Resources

Brief History of Israel-Palestine

Both peoples have always lived on land; Arabs in majority
1880s – First great ‘Aliyah’ – organised movement of Jews ‘back’ to the ancient land of Israel
Backdrop
- Ottoman Turks are ruling Palestine
- Vicious persecution of Jews, especially in Russia and Romania
- Growing political and religious Zionist movement – those who were calling for the founding of a Jewish homeland
1917 – Balfour declaration
- Declares that British government would be committed to establishing a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
- States that ‘nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.’
- However, Balfour also writes in a letter in 1919 that ‘in Palestine we do not propose even to go through the form of consulting the wishes of the present inhabitants of the country… the Four Great Powers are committed to Zionism.’ He admitted that they ‘always intended to violate’ their declarations of policy.
- Lord Balfour was an evangelical Christian who was sympathetic to Zionism because he believed it was in keeping with God’s will.
- Zionism is for the first time given political legitimacy by the Balfour Declaration; Balfour has promised all things to both people
After WW1, (Turks defeated) Britain is mandated to govern Palestine
Increasing Jewish immigration; Arab riots; tensions rising
1944 onwards - Militant Jewish terror campaign for independence from the British
Backdrop - WW2 and Hitler’s ‘final solution’ for Jews becomes apparent
1947
- British pull-out of Palestine
- Palestinians = 2/3 population; Jews = 1/3
- UN proposes partition plan – 45% land to Arabs; 55% land to Jews
- Jews accept; Arabs indignantly reject
1948 – State of Israel is declared; war erupts between the new State and surrounding Arab countries.
1949 – Israel defeats Arab armies; Israel grabs more land – 78% of historic Palestine; 700,000 Palestinians are displaced/made refugees; hundreds of Palestinian villages are destroyed by Israel during and after the war
1956 – Suez Crisis
1967 – The six day war. Arab armies are massing at Israel’s borders again. Israel strikes pre-emptively and captures Sinai (Egypt), West Bank (Jordan), Gaza Strip (Egypt), Golan Heights (Syria)
UN Security Council passes resolution 242 – calls for Israel to withdraw from territories it occupied. (Apart from Sinai, it is still waiting)
Palestinian land has shrunk dramatically – from 100% to UN offer of 45% to 22% of West Bank and Gaza Strip to even this land being occupied.
1973 - Yom Kippur war – Arab armies launch attack on holiest day in Jewish calendar
1987 – 1st Intifada (= Palestinian uprising/’shaking off’ of the occupation) – characterised by Palestinian boys throwing stones; Israel soldiers breaking bones; mainly non-violent, i.e. strikes and civil disobedience
1993 – Oslo – secret peace talks in Norway between Palestine Liberation Organisation and Israel; Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin shake hands on White House lawn. ‘Land for peace’ idea
2000
- Camp David II
- nearly reaches final settlement but breaks down partly over future of Jerusalem
- Known as Ehud Barak’s (then Israeli Prime Minister) ‘generous offer’ of 97% of West Bank and Gaza Strip which Arafat turns down – this is misleading description. The so-called 97% didn’t include key roads or land and Israel would have kept control of all Palestinian borders – air, land, sea. It would have remained a prison.
- Would not have made for viable Palestinian state.
- Lots of American and Israeli PR effort made offer look ‘generous’ and Arafat look greedy
- In wake of failure of peace talks, Palestinian anger erupts at Sharon walking on Haram Al Sharif/Temple Mount
- 2nd Intifada begins with stone throwing
Numerous attempts at peace plans have failed – suicide bombings; military incursions into OPT
2002 - Israel begins constructing a ‘separation wall’ which cuts deep into the West Bank.