Confl ict in the Middle
East: Israel and
Palestine 1948-
Present
20 t h Century History 11/12 – Mr. G. Randall
Redrawing the Map: Not Just in Europe
- Decolonization picks up steam after the
war, particularly in Africa and Asia
- Philippine Independence (from US): 1946
- Indonesian Independence (from
Netherlands): 1949
- Vietnamese Independence and First
Indochina War: 1945-53
- Middle East Decolonized: 1946-1949
- Indian Subcontinent Partitioned: 1947
- Most European colonies in Africa gain
(India video)
independence by 1975
Redrawing the Map:
The Partition of India
- Indian Independence movements had been
gaining momentum for years, dating back to
the early 1900s
- In the 1920s, the idea of splitting the
subcontinent into religious nation-states
(Muslim & Hindu) arose (“Two Nation
Theory”)
- When Clement Atlee takes charge in UK,
India gains a supporter
- The nonviolence movement of Gandhi (and
others) spurs change, and a committee led
by Sir Cyril Radcliff e (British, living in
London) is assigned to create a partition
plan that creates Pakistan and India in 1947.
Israel/Palestine Video
Redrawing the Map:
the U.N. Divides the Middle East
- Huge numbers of displaced surviving Jews in
Europe
- No homes to return to in Europe – Nazis made
sure of that
- Western guilt leads to support of Zionist
movement
- Backed by the U.N., Israel is created in 1948 as
a Jewish-only homeland in the Holy Land
- Carved out of Palestine, with majority Muslim
population
Arab-Israeli War: 1948
- New state of Israel comes under
immediate threat from surrounding Arab
states, who denounced the partition
forcing Palestinians out
- The “Arab League” of Egypt, Jordan, Syria,
Lebanon and Iraq march into the new
state and occupy it
- Israeli forces are quickly assembled, and
within three months push the disorganized
Arab League forces out of the Holy Land,
increasing their territory beyond the UN
plan
Post-War of Independence
- Israel’s borders agreed upon in ceasefi re
agreement (“Green Line”). Includes all of the Holy
Land as Israeli territory, except the Gaza Strip
and the West Bank (Golan Heights disputed).
- Israel embarks on a massive settlement and
infrastructure plan
- Clashes occur along various borders in 1950s,
including early instances of Arab terrorist attacks
- 1956: Israel invades Sinai Peninsula over shipping
dispute, UN force is deployed to supervise
negotiated agreement (“The Suez Crisis”)
Jerusalem
- Holy City for Christians (Jesus’ Resurrection
& Church of the Holy Sepulchre), Jews
(Temple Mount), Muslims (Al-Aqsa
Mosque/Dome of the Rock)
- Because of this status, UN plan called for it
to be a free international city
- After the war of 1948, control of the city is
essentially split in half, with the Israel-
controlled western half and the
Palestinian/Arab-controlled eastern half
separated by the “Western Wall”
- As a result, like Berlin it becomes the most
contentious area in the region
The Suez Crisis (1956)
- Egypt undergoes a military coup in 1952,
and Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser takes
charge
- Nasser aggressively modernizes and
militarizes Egypt, even seizing control of the
Suez Canal on behalf of the Egyptian state
in 1956
- Britain and France respond by using the
Israelis as pawns to attempt to regain
control over the canal
- The Americans appeal to the United Nations,
and a peacekeeping plan was put together
that removed all foreign forces and put UN
boots on the ground for 10 years
The Six-Day War
(1967)
- N a s s e r re q u e s t s w i t h d r a w a l o f U N f o rc e s
a n d a n n o u n c e s h i s p l a n s t o re s t o re a n
A r a b Pa l e s t i n e
- H e s e e s I s r a e l a s s y m b o l i c o f f o re i g n
i n fl u e n c e i n t h e re g i o n
- S y r i a , J o rd a n a n d I r a q a l l i e d w i t h h i m ,
a n d O P E C t h re a t e n e d a n o i l e m b a rg o o n
any country that supported Israel
- Israel knows attack is coming and
l a u n c h e s a s u r p r i s e p re - e m p t i v e s t r i ke
t h a t d e s t ro y s E g y p t i a n A i r Fo rc e
- I s r a e l i s a b l e t o c a p t u re S i n a i , We s t B a n k
and Golan Heights in Six Days, and the
w a r i s a c o l o s s a l f a i l u re f o r t h e A r a b s
The Yom Kippur War (1973)
- Tensions in the region remained high after the
Six-Day war, with Arabs bitter at Israel’s
success and resulting arrogance
- Egyptian and Syrian forces launch a surprise
attack on the Jewish high holiday of Yom Kippur,
deliberately targeting locations of ceremonial
gatherings
- Americans pour arms supplies in to the Israelis,
and they are able to turn the tide and almost
capture the Syrian capital
- Arabs respond with oil embargo (OPEC Crisis)
- US brokers a ceasefi re agreement in 1974, and a
serious movement towards a lasting peace
begins in earnest
Camp David Accords (1978)
- US diplomatically pressures both sides
to come to the table and negotiate a
lasting peace
- Arab states had never formally
recognized Israel’s legitimacy
- Reach an agreement, brokered by US
government (with promise of US aid
money attached), that withdrew Israel
from the Sinai, established agreed
upon borders and diplomatic relations,
and mandated peace between the two
The Palestinian Liberation
Organization
(PLO)
- Founded in 1964 to liberate Palestine through armed
struggle
- Organized multiple “intifadas” (waves of violent
resistance) against Israel, most recently 2000-05
- Designated as a Terrorist Organization by US in 1987
- Served as the de facto Palestinian government
beginning in 1993 (after recognizing Israel offi cially)
- Functions as a powerful political party in Palestine
today, no longer recognizes Israel as a legitimate state
- Prominent Leader: Yasser Arafat (1969-2004)
Agreements and Confl ict
Since 1978
- 1982: Israel invades Lebanon to destroy PLO and occupies Beirut
until 1985
- 1993 & 1995: Oslo Accords begin recognition between two sides
of both Israel and Palestine
- 2000-2005: Intifada organized by the PLO
- Gaza Strip, West Bank and Golan Heights still disputed today
- Various Palestinian militant organizations have targeted Israel,
notably the PLO, Hezbollah in the 2000s and Hamas currently
- Israel has been accused of numerous war crimes relating to
their treatment of Palestinians, including targeting civilians,
using biological weapons and withholding humanitarian aid
Status of More and more countries (and the UN)
are formally recognizing the Palestinian
state, though it’s still not universal
the Region
Periodic flareups occur, mostly in Gaza
Today and West Bank
Political divide in the west – US/UK remain
Israel’s biggest ally, right wingers tend to
The Lesson: Maybe favor Israel while progressives favour Palestine
consider who’s already
living somewhere No end to the dispute in sight, Israel
before creating a new continues to subjugate Palestinians
(some call it apartheid)
country that didn’t
previously exist?
