Israel-Palestine Conflict - Key Terms and Definitions

Flashcards about the Israel-Palestine conflict, covering key terms, events, and figures from the lecture notes.

UNSCOP (1947)

United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, created to recommend a solution for the British Mandate of Palestine. Proposed partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.

UN Partition Plan (1947)

UNGA Resolution 181, a plan to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states with an international Jerusalem. Accepted by Zionist leaders but rejected by Arab leaders, leading to civil war.

Deir Yassin Massacre (April 9, 1948)

The killing of over 100 Palestinians by Zionist militias (Irgun and Lehi) in a village near Jerusalem, contributing to the Palestinian exodus.

The Nakba (“Catastrophe”)

The mass expulsion of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, resulting in 750,000+ refugees and the destruction of over 400 villages.

UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency)

Established in 1949 to aid Palestinian refugees, providing education, healthcare, and social services in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

Ilan Pappé

Israeli historian and “New Historian” who argues that Israel’s founding involved deliberate ethnic cleansing and supports a one-state solution.

B’Tselem Apartheid Report (2021)

A report by an Israeli human rights NGO declaring Israel an apartheid regime, arguing that laws and policies privilege Jews over Palestinians.

BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) Movement

Launched in 2005 by Palestinian civil society groups to pressure Israel into complying with international law. Calls for ending the occupation, equal rights for Palestinians, and the Right of Return.

IHRA Definition of Antisemitism

Adopted in 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Includes examples that critics say conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.

Benny Morris

An Israeli historian and “New Historian” who uncovered evidence of forced Palestinian expulsions, later justifying them as necessary. Supports a two-state solution.

Avi Shlaim

A British-Israeli historian and “New Historian” who critiques early Zionist strategies and suggests that Israel missed opportunities for peace with the Arab world. Promotes critical scholarship and a two-state solution.

Resistance (Palestinian Context)

A broad spectrum of actions—violent and nonviolent—taken against Israeli occupation and settler colonialism, including armed struggle, civil disobedience, and international advocacy.

“The Peace Process”

Decades of negotiations, mostly U.S.-led, aimed at resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict. Critics argue it has enabled Israel’s continued occupation.

UN Resolution 425 (1978)

Passed in response to Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon, calling for Israel’s immediate withdrawal and establishing UNIFIL.

The Israeli Invasion of Lebanon (1982)

A military operation aiming to destroy the PLO's infrastructure in Lebanon, leading to the Sabra and Shatila massacre and the formation of Hizbullah.

Sabra and Shatila Massacre (September 1982)

A massacre of Palestinian civilians in refugee camps near Beirut by Lebanese Christian militias allied with Israel. The Israeli army was accused of complicity.

Men in the Sun (1962) by Ghassan Kanafani

A novella symbolizing the despair of Palestinian refugees after the Nakba, critiquing Arab regimes' failure to support Palestinians.

PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine)

A Marxist-Leninist Palestinian political and militant organization founded in 1967 by George Habash, known for hijackings and advocating armed struggle.

Ghassan Kanafani

Palestinian writer, intellectual, and spokesperson for the PFLP, who pioneered "resistance literature" and was assassinated by Mossad in 1972.

Edward Said

Palestinian-American scholar, author of Orientalism, and a staunch critic of Zionism, advocating for Palestinian rights and a one-state solution.

PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization)

Founded in 1964 with the aim of liberating Palestine through armed struggle. Recognized Israel in the Oslo Accords (1993).

Hamas

An Islamist Palestinian movement founded in 1987 during the First Intifada. Combines armed resistance with social services and rejects Israel’s right to exist. Controls Gaza since 2007.

Intifada

Arabic for “uprising,” refers to two major Palestinian revolts against Israeli occupation: First Intifada (1987–1993) and Second Intifada (2000–2005).

Camp David Accords (1978)

Peace agreements between Egypt and Israel brokered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Egypt became the first Arab state to recognize Israel.

Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty (1979)

Signed following the Camp David Accords. Egypt regained the Sinai Peninsula, and in return, recognized Israel’s sovereignty.

Camp David II (2000)

A U.S.-led summit involving Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat that collapsed and shortly after, the Second Intifada broke out.

Oslo Accords (1993–1995)

A series of agreements between the PLO and Israel establishing mutual recognition and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Created a framework for limited Palestinian self-rule.

The Palestinian Authority (PA)

Created in 1994 as an interim self-governing body following the Oslo Accords. It governs parts of the West Bank, with limited autonomy under Israeli oversight.

UN Resolution 242 (1967)

Passed after the 1967 Six-Day War, it called for Israel’s withdrawal “from territories occupied” in exchange for peace and recognition. The phrase “the territories” remains ambiguous.

Hizbullah (Hezbollah)

A Shi’a Islamist political and militant group based in Lebanon, founded in response to Israel’s 1982 invasion. Forced Israel’s 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Fayez Sayigh

A Palestinian intellectual who framed Zionism as a settler-colonial project.

UN Resolution 3379 (1975)

Declared “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.” It was revoked in 1991.

Anwar Sadat

President of Egypt (1970–1981). He led Egypt during the 1973 war and later became the first Arab leader to make peace with Israel, signing the Camp David Accords.

Gamal Abdel Nasser

President of Egypt (1956–1970) and a leader of Arab nationalism. Defeated in the 1967 war, his legacy influenced generations of Palestinians who looked to him as a symbol of anti-colonial resistance.

Yasser Arafat Address to the UN (1974)

A historic speech in which Arafat declared: 'I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.'

1967 War / Six-Day War

Fought between Israel and Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. Resulted to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights.

UN Resolution 242 (1967)

Passed after the Six-Day War, calling for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and the right of all states to live in peace.

Golan Heights

A strategic plateau seized by Israel from Syria in the 1967 war and effectively annexed in 1981. Its high elevation gives Israel a military advantage.

Sinai Peninsula

A desert region between Israel and Egypt, captured in 1967 and returned to Egypt under the 1979 peace treaty.

Fatah

A dominant Palestinian political and military faction founded by Yasser Arafat in the 1950s. Currently leads the PA in the West Bank but is rivaled by Hamas in Gaza.

Menachem Begin

Founder of the right-wing Likud party and Israeli Prime Minister (1977–1983). Signed the peace treaty with Egypt and launched the 1982 Lebanon invasion.

Black September (1970)

A violent conflict between the Jordanian monarchy and Palestinian guerrilla groups, especially the PLO. The PLO leadership was expelled to Lebanon.

Exchange of Letters between Israel and PLO (1993)

Arafat recognized Israel and renounced terrorism/ Rabin recognized the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Laid the groundwork for the Oslo Accords.

Leila Khaled

A prominent member of the PFLP and the first woman to hijack an airplane (TWA Flight 840, 1969). She became a symbol of armed Palestinian resistance and feminist empowerment.

Land Day (1976)

A day commemorating the killing of six Palestinian citizens of Israel during protests against land confiscation in Galilee.

Salman Abu Sitta

Palestinian researcher known for mapping Palestinian villages depopulated in 1948. His “Atlas of Palestine” reconstructs Nakba-era geography.

June Jordan

African-American poet, essayist, and activist who powerfully supported the Palestinian cause. Drew links between U.S. imperialism and Israeli violence.

The Present (film, 2020)

An Oscar-nominated short film by Farah Nabulsi, portraying a Palestinian father and daughter’s struggle to buy a wedding gift while navigating Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank.

Israel’s Law of Return

Passed in 1950, it grants Jews anywhere in the world the right to immigrate to Israel and gain citizenship.

Right of Return (UN Resolution 194)

Passed in 1948, it states that Palestinian refugees should be allowed to return to their homes or receive compensation. Remains one of the most contentious issues.

The West Bank

A territory occupied by Israel since 1967. Includes East Jerusalem and is divided into Areas A, B, and C. Over 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank.

The Gaza Strip

A densely populated Palestinian territory under Israeli blockade since 2007, when Hamas took control. Faces humanitarian crises and limited mobility.

Apartheid

Originally describing South Africa’s system of racial segregation, is used by scholars and organizations to describe Israeli policies that discriminate against Palestinians.

East Jerusalem

Annexed by Israel after the 1967 war and claimed as its “eternal capital.” Palestinians see it as the capital of a future state.

Yasser Arafat

Chairman of the PLO (1969–2004) and first President of the Palestinian Authority.

The Night Won’t End (Documentary, 2023)

A recent documentary compiling testimonies of Palestinians during the 2023 Gaza war. Includes footage of bombings, displacement, and war crimes allegations.

Hind Rajab

A six-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in 2024 while trapped in a car under Israeli fire. Her final phone call became a symbol of Palestinian civilian suffering.

Fady Joudah’s “Dedication”

A poem by Palestinian-American poet Fady Joudah reflecting on love, loss, and the Palestinian experience. His work blends lyrical beauty with political urgency.

Lila Sharif

A Palestinian-American scholar focusing on settler colonialism, food justice, and memory studies. Her work explores how daily life is shaped by displacement and resistance.

“If I Must Die” (Poem by Refaat Alareer)

Written by a Gazan poet and academic who was later killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2023. Became a viral expression of resistance and martyrdom.