ARAB ISRAELI CONFLICT

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ARAB ISRAELI CONFLICT
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Background Questions

• What is this conflict about?
• What are the roots of this conflict?
• Jewish Diaspora, Romans, return to Israel
• What is Zionism?
• What caused tensions to build in the 19th 20th
  centuries?
• Who controlled Palestine prior to WWI? After
  WWI? Why did control change?
• How does this countrys control of the region
  play into the Jewish goal of creating a homeland
  in Palestine?

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Background Questions

• Who gets involved in 1947? What was their
  solution?
• What is the Arab response?
• What is significant about May 14, 1948?
• Who is immediately recognizes Israel as an
  independent state?
• What is the Arab response to the Jewish
  declaration?

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4 Major Conflicts/Wars

• 1948 War for Independence
• 1956 Suez Crisis
• 1967 Six Day War
• 1973 Yom Kippur War/October War

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1948 - War for Independence

• Who attacked Israel on May 15th name all five?
• Israel appears outnumbered but after several
  months of fighting, Israel is able to control 78
  of what used to be Palestine
• Gaza and West Bank absorb almost 1 million
  Palestinian refugees
• Resentment towards Israel will result in the
  creation of many resistance fighters (terrorists)

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1956 Suez Crisis

• What starts this crisis?
• Egypt also blocks Israels southern port, Elat,
  on the Gulf of Aqaba
• British French launch air attack on Cairo
• Israel launches ground attack taking Sinai
  Peninsula Gaza Strip
• UN intervenes gets Brits French out
• Israel, urged by the US, withdrawals from Sinai
• UN promises to send peacekeepers to Gaza border
  Sinai Pen. to prevent attacks on Israel

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1967 Six Day War

• Egypt orders UN out of Sinai closes access to
  the Gulf of Aqabaagain!
• Why did Israel attack Egypt Syria?
• Israel takes out all Egyptian Syrian air power
  forcing them into a ground war.
• Who joins in on the Arab side?
• In less than one week Israel took control of
• Sinai Peninsula Suez Canal (Egypt)
• Golan Heights (Syria)
• Gaza Strip (administered by Egypt)
• West Bank (administered by Jordan)
• Jerusalem (UN mandated international city)

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Six Day War

• Casualties
• Arab 15,000
• Israeli 676
• Israel would not give up these conquered
  territories as easily this time.
• What does UN Resolution 242 call for?
• Israel ignores the resolution

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1973 Yom Kippur War

• Arabs humiliated after 6 Day War enlist the help
  of the Soviets (weapons training)
• How does this war start?
• 1st week of war,
• Arabs take back Golan, Suez, Sinai
• Iraq Jordan supplied troops
• Saudi Arabia pressures US to abandon support for
  Israel oil embargo starts
• Looks as if the Israelis will be defeated
• 2nd Week tide changes
• Israel regains Golan
• Launches an attack on the west side of Suez
• After 17 days of fighting Israel wins again!

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PLO Recognition

• In 1974, the UN gives the Palestinian Liberation
  Organization a non-voting seat in the General
  Assembly.
• Yasser Arafat became the chairmen (head) of the
  PLO in 1969

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Other major events in 20th Century

• 1977 Sadat, the Egyptian Pres, visits the
  Jewish Knesset (parliament)
• He and P.M. Begin promise never to go to war
  again
• 1978 Camp David Accords
• Pres. Carter hosted Begin Sadat in an effort to
  sign a peace agreement it is successful
• Sadat is assassinated by a Muslim radical upon
  returning to Egypt
• 1987 Palestinian Intifada (uprising)
• Palestinians demand self rule Israel does not
  grant this and riots are answered with Israeli
  tanks

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Other major events in 20th Century

• 1991 Saddam Hussein launches missiles at Israel
  during Persian Gulf War Israel does not
  retaliate
• 1992-93 - Oslo Accords
• Secret negotiations b/w Palestinians Israelis
• Israel recognizes Palestinian self rule
• 1993 Clinton hosts Arafat Rabin at White
  House
• Symbolize achievements in Oslo
• Rabin assassinated by Jewish extremist upon his
  return to Israel
• 1994 Jordan signs peace agreement with Israel

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Arab Israeli Conflict in the 21st
Century

• 2000 Camp David II Israel Palestinian
  leaders
• Meeting hosted by Clinton is unsuccessful cant
  agree
• Territory
• Jerusalem and the Temple Mount
• Refugees and the 'right of return'
• Israeli security concerns
• 2000 - Bushs Road Map To Peace
• US encourages Palestinians to work with Israelis
• Looses steam once 9/11 War on Terror starts
• Ariel Sharon becomes PM of Israel (party change)

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Arab Israeli Conflict in the21st Century

• Nov 04 - Arafat dies
• Abbas, a moderate, takes over
• 2005 - Sharon pulls troops out of Gaza
• Proof that he is willing to make concessions in
  the peace process move towards Two State
  Solution

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• January 06 - Sharon enters into a coma after a
  stroke
• Ehud Olmert becomes acting PM eventually
  becomes official PM (elected March 06) as Sharon
  never comes out of the coma
• January 06 Palestinian democratic elections
  held
• Hamas (terrorist group) wins the majority of
  seats

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THE QUESTION REMAINS Can there be a Two State
Solution?