-
British government issues the Balfour Declaration
The Balfour Declaration was an announcement of the creation of a homeland for Jewish people in Palestine. A great number of Arabs saw this as a threat and a type of European imperialism. -
Period: to
Conflict
The Arab-Israeli Conflict continues today. -
Migration of Jews from other countries to Israel to avoid persecution, or Zionism, increases dramatically
-
Britain gives up control of Palestine
After struggling with Jewish guerilla groups for many years Britain decided to leave the issue of Zionism and creating a Jewish homeland with the United Nations. -
1948 Arab-Israeli War
5 neighboring Arab countries decided to reject the existence of Israel, and launched an attack on the country with no success. Afterwards, Jordan seized the West Bank, Egypt took the Gaza Strip, and Israel took various territories from different countries. -
The Suez Crisis
Gamel Abdul Nasser (Egypt) nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956 but closed it off to Israel. In response Britain, France and the United States invaded Egypt. -
Period: to
Use of terroism by the P.L.O.
In the 60's and 70's the P.L.O. used terroism in order to get the government to meet their demands. The terroists hijacked planes, attacked an Israeli school, and murdered 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics. -
Oil used as a political weapon
With the establishment of OPEC, or Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, countries that were friendly with Israel were cut off from buying oil from member nations, such as Kuwait, the UAE, Iran and Iraq. The use of oil as a political weapon added dramtically to Arab oil-producing countries wealth and power. -
The P.L.O.
In 1964, a group of Palestinian Arabs formed the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The leaders of the P.L.O. refused to recongize Israel as a nation and vowed to win back their homeland. -
Six Day War
In 6 days Israel was victrorious against its enemies, and gained the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. -
Munich Massacre
The Munich Massacre featured an attack by the P.L.O. on the Israeli Olympic team during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. 11 players were killed in the attack. -
Yom Kippur War
Egypt and Syria surprise attacked Israel on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur in 1973, in which Israel was victorious in keeping the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt. -
War in Lebanon
Civil War broke out in Lebanon during 1975 between Lebanese Christians, Sunni Muslims and Shi'ite Muslims. In 1976, Syria invaded Lebanon. In 1978 and 1982 Israel also invaded to destroy P.L.O. camps that had set up base in the country. -
Period: to
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War is important in the Arab-Israeli conflict as the biggest terroist group at the time, the P.L.O., were living in the country. -
Camp David Accords
Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat and Israel's Prime Minister Menachim Begin visited President Carter at Camp David. They all agreed that Israel should return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, in exchange for establishing peace between the two countries. -
Period: to
Intifada ("Uprising")
A group of mostly young Palestinians in Gaza/West Bank began a series of violent demonstrations to protest against Israeli occupation of their land, won during the Six Day War. -
Middle East Peace Conference
The US pressured Arab and Israeli leaders to settle their differences at the Middle East Peace Conference. Israel's Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, secretly negotiated with P.L.O. leader Yassir Arafat about a peace agreement. Israel agreed to give the Palestinians back the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and in exchange the P.L.O. agreed to recongize Israel's existence. -
Period: to
Second Intifada
Another Palestinian uprising broke out in 2000. Israel's Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, attacked Arafat's base in response to suicide bombings by the Palestinians. In 2002 Israel began buliding the West Bank Barrier to seperate Israel from West Bank. In 2003, Sharon agreed to dismantle all Israeli settlements in West Bank, and in 2005 all Israelis left their settlements on Palestinian territory. -
Palestinian Division
P.L.O. leader Yassir Arafat died in 2004, which led to a split between the people that supported Fatah, (Arafat's political party) and the radical party, the Hamas. Israel consider(s) the Hamas a terroist organization because they still don't consider Israel a real country. Hamas won control of Gaza in 2006, while Fatah remained in power in the West Bank. -
2006 Lebanon War
In 2006 Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel and kidnapped two Israelis. Israel reacted by invading Southern Lebanon to wipe out any Hezbollah bases stationed there. The UN tried to stop the fighting by promising Israel they would disarm the Hezbollah. -
Annapolis Conference
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to negotiate over issues facing the conflicting Israelis and Palestinians. They discussed the future control of Jerusalem, remaining Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and the rights of Palestinian refugees that fled Israel. -
Relations Today
In 2010, negotiations were discussed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Both leaders agreed on a "two-state" solution, however the talks have halted due to Israel building new settlements in the West Bank. In 2011 the Palestinian Authority composed a U.N. resolution to request statehood, however the issue of Palestinian independence, terroism, and the status of Jerusalem remain in the air today.
