The Region in Question

A Brief BackgroundDiaspora – Jews scattered from the

region by the Romans (Romans name the area “Syria Palaestina”)

Byzantine and Ottoman Empires Rise and Fall

WWI – 39 states form out of the former Ottoman Empire

Mandate System• Following WWI, the League of Nations established a system

of Mandates– IN THEORY: had the benevolent intention of preparing the "natives"

of various regions for self government

– IN ACTUALITY: nothing more than the granting of spoils to the different victorious allied governments

• Palestine was among the several former Ottoman Arab territories which were placed under the administration of Great Britain

• All but one of these Mandated Territories became fully independent States, as anticipated

• The exception was….

The 1917 Balfour Declaration laid plans for a Jewish homeland to be established in Palestine

eventually

WORLD WAR II & U.N. DIVISION• Britain exhausted from the war hands over

the region of Palestine to the U.N.

• 1948 UN divided Palestine into an Arab (45%) and Jewish state (55%)

• The State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948

#1 ARAB-ISRAELI WAR• Arab Nations rejected the U.N.’s plan

• The day after the establishment of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq declared war on Israel (1948 Arab-Israeli War)

• RESULTS: – Israel occupied 50% more than what the UN partition

called for (sign peace treaty)– The Gaza Strip was occupied by Egypt– The West Bank was occupied by Jordan

PLO• Palestinian

Liberation Organization

• Formed in 1964• Purpose: To create

a state for Palestinian Arabs

• Summer 2004: Iconic leader Yasser Arafat dies and the PLO has elections

#2 The Six Day War (1967) • Israel strikes first out of fear of impending

attack• Israel makes air attacks on Syrian, Jordanian,

and Egyptian air bases• Totally defeat Arabs• Expands territory by 200%• Israel gained the Golan Heights, the West

Bank, Jerusalem’s Old City, and all of the Sinai Peninsula

#3 The Yom Kippur War (1973)• Oct. 6 – Oct. 26

• Began on Jewish holy day Yom Kippur with a surprise attack from Egypt and Syria

• Israel captured the Suez Canal and pushed Syria back 40 miles

• Arabs failed to regain losses

Camp David Accords

• Signed by Egypt and Israel on September 17, 1978 • Israel agreed to withdraw from the Sinai• Egypt agreed to allow Israel use of the Suez• Less clear agreement on Gaza

Today

1993• _________________________: Secret

agreement between Yitzhak Rabin (Israel) and Yasser Arafat (PLO)

► Israel and the PLO would recognize each other

► Gradual transfer of power to the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, leading to: _______________________________

Today

2003

“_______________________________”• Calls for an independent Palestinian state

alongside Israel• Palestine must surrender all forms of

terrorism• Israel must accept and support the

emergence of a reformed Palestinian government and end settlement activity of the Gaza Strip and West Bank

HOT SPOTS

The Gaza Strip

• Not recognized as belonging to any country

• Majority of the residents are refugees who were expelled from Israel in 1948

• Egypt controlled the land until 1967

• 1.37 million Palestinians live here

• One of the highest population densities on earth

• Lack basic services• About 20% of the children

living here suffer from chronic malnutrition

The West Bank• 1948-1967 under Jordan’s rule

(Jordan’s annexation of the land was never officially recognized)

• 1967 Israel captures the West Bank during the Six-Day War

• 1988 Jordan relinquished claims to the land

• It is not recognized as part of any state

• “It would be far more accurate to describe the West Bank and Gaza Strip as ‘disputed territories’ to which both Israelis and Palestinians have claims.”– Anywhere from 1.4 – 2.4 million

Palestinians – Approximately 400,000 Israelis

The Golan Heights

• Contested area on the border of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria

• Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and again in 1973

• The UN considers the area under Israeli occupation– 19,000 Jewish settlers– 17,000 Muslims