Arab Israeli Conflict

For edexcel history GCSE paper 2

Interfering quest for palestine

Zionism movement - Jews wanted to flee to the promised land of Israel (Palestine - promised by old testament) to set up a state of its own with its own protection.

Modern-day palestine was ottoman controlled with many arabs residing in the region who wanted independence. - Were the bigger population in the region so best interest to help them

Hussein-McMahon, Sykes-Picot agreements, Balfour Declaration

WW1- Arab Revolt

Hussein-McMahon Correspondence: Direct promise for arab palestine

1. Arabs in ottoman empire will revolt to help the British against ottoman empire. In return for:

2. The independence of Arabs in regions demanded by sharif of mecca

Sykes Picot Agreement:

British and French to split the ottoman empire up, only give statehood when regions were deemed fit - Reduced the chance of an Arab Palestine

Balfour Declaration:

MP (Balfour) expresses parliaments support for Israeli homeland in palestine through a letter. - Conflicted with Mcmahon treaty, however it’s a letter not a signed document between two delegates.

Jewish Immigration to Palestine 1920s

Palestine 1918 - 66,000 Jews. 500,000 Arabs; Mostly due to American borders being closed

1936 - 400,000 Jews Rivalling the Arab Population - Due to nazi persecution/ Forced migration

Arab Revolt + Peel Commission

General Strike, Palestinians demanded end to emigration and sales to Jews. - Worried that Jewish would be able to prevent Arab home land

Partition of Palestine, Limit on Jewish migration.

WW2 + Cold War

Important to keep Arab world supporting Allies during the war and after.

Therefore limited Jewish migration, 10k per year.

Post-war unwillingness to allow major Jewish influx into Palestine as could cause arabs to turn to Soviets.

Jewish Terrorism

Irgun, Lehi use terrorism to try and force British out and give Jews palestine.

King David Hotel, Hostage Missions, Exodus ship, Constant Bombings, Ministers killed

Causes Britain to leave in 1947, Handing the issue to UN, and palestinian comittee (UNSCOP)

UNSCOP + Plan Dalet

UN suggested Partition. Arabs refused the planned borders as Jews got over 50% of Palestine and most of the fertile land.

Plan Dalet - Sought to remove Arabs from the proposed Israel, launch attacks, committing Deir Yassin Massacre - Scares 250k arabs to leave their land

Independence war

5 Arab nations attack, West bank, Gaza, is occupied.

UN issues a truce, Israeli uses this to break arms embargo in truce to buy 84 planes, 34.5k Guns from Czechs, and went on an offensive 2 days before truce ended.

Armstices signed, Palestine occupied by israel and Jordan, no chance for an independent free palestine - Al Nakba

Israeli Consolidation

Israeli Defence Force(IDF), Mossad, Law of Return (Any jew had the right to live in israel), Adolf Eichmann trial, communal farm. Conscription. Created a loyal strong right-wing population.

Egpytian Revolution + Nasser

King is overthrown replaced with Nasser.

Nasser wanted to be the forefront of Arab nationalism, he militarised egypt, hosted terrorist freedom fighter bases. IDF launched attacks on gaza strip and egyptian soldiers.

Nasser in need of money for the electrification of egypt, nationalises suez canal.

Sevres protocol + Suez war

Britain needed justification to enter Egypt and retake canal, Israel offered to invade and have Britain + France act as “peacemakers”

Sinai + Gaza strip taken by Israel. Outraged superpowers. US (threatened to remove loans) and USSR (threatened nuclear war)

Nasser blocked canal causing oil crisis in the West.

Imperial powers were replaced with US + USSR. Egypt gained military support from USSR. US supported israel, tried to help egypt.

Cairo Conference + Yasser Arafat

To build on his new popularity Nasser hosted cairo conference in which the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) was established in order to provide a military force. and other plans to weaken israel.

Lebanon and Syria agreed to divert water from Israel, Headwater Diversion Plan

Arafat founded Al Fatah - One of many freedom fighting terrorist groups, He was dedicated to Israel destruction through terrorism

Becomes PLO leader in 1969.

6-day war

Headwater diversion plan, IDF attacks on Jordan, Soviet Union lies to Egypt about “upcoming Israeli attack”

Nasser Blockades Tiran Straits, Signs defence treaty with Syria + Jordan.

Egyptian airforce destroyed, Israel became 3.5x bigger. Complete humiliation. More Palestinian terrorism Arafat more popular.

UN Resolution 242 - Must accept each others existence + leave each others territories.

Increased Palestinian terrorism

PLO lead multiple terrorist attacks, which lead to an 80k Man invasion from Israel to attack the PLO in Jordan.

Dawson Field Hijacking.

Eventually leading to PLO being evicted with Jordan’s army killing 2k PLO members (Black September) - Prevented IDF from entering Jordan to attack PLO

However it actually resulted in a more extremist group - Black September

Black September + Munich Olympics Attack

Black September lead an attack on Israeli olympians.

Wanted to raise global awareness towards palestinian suffering.

Outrage in Israelis, thus attacks Syria + Lebanon (500 dead)

Worked as international news was flooded with reports on Palestine and also the attacks. Eventually lead to UN being addressed by Arafat.

Could be said to be counterproductive as attacks lead to more sympathy for Israel.

Yom Kippur Build-up 68-72

68-72 Lots of shelling, attrition war.

Nasser gains Soviet aid to constantly re-arm. Eventually forced the US to broker a ceasefire as both sides constantly fuelled their shelling programmes.

70 - Nasser dies, Sadat takes over

Sadat prioritises the opening of the Suez Canal

Tries to get Sinai and canal back peacefully by trying to improve relations.

Failed peace negotiations (Absolute peace with Israeli upon Sinai returning)

15K soviet military advisers removed to build relations to US to hope they put pressure on Israel to negotiate

Yom Kippur

With negotiations failing, Egypt and Syria launch attacks to try and gain back lost territory.

Egypt overextends, Israel go over canal.

USSR states it will physically support Egypt in war

OPEC (Oil exporting nations) announce ban on oil sale to US in hopes to create ceasefire

Oil embargo forced US to secure peace in middle East, needed peace to that US forces in israel don’t come into conflict with USSR. Israeli military confidence was damaged

Shuttle Diplomacy

US economy tanking due to oil ban - needed to broker peace. Threatened aid packages to Israel

Egypt Israel agree to remove forces from canal and commit to diplomatic solutions

Demilitarised zones.

Camp David Accords

Sadat addresses Israeli Parliament - States the palestinian issue must also be solved

Israeli PM Begin wanted to also get peace and Sadat agreed to advance the process

Jimmy Carter invites the two to camp david for peace talks.

Framework for Israeli-Egyptian peace - Peace, Sinai returned, 3bn to Israel to help leave Sinai, 1bn to Egypt from US

Framework for middle eastern peace - Israel accepts palestinians have real rights, West bank and Gaza have palestinian councils for 5 years, Israel eventually withdraws, After palestine, egypt, israel, jordan decide how palestine operates.

Framework for egypt-israel peace was signed at washington 1979, but did not mention framework for middle east peace

Israeli efforts to destroy PLO

Washington allowed Israel to focus on other matters.

Coastal Road Massacre - PLO hijacking + gunfight

Israel response - Operation Litani 26k IDF invade Lebanon. Aiming to destroy PLO and set a buffer zone

USSR armed PLO to fight back. Operation Failed.

PLO attempts to kill Israeli ambassador. Israel Relatiates with operation peace for galilee.

70K troops + tanks, airforce. 20k Lebanese dead (mostly civilians due to location of PLO Base).

Afterwards IDF surrounds refugee camps and fires on them, 3500 civilians killed. Sabra + Shatila massacre.

PLO fled (Success), However massacres and civilian murders lead to more extremist terrorists (Hezbollah) and international condemnation + protests in israel

First Intifada

Constant minor revenge murders from IDF and Palestinians, lead to protests and then rioting in Gaza and West Bank

Unorganised rioting - stones, graffiti, barricades, bombs. Eventual lead to organised rioting under UNLU, such as tax refusal, embargo on israeli products.

Israeli PM demands “iron fist response” Thus:

1000s of ringleaders arrest, homes bulldozed, live ammunition for crowd control, schools closed.

Division in Israel surrounding adequate responses, International condemnation, Economy (both side) suffered.

PLO - Losing support in Palestine as this was not associated with them, risking irrelevance, needed to gain relevance + support, thus Arafat denounces terrorism.

Oslo Accords

Hamas suicide bombing + Hezbollah terrorism made working with the PLO seem more viable as they looked more moderate.

At Oslo:

Israel accepted PLO as representing Palestine

PLO accepts the existence of Israel

Palestinian national authority on West bank

Israeli forces withdraw from West Bank and giving autonomy to the region

Final talks should be held to discuss final borders

Permanent Peace after 5 years

Oslo Accords 2

West Bank had a heavy influx of Jewish settlers since USSR collapse. Thus agreed to split West Bank into 3 zones. Z1: 3% of land - Full Palestine control. Z2: 25% of land, Joint control. Z3: Rest of land for Israeli settlers and over time they and Israeli withdraw and complete full handover of the country.

Hardline israelis didnt want to lose any land

Palestinians didn’t like zone 3 as it had too much land.

Israeli hardlines assassinate Rabin

Netanyahu + 2nd Intifada

Netanyahu became PM and promised to not follow with Oslo Accords and instead made more israeli settlers go to West Bank to consolidate claim.

Israel wasn’t happy that Hezbollah and Hamas existed

2nd Intifada - Netanyahu visits Islamic Holy site (Temple mount). Outrage and lead to more violent intifada with guns, suicide bombings.

Violence appeared to work as Israel pulled out of Lebanon, 9/11 inspired militant Palestinians, and PLO had little control ovre Hezbollah Hamas + Islamic Jihad. No chances of cooperation again.

“Palestinians must be hit, and it must be very painful”

Operation Defensive Shield, Security wall - ironic as mimics concentration camp walls, Curfews. Bombing of PLO compounds.

Roadmap for Peace

3 Stages for peace. S1: Palestinian terrorism to stop, Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory stopped, and evacuated. S2: Talks to create sovereign Palestine. S3: Further discussion on Jerusalem.

Eventually 50m promise so terrorists agree to ceasefire. Intifada declared over.

Israel withdrew from Palestinian towns on West Bank and pulls out of Gaza.

Issue still surrounded Jerusalem and israelis in Palestinian territories.

Hamas gained power to Palestinian Nation authority opposing peace. Hamas still comitted to israels destruction, used Gaza as a missile launchpad,leading to israeli retaliation. 4k buildings destroyed, 1k dead, Hamas hatred towards israel intensified.