Arab Israeli Conflict, 1948-1996

1
Arab Israeli Conflict, 1948-1996

• Key Personalities
• Prepared by Philip Fielden, Head of HSIE,
• The Hills Grammar School, Sydney, Australia.

2
General Points

• BIRTH - look at the dates and locations
• OCCUPATIONS - what were they before they became
  famous?
• WHY? - What was their motivation?
• CAREERS - what did they achieve?
• LEGACY - what did they leave?

3
The Middle East - With Political Boundaries, 2003
4
David Ben Gurion

• Born in Plonsk, Poland in October 1886
• Joined the Zionist Workers movement aged 17
• Moved to Palestine in 1906
• Made General Secretary of Histadrut Labour
  Federation in 1921
• Formed Mapai in 1930
• Made Chairman of the Jewish Agency in 1935
• Declared the state of Israel on May 14th 1948
• PM from 1948-1963 (except 1953-55)
• Died in December 1973

5
Gamal Abdul-Nasser

• Born Alexandria, January 1918
• Involved in Free Officers movement
• Staged bloodless coup détat, July 1952 and
  effectively controls Egypt
• Declared President of Egypt, 1956
• Announces nationalisation of Suez Canal, July
  1956
• Survives Suez Crisis, Oct 1956
• Led United Arab Republic (UAR), 1958-1961
• Badly beaten in Six Day War, 1967
• Death through massive heart attack, 1970
• Hero of Pan-Arab Nationalism

6
Menachem Begin

• Born in Brest-Litovsk, Poland in August 1913
• Aged 16 joined Betar - the Nationalist youth
  movement associated with revisionist Zionism
• Arrested by Russians in 1939, imprisoned in
  Siberia until 1941
• Family died in the Holocaust
• Led Irgun Zvati Lehi from 1943 in fight against
  the British in Palestine.
• Member of Knesset from 1948
• Prime Minister, 1977-1983
• Signed Camp David Agreement
• Winner of Nobel Peace Prize in 1978
• Ordered Invasion of Lebanon, 1982

7
Anwar al-Sadat

• Born in Mit Abul al-Kum, Egypt in 1918
• Joined Nassers Free Officers movement in 1950
• Vice-President of Egypt, 1969-1970
• President of Egypt from 1970-1980
• Launched the Yom Kippur War in 1973 with Syria
• Made historic visit to Israel in 1977
• Signed Camp David Agreement, despite opposition
  from other Arab states
• Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978
• Assassinated in 1981

8
President Hafez Assad

• Born Qardaha, Syria in October, 1930
• Joined the Syrian Baath Party , 1946
• Helped organise the coupdétat that overthrew the
  UAR , 1961
• Commander of Air Force, 1963
• Minister of Defence after another coup détat,
  1966
• Took power in 1970, becomes Syrian President in
  1971
• Sent troops into Lebanon, 1976
• Failed to negotiate peace with Rabin during 1990s

9
Yasser Arafat

• Born August 1929 in Cairo
• Achieved Degree in Engineering, 1951
• Founded al-Fatah in 1958
• Became full-time Palestinian Fedayeen in 1964
• Became Chairman of PLO in 1969
• Made famous speech to UN in 1974
• Expelled from Jordan in 1970
• Expelled from Lebanon by Israel in 1982
• Signed Oslo Accords in 1993
• Awarded Nobel Peace Prize, 1994

10
Yitzhak Rabin

• Born in Jerusalem, 1922
• Joined Palmach, 1940
• Commanded Harel Brigade fighting for Jerusalem,
  1948-49
• Army Chief of Staff, 1964-1968
• Hero of Six Day War
• Made Ambassador to USA, 1968
• Prime Minister, 1974-1977
• Ordered Entebbe assault
• Minister of Defence, 1984-1990 (Break their
  bones)
• Prime Minister, 1992-1995
• Signed Oslo Accords, Sept 1993
• Assassinated, Nov 1995

11
King Hussein of Jordan

• Born in November 1935 in Amman, Jordan
• Became King in May 1953, aged 17
• Educated at Harrow, London and Sandhurst Military
  College
• Jordan very poor, but strategically important
  location.
• Caught between powerful neighbours, proximity to
  Israel and large Palestinian population
• Lost West Bank, 1967
• Expelled PLO - Black September, 1970
• Tried to remain neutral during Gulf War, 1991
• Signed peace with Israel, 1994

12
Shimon Peres

• Born Wolozyn, Poland, 1923
• Responsible for arms procurement during War of
  Independence
• Left Mapai with Ben Gurion in 1965 to form Rafi
• Returned to Mapai in 1968
• Minister of Defence, 1974-1977
• Prime Minister, 1984-1986
• Foreign Minister, 1986-1988
• Signed Oslo Accords, 1993
• Prime Minister 1995-1996
• Lost PM by lt1 in 1996 elections
• Awarded Nobel Peace Prize, 1994

13
Ariel Sharon

• Born Kefar Malal, Palestine, 1928
• Enormously successful in wars of 1948, 1956 and
  1967
• Made Major General in 1967
• Key role in formation of Likud in 1973
• Minister of Defence, 1981-1983
• Blamed for Israeli invasion of Lebanon, 1982
• Resigned when criticised for Sabra Chatila
  massacres, 1982
• Very supportive of Jewish settlers in Occupied
  Territories
• Prime Minister, 2001 - Present

14
Benyamin Netanyahu

• Born Tel Aviv, Israel in October 1949
• Family moved to USA, 1963
• Army Commando, 1967-1972
• Deputy Chief of Mission for Israeli Ambassador to
  USA, 1982
• Representative to UN, 1984-1988
• Leader of Likud, 1993-1999
• Elected Prime Minister May 1996 by majority of
  lt1
• Frustrated implementation os Oslo Accords
• Signed Wye River Accord with PLO, Oct 1998
• Defeated in elections, 1999

15
Golda Meir

• Born Kiev, Russia in May 1898
• Moved to USA in 1906 and Palestine, 1921
• Worked for Jewish Agency during 1920s-1930s
• Signed Declaration of Independence
• Ambassador to Soviet Union, 1948
• Vital role in securing arms during War of
  Independence, 1948
• Foreign Minister, 1956
• Prime Minister, 1969-1974
• Blamed for Israel being surprised by Yom Kippur
  War, 1973

16
Dr George Habash

• Born Lydda, Palestine in 1925/26 to Christian
  family
• Forced to flee Palestine, 1948
• Earned Medical Degree, American University,
  Beirut
• Active in Youth of Vengeance movement which
  attacked traditional Arab governments.
• Formed Marxist PFLP
• Staged famous Dawsons Field airliner explosions,
  1970
• Formed Rejection Front in 1973 to criticise any
  moves for peace
• Critical of Oslo Accord

17
Levi Eshkol

• Born in Oratov, Ukraine in October, 1895
• Moved to Palestine, 1914
• Worked with Jewish Agency to encourage Jewish
  settlement of Palestine.
• Served on Haganah staff during War of
  Independence, 1948-49
• Minister of Defence, 1948-1951
• Minister of Finance, 1952-1963
• Prime Minister, 1963-1968
• Led Israel during victory in Six Day War
• Criticised for being hesitant to go to war by Ben
  Gurion and his allies