair in France. Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army, was accused of treason. Though he was later exonerated, cries of “death to the Jews” echoed throughout France.

24. Conflicting Promises • The Ottomans sided with Germany during the first world war and the British supported an Arab revolt against the Ottomans promising them self-rule. The British also promised the Jews a homeland in Palestine – the foreign secretary, Lord Balfour, issuing a declaration in 1917.

25. The British Mandate • After the war, the League of Nations granted France and Britain mandates (control) over former Ottoman territories. France was given Syria, Britain got a mandate over what became Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jordan.

26. Palestine Mandate • In 1921, the British divided their mandate in two. East of the river Jordan became the Emirate of Transjordan and was ruled by Abdullah. West of the Jordan became the Palestine mandate and remained under British control.

27. Jewish Immigration • Jewish immigration to the Holy Land, which had been going on since the 1880s, increased just before the second world war. The local Arabs wanted to limit the numbers arriving. There were clashes between Jewish immigrants and Palestinians supported by neighboring Arab states.

45. Israel Occupies West Bank • Tensions rose and many were killed on both sides when Palestinian militants launched a new wave of suicide bombings and Israel occupied a large part of the West Bank.

46. Road Map Peace Plan • In 2003, the road map peace plan to a two-state solution started with US-backed MahmoudAbbas becoming Palestinian prime minister. Palestinian militants announced a ceasefire but Israel continued to kill militant leaders.

47. Israel Bombs Syrian Camp • Mr. Abbas left office after a power struggle with Mr. Arafat. Israel continued with its West Bank “security fence.” A suicide attack in Haifa prompted Israel to bomb a camp in Syria.

48. West Bank Jewish Settlements • Israel continued building its security fence roughly along its pre-1967 borders but with loops into Palestinian areas. Ariel Sharon Announced a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a recommitment to the biggest Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

49. Palestinian Refugees • Just over four million Palestinians, who fled Israeli expansion and the 1967 war, are still in exile in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.

50. The Gaza Strip • In 2005, Israel removed its settlements from the Gaza Strip. Since many Gaza residents refused to leave their homes, they had to be forcibly removed by Israeli police and soldiers. Israel gave much control of the area to the Palestinian government (with the exceptions of the border, airspace, and coastline). Gaza later came under the control of Hamas, a group considered by Israel and other countries to be a terrorist organization.