The Arab–Israeli Conflict 1948–1996

A set of Question-and-Answer flashcards covering key events, actors, and concepts from the Arab–Israeli conflict 1948–1996 as presented in the notes.

What are the key features investigated in the Arab–Israeli Conflict 1948–1996?

Origins and development; nature and impact of nationalism; changing Palestinian and Israeli responses; occupation of the Occupied Territories; impact on communities; peacemaking attempts; and international involvement.

What term do Palestinians use for the 1948 War and refugee crisis?

Al-Nakba (the catastrophe).

What did UN Resolution 194 call for?

Right of return for Palestinian refugees.

Under UN Resolution 181, what percentage of land was allocated to the Jewish homeland?

56% of the land of Palestine.

After the 1948 War, what share of land did Israel control and which major area did this include?

77% of the land; included the majority of Jerusalem.

What was the Fedayeen in the context of Arab–Israeli tensions?

Disgruntled young Palestinian militants forming guerrilla groups.

What was the Absentee Property Law of March 1950?

Gave absentee properties to the Custodian of Absentee Property, dispossessing their Arab owners.

Which territories did Israel occupy following the Six-Day War in 1967?

Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula up to the Suez Canal.

What does 'Facts on the Ground' refer to in this history?

Creating settlements and other facts on the ground to shape future borders.

What political shift occurred in Israel after 1967?

A shift to the right; the Likud party rose; settlement expansion; 300,000 Palestinians fled to Jordan (West Bank refugees).

Who founded the PLO and in what year, according to these notes?

Egyptian General Nasser, in 1964.

Which Palestinian group was founded by Yasser Arafat?

Fatah.

What happened at Dawson's Field in 1970?

PLO aircraft were hijacked; Jordan expelled Palestinians; Black September formed; PLO relocated to Southern Lebanon.

Where did the PLO relocate after leaving Jordan due to Black September?

Southern Lebanon (the PLO established a foothold there).

Which 1972 event highlighted international terrorist activity linked to the PLO?

The Munich Olympics attack by Black September.

What did the 12th Palestinian National Council (PNC) declare in 1974 about the PLO's stance?

Adopted a secular, democratic Palestinian state policy and moved toward diplomacy; established a national authority over liberated Palestinian territory.

What was the impact of the 1956 Suez Crisis on Arab nationalism?

Boosted Nasser’s popularity, strengthened pan-Arab nationalism, and increased Arab–Soviet/Arab–Western alignments; superpower involvement intensified.

How did superpowers interact with the Middle East during this period?

The US supported Israel and the USSR supported Arab states; later both were involved in the region through détente and shifting alliances.

What were the outcomes of the 1967 Six-Day War?

Israel occupied Gaza, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights, Sinai; escalation of conflict; UN 242 would become central to peace efforts.

What is UN Security Council Resolution 242 commonly cited for?

Withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories occupied in 1967 and recognition of Israel's right to exist.

What happened at the 1988 Palestinian National Council (PNC) declaration?

The PNC proclaimed an independent Palestinian state; widely condemned by Israel and the US; recognized by many Muslim nations.

When did the PLO gain UN observer status?

November 22, 1974.

What was the outcome of the Camp David Accords (1978)?

Peace between Israel and Egypt; Palestinians not included; established a framework for resolving the Occupied Territories but did not achieve Palestinian agreement.

What was the result of the 1982 Lebanon War for the PLO?

PLO expelled from Lebanon to Tunis; Israel occupied parts of Lebanon; Hezbollah later emerged.

What is Gush Emunim?

An ultra-nationalist Israeli settler movement advocating Greater Israel and rapid settlement expansion.

What is the Sabra and Shatila massacre (1982)?

Massacre of Palestinian refugees in Beirut by Lebanese Christian militias; Israel faced widespread condemnation for allowing it.

What were the main outcomes of the Oslo Accords (1993)?

Mutual recognition between Israel and the PLO; creation of the Palestinian Authority; framework for Palestinian self-government and future negotiations.

What was the Hebron Agreement (1997)?

Agreement to withdraw Israeli forces from rural areas of the West Bank; partial acceptance of Oslo; mediated by the US.

What major event in 1995 affected the peace process?

The assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

What was the significance of the 1996 Israeli elections for the peace process?

Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) won and took a hard line against some Oslo provisions, slowing the peace process.

What is the Oslo II Accord and its main effect?

Expanded Palestinian self-rule by carving the West Bank and Gaza into areas A, B, and C and creating the Palestinian Authority with elections planned for 1996.

What does 'Land for Peace' refer to, and how did Netanyahu respond?

A principle trading land for peace; Netanyahu rejected it in practice, continuing settlements and opposing a Palestinian state within 1967 borders.

What was the significance of the 1994 Jordan–Israel peace treaty?

Normalised relations between Jordan and Israel, strengthening regional peace efforts and setting border and security arrangements.