ISRAELPALESTINE3480 MIDTERM

December 1987

Hamas was established after the eruption of the First Palestinian Intifada (1987-1993)

1888

PLO recognized Israel

1893

first time Palestinian suicide bombing was employed

Feb 1897

Herzl published, The Jewish State. It became the foundational text of the Zionist ideology. The central idea of the text was the demand for the sovereignty for Jews over a portion of the globe. Herzl’s conviction led directly to the creation of the Zionist Organization and the World Zionist Congress in 1897. “the prophet of the Jewish state”

August 1897

the Zionist Organization established at the World Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland: seeking "to create for the Jewish people a home in Palestine secured by public law"

McMahon-Hussein Correspondence

a series of letters that were exchanged between July 1915 to March 1916 in which Britain and the Sharif of Mecca during WWI where Britain promised to support Palestine’s independence after the war in return for the Sharif’s support in launching a Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire.

Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916

A meeting between Britain and France to discuss and finalize how the Ottoman Empire would be divided amongst themselves.

1917-1948 British Mandate of Palestine

The British took over Palestine in the fall of the Ottoman Empire, officially ruling the area.

First Palestinian Congress 1919

Took place in Jerusalem. They passed a resolution stating that they considered themselves a part of Arab Syria

1922 Palestine

The borders of the British Mandate were demarcated, resulting in the area east of the Jordan River being separated to become Transjordan (now Jordan)

What is the official definition of Zionism established by the Zionist Organization (ZO) in August 1897?

Zionism is a movement seeking ‘to create for the Jewish people a home in Palestine secured by public law’

Who was Theodor Herzl, and what was the title of his foundational Zionist text?

Herzl was a Hungarian-born Jewish playwright and journalist who published the 80-page German-language pamphlet, The Jewish State, in February 1896

What strategic motivation did Herzl believe would make a sovereign Jewish state a reality?

Herzl claimed the ‘motive force’ would come from European governments themselves, who had an interest in reducing the number of Jews in their territories, thereby robbing political opponents of an anti-Jewish weapon

How did Leo Pinsker, author of Autoemancipation (1882), view the Jewish problem and its solution?

Pinsker viewed Jews as a "historical anomaly"—a “nation in the spiritual sense” but lacking territory or organization, making them seem like "one of the dead walking among the living". His solution was for Jews to establish a home with “a government and accredited representatives

What was the key difference between the majority and minority views of Jewish messianic tradition regarding the return to Palestine?

The majority believed the return was up to God alone (risking extended exile if attempted prematurely). The minority view (activist messianism) believed Jews should actively settle and take control of Palestine through their own efforts

What happened in the Russian Empire in March 1881 that catalyzed Jewish migration to Palestine?

The assassination of Tsar Alexander II catalyzed pogroms (mob assaults) in the Russian Empire, leading to mass Jewish emigration, which was encouraged by figures like Perez Smolenskin to be directed toward Palestine for economic security.

What event is frequently cited as the first incidence of large-scale violence between Jews and Arabs in the conflict's history?

The first incidence of large-scale violence between Jews and Arabs occurred in 1929 over a dispute about Jewish activities at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

When did the name 'Palestine' become a clearly-defined political unit with definite borders?

Palestine became a clearly-defined political unit in the early 1920s, following the British assumption of a mandate from the League of Nations

What did the First Palestinian-Arab Congress in Jerusalem in 1919 resolve regarding Palestine's political status?

The participants did not call for an independent Palestinian state. Instead, they passed a resolution considering Palestine as part of Arab Syria

Who was Hajj Amin al-Husseini, and what tactic did he frequently employ in the 1920s and 1930s to mobilize Palestinians?

Husseini was a cleric and early Palestinian leader. He frequently tried to stir up popular sentiment against Zionists by alleging a Jewish threat to Muslim holy sites, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem

How is the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict defined (beyond territory)?

It is defined as a struggle for survival or an existential conflict. It is also an "identity conflict" about competing collective identities and historical narratives, not just material resources.

What happened on May 14, 1948?

Representatives of the Zionist movement publicly proclaimed ‘the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine, to be called the State of Israel

What was Al-Nakba (The Catastrophe), and why is it central to Palestinian identity?

Al-Nakba refers to the forced displacement and dispossession of Palestinians in 1948. This tragedy, alongside statelessness and exile, is central to the formation of modern Palestinian national identity.

What are the two distinct conflicts that overlap in the region?

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict (the principal, enduring conflict between Israelis and Palestinians over land sovereignty) and the Arab-Israeli conflict (the interstate conflict between Israel and the Arab states).

How did the Israeli Law of Return (passed in 1950) define Jewish immigration?

The law granted citizenship to any Jew who immigrates to Israel. A 1970 amendment extended this right to the children and grandchildren of any Jew, as well as their spouses.

What were the Oslo Accords, and when were they signed?

The Oslo Accords were signed between the Rabin government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on September 13, 1993.

What event triggered the Second Palestinian Intifada (2000–2005)?

The Second Intifada was triggered by the visit of Ariel Sharon to the Temple Mount/Haram as-Sharif on September 28, 2000. The event immediately led to the deaths of Palestinians during a highly charged political environment.

Who assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and what was the political impact?

Rabin was shot and killed on November 4, 1995, by Yigael Amir. His assassination marked the decline of hope for implementing a two-state solution.

What was the primary motivation for suicide bombers Na'el Abu Hilayel and Maher Hubashi during the Second Intifada?

For Na'el and the majority of bombers studied, revenge for Israeli violence was the principal motivation, with religious inspiration playing a primary or secondary role.

What were the three primary factors leading to the geographic shift of the conflict to the Gaza Strip since 2006?

The 2005 unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the 2006 ascendance of Hamas in intra-Palestinian politics, and Hamas’s subsequent determination to stay in power.

What was the main military objective of Israeli operations in Gaza (2006–2014)?

They collectively aimed at reducing Hamas’s military capacity by curtailing its ability to fire rockets and smuggle weapons, and politically, aimed at maintaining the status quo rather than defeating Hamas.

What political goal did Israel pursue by maintaining the status quo in Gaza?

Israel aimed at keeping the Palestinians divided and weak to prevent the emergence of a viable Palestinian state, viewing Hamas as "needed" to impose authority.

What change in the geopolitical environment led Hamas to opt for "an all-out war" in 2014?

The ousting of Muslim Brotherhood President Muhammad Mursi in Egypt in July 2013 led the Egyptian military to destroy over 1,500 tunnels, severely crippling Hamas’s finances and driving them to desperation.

Palestine under Ottoman Rule (1516-1918)

Divided into several districts, mostly part of the Vilayet of Syria, governed by the Pasha of Damascus

The Ottoman government did not attach much importance to the Palestine districts until the mid-nineteenth century

The Muslim Sultan wanted to protect Islam, Judaism and Christianity to stay cordial with European powers

As European powers expanded their involvement in Palestine, the areas economy and conditions significantly improved

Sultan Abdul Hamid II, ruler of the Ottoman Empire from 1876-1909, encouraged modernization in communications, education and military to strengthen his control. He opened new roads, and improved the well-being of citizens

By doing this, using European engineers and investors, the Sultans actually encouraged the European penetration of Palestine that they were seeking to prevent

The Arabs of Palestine

Population – 446,000 late 1800’s

May rivalries between the Arabs in villages, among the differences in urban, rural, and nomadic populations

Villages of Palestine were small, isolated and poor

Divisions among Sunni Muslims, Shiites, and Druze

Little sense of Palestinian nationalism among Muslim Arabs during this period

Arab nationalism emerged as a reaction to Pan Turism, or the belief in superiority of the turks

Alfred Dreyfus

Jewish officer of French General staff who in 1894 was convicted of treason and sentenced to a life term on devils island

Unleashed anti semitism in France

Sentence was later lifted

Theodor Herzl 1860-1940

has become identified with the emergence of Zionism.

Powerful symbol for Zionists

Many jewish leaders saw him as eccentric, irresponsible egotist

Believed Alfred Dreyfus was framed, became the symbol of jewish inequality and antisemitism in Europe

This created solution for the jews to find a nation of their own

Herzl set out this proposition in his book

Pogroms – violent attacks against jews

Between 1881 and 1914, 2.5 million Jews emigrated from Europe, 60,000 went to Palestine

Shabbatai Zevi – “false messiah”

 claimed to be the false messiah. Sultan Mehmed gave him a choice between conversion to Islam or death

The Balfour Declaration 1917

The Balfour Declaration was a letter written by British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lionel Walter Rothschild, in which he expressed the British government’s support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The long-term effects of the Balfour Declaration, and the British government’s involvement in Palestinian affairs, are felt even today.

The influence of the Balfour Declaration on the course of post-war events was immediate: According to the “mandate” system created by the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, Britain was entrusted with the temporary administration of Palestine, with the understanding that it would work on behalf of both its Jewish and Arab inhabitants.

Hussein Bin Ali

Leader of Arab Revolt Against Ottoman Empire during WWI: Seeing an opportunity to liberate Arab lands from Turkish oppression, and trusting the honor of British officials who promised their support for a unified kingdom for the Arab land

Herbert Samuel

first British High Commissioner for Palestine during the mandate

Advocated for a Jewish homeland in Palestine

Seeking but failing to bring arab notables into the administrative process

David Ben Gurion

primary national founder and first prime minister of the state of israel

Largely led the movement for an independent Jewish state in Palestine

Ze’ev Jabotinsky

founded Revisonist Zionist movement in 1925

Revisionist Zionist Movement

political movement that advocated for a Jewish State on both sides of the Jordan river and promoted a militant approach compared to other Zionist factions

Iron Wall

concept by Jabotinsky arguing that a strong military presence is necessary for Zionism to succeed in establishing a Jewish State in Palestine

Haj Amin Al Husseini - Grand Mufti of Jerusalem

Palestinian Arab Nationalist

Peel Commission Partition Proposal of 1937

recommended dividing mandatory Palestine into three parts, a Jewish state, and arab state, and a british controlled zone around Jerusalem and other holy sites

Palestinians rejected, Zionists accepted, proposal removed

White Paper of 1939

Called for establishment within 10 years of an independent Palestine State

Limited Jewish immigration to Palestine – 75000 for 5 years

Limitations on land purchases by jews

Zionists resist against white paper with militant groups

Zionists viewed white paper as a betrayal of Balfour declaration and Jewish national home in Palestine

Military groups Hagenah, Irgun, Stern Gang resisted to British rule, committed act of terrorism, and illegal immigration

UN Partition Proposal for Palestine 1947

a new two state solution, still with British control of Jerusalem

Gaza and West Bank – Palestine

Everything else – Israel

Nakba 1948

Leading up to this Arab Israeli war, there were continued terrorist acts by Zionists on Palestinian villages

Zionist leaders approved Plan Dalet, calling for the systematic destruction of Palestinian villages and the expulsion of their inhabitants

This led to the Nakba, after the declaration of the state of Israel, 700,000 Palestinians were displaced, and Israelis controlled just under 80% of historic Palestine after this war

Six Day War 1967 (June 5 to June 10, 1967)

Arab Israeli hostility, border clashes and guerilla raids between Israel and bordering countries, Egypt’s blockade of the straits of Tiran cutting off Israeli shipping – all led up to the 6 day war

Israel captured the Sinai peninsula from Egypt, the Gaza strip which was under Egypt’s control, the west bank from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria

This was the end of European influence in the middle east, and the beginning of American involvement

The west Bank and Gaza strip came under Israeli military occupation

Israel began establishing setllements in the occupied territories

This led to the rise of the PLO (Palestine liberation organization)

UN Resolution 242

Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories, peace among all states in the region, just settlement of the Palestinian refugee problem

What territories did Israel occupy after the Six Day War?

Golan Heights, West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula

Khartoum Conference of Arab States 1967 (post Six Day War)

three no’s

No peace with israel

No recognition of israel

No negotiations with israel

Included Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait and Iraq

War of Attrition between Egypt and Israel 1969

Fighting centered on the Suez canal

Consequence of israel capturing sinai peninsula up to the suez canal

Egypt sought to recapture the peninsula with increasing miltary pressure

U.S. sponsored ceasefire in 1970

War ended with no change in territorial boundaries, israel still controlled peninsula

Yom Kippur War - 1973

Fought by Israelis and arab countries

Most fighting occurred in Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights

Israel defeated Egypt and Syria

Israeli Egyptian separation of forces agreement 1974 – established a zone of disengagement between armies

Forces from both countries retracted from the canal

Not a peace treaty, but initial step towards peace

1978 – israel and Egypt successfully conclude oeace talks

Peace Agreement – israel agrees to withdraw from sinai

Egypt recognized israel and declares end of hositlities

First israel arab peace agreement

End to 5 wars between israel and Egypt