The Holy Land
• ISRAEAL
• CANAAN
• AL SHAM
• LEVANT
• PALESTINE
• THE PROMISED LAND
Origin of the Conflict
• Late 19th century- OTTOMAN EMPIRE
• NATIONALISM in Europe
• THEODOR Herzl – Jewish nation
• Zionism/Zionist movement
• Migration since 1890’s due to Jewish persecution throughout Europe
BRITISH
• BALFOUR DECLARTION by UK in 1917
“The establishment in Palestine of a national home for Jewish people”
• SYKES- PICOT agreement with France and Russia- Palestine for UK
• Palestine promised to Arabs
The British Mandate of Palestine
• After WW1
• Migration in huge number
• Divide and rule policies
• Jews rose to 30%
• Buying of land and evicting of local Palestinian Arabs
• 1936- Arab revolt against British
• Jewish militias formed- Aided British
• Jewish migration restricted- militias against British
• WW2 – HOLOCAUST in Europe
Creation of Israel
• US Resolution in 1947
• Equal division areas between a Jewish state and Palestine Arab
state
• International control over Jerusalem
ARAB- ISRAEL WAR 1948-49
• Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Transjordan, attacked the newly created state.
• Israel extends its boundaries
• Refugees- 7,00,000
• GAZA- Egypt
• West Bank- Jordan
SIX DAY WAR 1967
• Egypt, Syria and Jordan
• Israel captures Golan heights, Gaza, Sinai peninsula, west Bank
• Crushing defeat of Arab nations
• Israel triples its area
1973 YOM KIPPUR WAR
• Egypt and Syria try to regain Sinai and Golan
• Israel suffers losses initially but repulses the attack
• Leads to talk with Egypt
CAMP DAVID ACCORDS 1978
• Sinai returned to Egypt
• Egypt recognizes state of Israel
• Slowly most Arab states make peace with Israel
• No more outright wars between nations
• But PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANISATION carries on struggle for
independent Palestine using both political and terror tactics.
1st INTIFIDA 1987-93
• The ‘uprising’
• Protest, boycotts
• Large scale violence
• 100 Jews and 1000 Palestinians dead
• Rise of HAMAS- More nationalistic and extremist
OSLO ACCORDS 1993
• Between Israel and PLO
• After secret negotiations in OSLO, the agreement was signed in WASHINGTION
DC.
• Recognition of state of Israel by PLO
• Recognition by Israel of PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people.
• Palestine authority for self governance of West Bank and Gaza.
CAMP DAVID 2 - 200 – Talks failed
peace process breaks down
2nd INTIFIDA (2000-5)
• More violent than the 1st one
• 1000 Jews
• 3200 Palestinians
• Bombings of buses
• Terrorist attacks
After the INTIFIDA
• Changing in thinking and policies
• Rightward shift of politics
• Emphasis of ‘managing’ the conflict and not ‘solving’ it.
• Withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza strip-2005
• HAMAS became more influential after 2006
• Blockading of Gaza stars
• HAMAS launches rockets into Israel
• THREE WARS
• 2008
• 2012
• 2014
• Thousands killed
• Violence against civilians by both HAMAS and IDF
Major issues status of Jerusalem
• Holy site of Jews, Muslims and Christians
• East part- Muslim populated
• West part- Jewish population
• Centre- holy shrines
• Israel control the city and restricts access to holy sites
• Not internationally accepted as capital
Palestinian Refugees
• 1948, 67 wars
• Syria, Jordan, Egypt and many other Arab countries house the refugees in camps
• Around 5 million
Other issues
• Israel’s security concern over terrorist activities and civilians attack.
• Israel’s military occupation of West Bank and blockading of Gaza.
• Israeli settlement in West Bank.
• Water resources
How can peace be achieved??
1. Apology and forgiveness
• Both side must forgive and accept apology.
• They should begin their process of truth and reconciliation.
2. Recognition and Acceptance
• Palestine and Arabs have to accept Israel as a Jewish state.
• Israel should stop intervening in Palestine’s affairs.
• No party should infiltrate each other’s territory, thus maintain sovereignty.
