Transcript Arab-Israeli Conflict Review

Arab-Israeli Conflict
Review
Roots, 1900-1945
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Slow dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, “The
Sick Man of Europe”
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European “Great Powers” rivalry for territory in
the Middle East
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Forced concessions to European powers
Increasing strategic importance of Mid-East
Nationalist movements
Zionism
 Young Turks
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Before
1919
World War One
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British tried to foment revolution against Ottoman
Empire in the Middle East
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Sykes-Picot Agreement, 1916
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Drawn up during WWI
Balfour Declaration, 1917
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T.E. Lawrence, “Lawrence of Arabia”
Resolution by British Foreign Secretary calling for
establishment of Jewish homeland in Palestine
Mandate system confirmed by League of Nations in
1920
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Arabs feel betrayed
British Mandate, 1922-1945
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Increased Jewish immigration
Wailing Wall Riots, 1929
Haganah and Irgun Revolts (Jewish groups),
1930s
Peel Report, 1937 – calling for a two-state
solution and limited Jewish immigration
White Paper, 1939 – calling for independent
Palestine
Increased Jewish immigration after Hitler’s rise
to power in Germany - Holocaust
World War Two
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Biltmore Program, 1942 – American Zionist
meeting
Many Arab leaders had fled Palestine and some
went to Germany to support Hitler
WWII and Holocaust led to massive refugee
problems in Europe
UK was looking to get out of Palestine, as their
empire was in decline after WWII
Britain and Mid East, 1945-46
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Decline of the empire – financial difficulties
Emergence of US as a world power – and Truman’s
support of the Zionist cause
Cold War impacts on the region and possible Soviet
interests
Independence of India and Pakistan
Palestinian Zionist attacks against British soldiers
Jewish Agency was well-organized under Ben Gurion
King David Hotel Attack, 1946 – Terrorism or
Freedom Fighters?
From British to UN Mandate
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UNSCOP set up in 1947 to tour Palestine and
make a recommendation to the UN
UNSCOP calls for partition and for Jerusalem
to be governed under international trusteeship
Plan was rejected by Arabs, supported by Jews,
and passed in the UN General Assembly, 1947
Partition to War, 1947-1948
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Holocaust, Truman, Exodus Incident, and Jewish
diplomacy helped to push partition through
Arab leaders offered no unified response except the
threat of war
In plans for war, Arabs did not have a coordinated
strategy, while Jews had WWII experience and “Plan
D” strategy
Deir Yassin – Massacre of Arab village that led to
Palestinian refugee flight and decision of Arab states to
intervene against declaration of Israeli statehood
War of Independence, 1948
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14 May 1948 State of Israel Declared in Tel Aviv
Arab League aimed to “liberate Palestine” and
“drive the Jews into the sea”
Arab League nations had differing objectives
and were unsuccessful on the battlefield
Count Bernadotte was sent by UN to broker
peace, but he was assassinated by Lehi
Al-Nakba = Palestinians unable to return home
after the war, i.e. “day of catastrophe”
Eretz Israel = Land of Israel
Refugees, 1947 to today
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Beginning with Deir Yassin massacre
Known by Palestinians as Al-Nakba
Haganah’s Plan D may or may not have called
for deliberate displacement of Arabs – It did call
for disallowing Palestinians to return
2 million live in Jordan, another 2 million in
West Bank and Gaza
35% of Palestinians remain in UN refugee
camps, others have become citizens of
surrounding Arab nations (or elsewhere)
Jewish Immigration and
Development
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1950 Law of Return and 1952 Citizenship Law gave
immediate citizenship to immigrants, while refugees
were forbidden from returning
In early years, Israel benefited from well-educated and
skilled immigrants
Few natural resources necessitated imports of raw
materials
Early support came from the US, West Germany, and
Jewish businessmen from America
Over a million Jews immigrated from USSR after its
collapse
More Palestinians became refugees after 1967 war,
while those who stayed have limited political and
economic rights
Egyptian Revolution
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1952 military coup and overthrow of Egyptian
monarchy – propels Gamal Abdul Nasser to power in
Egypt
King Farouk was already unpopular for cooperating
with Britain and losing in the 1948-49 War of
Independence against Israel
Initially, Nasser was perceived by the West and Israel as
educated, modern, and moderate
Nasser redistributed land in Egypt and embarked on
massive economic plans
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Aswan Dam project (funded by America and Britain)
Preceding Issues
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1954 UK agreed to withdraw forces from the Suez
Canal Zone within 20 months
Baghdad Pact, 1955 – isolate Nasser, or keep out Soviet
influence?
1955 Nasser accepted military aid from the Soviets, and
money for the Aswan Dam
Nasser supported Algerian rebels against the French
Israel began searching for Western help in the form of
military aid
Nasser formally recognized Communist China
The Canal
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Feeling threatened by Nasser, US and UK
withdrew funding for the Aswan Dam
July 1956, Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal to
raise funds to pay for the Aswan Dam project
Realignment of power after 1948 significantly
impacted the region:
Decline of British influence
 Cold War, with Middle East as a battlefield
 Arab nationalism
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1956 War
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British PM Eden compared Nasser to Hitler
Losing Suez Canal would cut off British oil and other
Middle East interests
Initially, the British and French made military plans that
did not involve the Israelis, but that changed later
Operation Musketeer: Israel invades canal zone, Britain
and France intervene to “stop the hostilities” and then
depose Nasser
Egyptian forces were quickly defeated, but the
diplomatic war was not over
Consequences of the Suez War
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Embarrassment for the British and French, and
a wave of anti-colonial nationalism
Brought the US into the Middle East
Soviets appeared as defenders of the Arab cause
Israel returned conquered territories and was
guaranteed security of the Straits of Tiran
Nasser emerged as a leader for all Arab
nationalists
The Cold War was clearly in play in the Mid East
Causes of the Six Day War
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Nasser’s closure of the Straits of Tiran in May 1967
Withdrawal of UN forces from Sinai
Israeli perceptions of their own vulnerability
Brinkmanship era of the Cold War
Residual anger from the Suez Crisis
Ongoing neglect of Palestinians and formation of the
PLO
Israeli shooting down of Syrian MIG jet
False information provided by Soviets to Arabs
Israeli plans to pre-empt Nasser
Course of the Six Day War
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Israeli air force immediately destroyed air forces of
Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria – a plan created years ago
Egypt quickly lost 15000 soldiers, 800 tanks, over 300
aircraft
Jerusalem and West Bank taken from Jordan by the
IDF
Golan Heights taken from Syria just as UN cease-fire
went into effect
US and USSR both tried to bring an end to the conflict
Consequences of Six Day War
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State of Israel tripled in size and became most
powerful state in middle east
Humiliation of Arab cause and Nasser
Decline of Pan-Arabism, rise of
fundamentalism and Islamic nationalism
More refugees – fewer concessions by Israel
USSR’s allies were beaten, Israel was confirmed
as US’s ally in the region
Resolution 242 declared by UN
Between Wars, 1967-1973
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Israel offered to return territory in exchange for
security – Palestinians to be dealt with later
War of Attrition, 1967-1970
Sadat succeeds Nasser in Egypt
Sadat began looking to US – removed Russian
advisors
Egypt and Syria agree to go to war with Israel,
1972
October 1973, Yom Kippur
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Sadat determined to force territorial issues
Dual attack by Syria and Egypt – “give me 10cm
of the Sinai”
Israeli overconfidence initially gave way to Arab
victories
Kissinger’s “shuttle diplomacy” – ceasefire
Consequences of 1973 War
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Israel could be beaten
Political victory for Sadat and Arabs
UN Resolution 338 – ceasefire and
implementation of 242
Promoted fears of an Arab oil embargo
Sadat agrees to meet with Israel for direct talks
Peace Developments, 1974-77
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Call for Geneva Talks – Ford frustrated by
Israelis unwillingness to negotiate
UN Resolution 3379
Recognition and raised profile of PLO
1976 civil war in Lebanon
Carter elected in US
Called for continuation of Geneva Talks
Conservatives elected in Israel
1977
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Sadat visits Israel – first Arab leader to do so
Offered recognition of Israel is Arab lands
restored
Invitation to Camp David
Camp David, September 1978
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Issue of West Bank and Palestinian homeland were
most contentious
Egypt stood to lose much more than Israel from the
negotiations
Big goal for Egypt was return to pre-1967 borders
Jerusalem excluded from the final agreement
Final agreement restored land to Egypt, who
recognized Israel’s statehood
Regarded as a betrayal to Arabs and Palestinians
Sadat assassinated, 1981