1 / 33

Arab-Israeli Conflict Review

Arab-Israeli Conflict Review. Roots, 1900-1945. Slow dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, “The Sick Man of Europe” Forced concessions to European powers European “Great Powers” rivalry for territory in the Middle East Increasing strategic importance of Mid-East Nationalist movements Zionism

theta
Download Presentation

Arab-Israeli Conflict Review

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Arab-Israeli Conflict Review

  2. Roots, 1900-1945 • Slow dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, “The Sick Man of Europe” • Forced concessions to European powers • European “Great Powers” rivalry for territory in the Middle East • Increasing strategic importance of Mid-East • Nationalist movements • Zionism • Young Turks

  3. Before1919

  4. World War One • British tried to foment revolution against Ottoman Empire in the Middle East • T.E. Lawrence, “Lawrence of Arabia” • Sykes-Picot Agreement, 1916 • Drawn up during WWI • Balfour Declaration, 1917 • Resolution by British Foreign Secretary calling for establishment of Jewish homeland in Palestine • Mandate system confirmed by League of Nations in 1920 • Arabs feel betrayed

  5. British Mandate, 1922-1945 • Increased Jewish immigration • Wailing Wall Riots, 1929 • Haganah and Irgun Revolts (Jewish groups), 1930s • Peel Report, 1937 – calling for a two-state solution and limited Jewish immigration • White Paper, 1939 – calling for independent Palestine • Increased Jewish immigration after Hitler’s rise to power in Germany - Holocaust

  6. World War Two • Biltmore Program, 1942 – American Zionist meeting • Many Arab leaders had fled Palestine and some went to Germany to support Hitler • WWII and Holocaust led to massive refugee problems in Europe • UK was looking to get out of Palestine, as their empire was in decline after WWII

  7. Britain and Mid East, 1945-46 • Decline of the empire – financial difficulties • Emergence of US as a world power – and Truman’s support of the Zionist cause • Cold War impacts on the region and possible Soviet interests • Independence of India and Pakistan • Palestinian Zionist attacks against British soldiers • Jewish Agency was well-organized under Ben Gurion • King David Hotel Attack, 1946 – Terrorism or Freedom Fighters?

  8. From British to UN Mandate • UNSCOP set up in 1947 to tour Palestine and make a recommendation to the UN • UNSCOP calls for partition and for Jerusalem to be governed under international trusteeship • Plan was rejected by Arabs, supported by Jews, and passed in the UN General Assembly, 1947

  9. Partition to War, 1947-1948 • Holocaust, Truman, Exodus Incident, and Jewish diplomacy helped to push partition through • Arab leaders offered no unified response except the threat of war • In plans for war, Arabs did not have a coordinated strategy, while Jews had WWII experience and “Plan D” strategy • Deir Yassin – Massacre of Arab village that led to Palestinian refugee flight and decision of Arab states to intervene against declaration of Israeli statehood

  10. War of Independence, 1948 • 14 May 1948 State of Israel Declared in Tel Aviv • Arab League aimed to “liberate Palestine” and “drive the Jews into the sea” • Arab League nations had differing objectives and were unsuccessful on the battlefield • Count Bernadotte was sent by UN to broker peace, but he was assassinated by Lehi • Al-Nakba = Palestinians unable to return home after the war, i.e. “day of catastrophe” • Eretz Israel = Land of Israel

  11. Refugees, 1947 to today • Beginning with Deir Yassin massacre • Known by Palestinians as Al-Nakba • Haganah’s Plan D may or may not have called for deliberate displacement of Arabs – It did call for disallowing Palestinians to return • 2 million live in Jordan, another 2 million in West Bank and Gaza • 35% of Palestinians remain in UN refugee camps, others have become citizens of surrounding Arab nations (or elsewhere)

  12. Jewish Immigration and Development • 1950 Law of Return and 1952 Citizenship Law gave immediate citizenship to immigrants, while refugees were forbidden from returning • In early years, Israel benefited from well-educated and skilled immigrants • Few natural resources necessitated imports of raw materials • Early support came from the US, West Germany, and Jewish businessmen from America • Over a million Jews immigrated from USSR after its collapse • More Palestinians became refugees after 1967 war, while those who stayed have limited political and economic rights

  13. Egyptian Revolution • 1952 military coup and overthrow of Egyptian monarchy – propels Gamal Abdul Nasser to power in Egypt • King Farouk was already unpopular for cooperating with Britain and losing in the 1948-49 War of Independence against Israel • Initially, Nasser was perceived by the West and Israel as educated, modern, and moderate • Nasser redistributed land in Egypt and embarked on massive economic plans • Aswan Dam project (funded by America and Britain)

  14. Preceding Issues • 1954 UK agreed to withdraw forces from the Suez Canal Zone within 20 months • Baghdad Pact, 1955 – isolate Nasser, or keep out Soviet influence? • 1955 Nasser accepted military aid from the Soviets, and money for the Aswan Dam • Nasser supported Algerian rebels against the French • Israel began searching for Western help in the form of military aid • Nasser formally recognized Communist China

  15. The Canal • Feeling threatened by Nasser, US and UK withdrew funding for the Aswan Dam • July 1956, Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal to raise funds to pay for the Aswan Dam project • Realignment of power after 1948 significantly impacted the region: • Decline of British influence • Cold War, with Middle East as a battlefield • Arab nationalism

  16. 1956 War • British PM Eden compared Nasser to Hitler • Losing Suez Canal would cut off British oil and other Middle East interests • Initially, the British and French made military plans that did not involve the Israelis, but that changed later • Operation Musketeer: Israel invades canal zone, Britain and France intervene to “stop the hostilities” and then depose Nasser • Egyptian forces were quickly defeated, but the diplomatic war was not over

  17. Consequences of the Suez War • Embarrassment for the British and French, and a wave of anti-colonial nationalism • Brought the US into the Middle East • Soviets appeared as defenders of the Arab cause • Israel returned conquered territories and was guaranteed security of the Straits of Tiran • Nasser emerged as a leader for all Arab nationalists • The Cold War was clearly in play in the Mid East

  18. Causes of the Six Day War • Nasser’s closure of the Straits of Tiran in May 1967 • Withdrawal of UN forces from Sinai • Israeli perceptions of their own vulnerability • Brinkmanship era of the Cold War • Residual anger from the Suez Crisis • Ongoing neglect of Palestinians and formation of the PLO • Israeli shooting down of Syrian MIG jet • False information provided by Soviets to Arabs • Israeli plans to pre-empt Nasser

  19. Course of the Six Day War • Israeli air force immediately destroyed air forces of Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria – a plan created years ago • Egypt quickly lost 15000 soldiers, 800 tanks, over 300 aircraft • Jerusalem and West Bank taken from Jordan by the IDF • Golan Heights taken from Syria just as UN cease-fire went into effect • US and USSR both tried to bring an end to the conflict

  20. Consequences of Six Day War • State of Israel tripled in size and became most powerful state in middle east • Humiliation of Arab cause and Nasser • Decline of Pan-Arabism, rise of fundamentalism and Islamic nationalism • More refugees – fewer concessions by Israel • USSR’s allies were beaten, Israel was confirmed as US’s ally in the region • Resolution 242 declared by UN

  21. Between Wars, 1967-1973 • Israel offered to return territory in exchange for security – Palestinians to be dealt with later • War of Attrition, 1967-1970 • Sadat succeeds Nasser in Egypt • Sadat began looking to US – removed Russian advisors • Egypt and Syria agree to go to war with Israel, 1972

  22. October 1973, Yom Kippur • Sadat determined to force territorial issues • Dual attack by Syria and Egypt – “give me 10cm of the Sinai” • Israeli overconfidence initially gave way to Arab victories • Kissinger’s “shuttle diplomacy” – ceasefire

  23. Consequences of 1973 War • Israel could be beaten • Political victory for Sadat and Arabs • UN Resolution 338 – ceasefire and implementation of 242 • Promoted fears of an Arab oil embargo • Sadat agrees to meet with Israel for direct talks

  24. Peace Developments, 1974-77 • Call for Geneva Talks – Ford frustrated by Israelis unwillingness to negotiate • UN Resolution 3379 • Recognition and raised profile of PLO • 1976 civil war in Lebanon • Carter elected in US • Called for continuation of Geneva Talks • Conservatives elected in Israel

  25. 1977 • Sadat visits Israel – first Arab leader to do so • Offered recognition of Israel is Arab lands restored • Invitation to Camp David

  26. Camp David, September 1978 • Issue of West Bank and Palestinian homeland were most contentious • Egypt stood to lose much more than Israel from the negotiations • Big goal for Egypt was return to pre-1967 borders • Jerusalem excluded from the final agreement • Final agreement restored land to Egypt, who recognized Israel’s statehood • Regarded as a betrayal to Arabs and Palestinians • Sadat assassinated, 1981

More Related