A Very Brief History of the Israeli-Palestinian/Arab Conflict

Some Background

The Arab empire that lasted over 600 years (660-1300) was overtaken by the Ottoman (Turkish) empire.? The latter lasted another 600 years until WWI (1300-1918).? In WWI (1914-1918), Arabs fought on the side of the Allies (UK, France, Italy, Russia, etc.) against the Central Powers (Ottomans, Germany, Austria, etc.).? ?

The Allies promised the Arabs independence; however, the British and French were actually scheming and divvying up the Arab World in a 1916 secret (Sykes-Picot) treaty – hence, the random straight-line boundaries among some of the countries (did they use a pencil and ruler?).? France occupied today’s Syria and Lebanon (Lebanon was part of Syria until it was separated by France in 1920), Algeria, Tunis, and Morocco.? The UK occupied today’s Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Palestine and Jordan.? Italy occupied Libya.? All became independent a few decades later except for Palestine.

What about Israel?

Theodore Herzl concluded that antisemitism in Europe made Jewish assimilation impossible and the only solution was establishing a Jewish state in Palestine. He founded Zionism in 1897, promoted Jewish emigration to Palestine, and lobbied the British. The British proposed Uganda among other locations but that was rejected by the Zionists.? This led to the horrible declaration of the British government by its foreign secretary Arthur Balfour on 2 November 1917 supporting the establishment of “national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, then under the Ottomans with a small minority Jewish population: “His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.” “National home” had no precedent in international law (why didn’t Balfour offer the Jews land in the UK instead of a country that is not his!).

Jews and Zionists emigration to Palestine started around early 1900s and accelerated after persecution by the Nazis and their sympathizers (1930-1945).? Their percentage went up from less than 10% in 1917 to over 30% in 1947.? Under the UK rule, Palestinians rebelled in 1937 against Jewish emigration. Attacks and counter attacks ensued between Palestinians and Jews/Zionists.

On 29 November 1947, the UN voted to adopt the Partition Plan for Palestine into Jewish and Arab sovereign states, and an international Jerusalem (UN Resolution 181). Partition was accepted by the Jewish/Zionist leadership (sure, got away with what’s not theirs), but rejected by Palestinians (no way, this is my country not yours to give away) and the Arab states.? On 14 May 1948, Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of Israel, and signed the Israeli Declaration of Independence, never mind he was in the state of Palestine (wouldn’t you love it, say, if Mexicans proclaimed an independent state in Texas, after all, it was theirs prior to 1836).

The 1948 Palestine War (1st Arab-Israeli war, 15 May – 18 July, 1948)

It is known in Israel as the war of independence and in Arabic the “Nakba” or disaster.? Israel started the war by declaring “independence”- Casus Belli for Palestinians/Arabs.? The next day Israel declared independence; Arab states reacted by attacking to recapture land occupied by Israel.? Israel won, and signed armistice with the Arab states.? Egypt controlled Gaza, and today’s Jordan controlled the West Bank and East Jerusalem.? Israel controlled 78% of Palestine. Nearly 750,000 Palestinians, nearly half the Palestinian population then, were expelled by Israel.? The majority of them ended up as refugees in the West Bank and Gaza (recognize this name?) and the rest ended up in neighboring Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.? Hundreds of thousands of Jews emigrated to Israel and settled in Palestinian land.

Where were the British?

Britain, the occupier of Palestine was complicit (remember the Balfour Declaration!) and midnight 14 May 1948 announced ending its occupation and the last British soldier departed Palestine (sure, leave the mess you created behind).? British forces killed in 1935 Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, a Syrian Muslim preacher who lived in Haifa, Palestine, led the struggle against the British occupation, and the namesake of the military wing brigades of Hamas. When the British investigated Zionist terrorist organizations like the Haganah, Irgun, LEHI for terrorism (bombings, assassinations) against Arabs and Britons, Irgun bombed the King David Hotel (which was the site of the central offices of the British authorities and the Headquarters of the British Armed Forces in Palestine) killing 91 people including 28 British citizens, 41 Arabs, 17 Jews, and 2 Armenians. LEHI also assassinated the Swedish count Folke Bernadotte, the UN mediator for the conflict. Leaders and members of those terrorist organizations became PMs and leaders in Israel.

The 1956 Suez Crisis (the 2nd Arab-Israeli war)

Known in Israel as the Sinai war and in Arabic as the Tripartite Aggression.? Egypt President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal Company which administered the canal.? Britain, France, and Israel conspired to attack Egypt.? The former two to control the canal, and the latter to remove the Egyptian blockade of the straight of Tiran at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba.? U.S.-USSR pressure forced the invaders to withdraw (US President Eisenhower warned the UK not to invade and threatened to destroy the British economy if Britain didn’t withdraw).? Egypt kept control of the Suez Canal and opened the straight of Tiran.

The 1967 War (3rd Arab-Israeli war, 5-11 June 1967)

Known in Arabic as the “Naksa” or setback.? Hostilities escalated between Israel and the Arab states following the previous two wars.? Egyptian President Abdel Nasser closed the straight of Tiran in May 1967 to Israeli ships in the Gulf of Aqaba.? Israel started the war on 5 June 1967.? It launched air strikes on the Egyptian, Syrian, and Jordanian airfields destroying their air forces and launched a ground offensive.? Jordan and Syria bombed Israel by artillery.? Israel seized Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.? Another nearly 400,000 Palestinians were displaced into nearby countries.? Egypt and Jordan agreed a ceasefire on June 8 and Syria on June 9, 1967. However, after Syria agreed a ceasefire, Israel attacked on June 9 and seized the Golan Heights from Syria (about 1000 square mile strategic area with water resources). Israel annexed the Golan Heights illegally (unrecognized internationally) in 1981.?

Israel also attacked by air and torpedo the USS Liberty spy ship that was snooping about 30 miles offshore Sinai in international water.? The attack killed 34 Americans including one civilian NSA employee, injured 171 and severely damaged the ship.? Assault on Liberty, a book by lieutenant James Ennes (officer on the Liberty bridge) first published in 1979 is a fascinating read.

The 1973 War (4th Arab-Israeli war, 6-25 October 1973)

Known in Israel as the Yom Kippur war and in Arabic as the “Harb Tishreen” or October war.? Egyptian President Sadat made in 1971-72 overtures for peace in return for Sinai; however, they were rejected by Israeli PM Golda Meir.? Egypt and Syria supported by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, etc. Launched a surprise war on Israel on 6 October 1973, albeit, King Hussein of Jordan, who was on the CIA payroll since 1957, flew secretly to Tel Aviv on 25 September 1973 to Warn Israeli PM Meir but wasn’t taken seriously.? Egypt and Syria, supported by the USSR, succeeded in breaching Israeli defenses in Sinai and the Golan Heights and achieved initial gains. However, Israel, supported actively on the battle fields by the US, was able to recover and advance further into Egypt and Syria. A ceasefire was reached by 25 October 1973.? After the war, unhappy with their performances, high ranking military officers on all sides were removed.? Early in the war after initial Egyptian and Syrian gains, Israel assembled 13 tactical nuclear weapons to use if it were to lose the war.? The US and the USSR had the largest naval confrontation.? The US 6th fleet had 60 vessels including 9 submarines, 2 helicopter carriers, and 3 aircraft carriers.? The USSR had 97 vessels including 23 submarines and both prepared for war.?

Was the 1973 Oil Embargo Related to the Conflict?

Yes.? Saudi Arabia and the Arab members of OPEC announced on 17 October 1973 reducing oil production by 5% a month in response to the US support for Israel and Saudi Arabia, led by King Faisal, declared an embargo against the US on 19 October 1973 in response to U.S. President Nixon authorizing a major military and financial support for Israel.? This produced the U.S. energy crisis of 1973.

What happened on the Palestinian side?

Yasser Arafat founded the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) in the West Bank in 1964 which included about a dozen groups, the most prominent of which was Fatah.? Its aim was the liberation of Palestine.? It carries out attacks against Israel inside and abroad.? Following the 1967 war and Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, the PLO moved to Jordan and continued clashes with Israel.? The PLO growing power in Jordan led Jordan to drive it by force to Lebanon in 1971 (what’s known as Black September). The PLO’s power grew in Lebanon and with Muslim, leftist, and pan-Arabist allies clashed with the right-wing Christian-Maronite-dominated government in 1975 starting a civil war that lasted 15 years until 1990.

No, we are not Done with Fighting

The 1982 Israel-Lebanon (First) War, 6 June 1982 – 5 June 1985 (main phase June–September 1982)

Clashes between Israel and the PLO (now in Lebanon after being driven out of Jordan) continued.? On 6 June 1982 Israel invaded Lebanon and the PLO and about 8000 fighters were evacuated by sea to Tunisia.?

The 1985 Israeli Bombing of the PLO in Tunisia

On 1 October 1985, Israel bombed by planes the PLO headquarters in Tunisia.

The (First) Palestinian Intifada (Uprising), 8 December 1987 – 13 September 1993

The first Intifada erupted in 1987 (20 years after the 1967 war) against Israeli occupation and oppression starting in Gaza and spreading to the West Bank and Israel.? It lasted until the Oslo I Peace Accord in 1993 (helped by the Madrid Peace Conference, held in 1991).?

The (Second) Palestinian Intifada (Uprising)- 28 September 2000 – 8 February 2005

The second Intifada erupted in 2000 against Israeli occupation and oppression starting in Jerusalem and spreading to the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel.? It lasted until the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit in 2005 (Israel, Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia). Israel and the PA committed to the Roadmap for Peace proposed by the Quartet on the Middle East.

Major Flare Ups

2006: Hamas Captures Israeli soldiers across Gaza border, Israel launches air strikes.

2007: Hamas fires rockets at Israel from Gaza, Israel launches 22-day military attack.

2012: Israel kills high-ranking Hamas military official, Hamas fires rockets over 8 days, Israel launches air strikes.

2014: Hamas kidnaps and kills 3 Israelis, Israel launches 7-week war in Gaza.

2018: Palestinians protest in Gaza near the wall Israel built, Israel fires at protesters.

2021: Clashes start at al Aqsa mosques (Islam’s 3rd holiest site), Hamas fires rockets, Israel launches air strikes, lasted 11 days.

2022: Israel launches air strike against Islamic Jihad in Gaza, the latter launches rockets at Israel, lasted 3 days.

Jan 2023: Israel attacks refugee camp in in Gaza, Islamic Jihad launches rockets, Israel launched air strikes.

Oct 2023 (current): Hamas launches its biggest attack on Israel, Israel responds with major war on Gaza and air strikes on the West Bank, Syria (airports), and Lebanon.? Israeli settlers killed hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank and the U.S. bombed targets in Syria and Iraq.

Jeez, Any Attempts at Israeli-Palestinian Peace?

In a nutshell, there have been several attempts that all failed due to Israel getting ever stronger and not convinced of the necessity to give concessions or allow an independent Palestinian state in charge of its affairs to exist.

1991, Madrid Peace Conference

It was initiated/driven by the U.S. under President George H.W. Bush and SoS James Baker, buoyed by U.S. victory in the first Gulf war in which the U.S. liberated Kuwait from Iraqi invasion under the brutal dictator Saddam Hussein.? The conference was cosponsored by the U.S. and USSR. ?Participants had no power to impose solutions or veto agreements.? It was followed by bilateral meetings to achieve peace among Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan and multilateral meetings to resolve water, environment, arms control, refugees and economic development issues. Israel refused to meet with the PLO, Palestinians from East Jerusalem, or from outside the West Bank and Gaza, hence a Palestinian-Jordanian delegation represented the Palestinians; however, representative from the PLO were “backstage” leading the negotiations. The main achievement of the conference was an Arab-Israeli treaty based on the territory-for-peace principle and the fulfillment of Palestinian rights.? During that time, U.S. President Bush and Secretary Baker opposed an $11 billion loan guarantees request by Israeli PM Yitzhak Shamir to build Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, in order not to sabotage the negotiations.? Israel mounted a huge pressure campaign in the U.S. on Bush to approve the loan guarantees.? Bush ended up asking congress to postpone approval of the guarantees for 120 days, that eventually passed afterwards

1993, Oslo 1 Accord (Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements)

It was a result of secret face to face Israeli-PLO meetings (first of a kind) hosted by the Norwegian FAFO Institute in Oslo (thanks to Mona Juul at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and her diplomat husband Terje R?d-Larsen) and signing ceremony held in Washington D.C., U.S.? by U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli PM Rabin, and PLO Chairman Arafat.? The PLO recognized the right of the state of Israel to exist and renounced terrorism and Israel recognized the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Negotiations on the major issues of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees right to return, and borders were to follow. As per the Accord, the PA (Palestinian Authority) was established to represent the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza (occupied territories) as opposed to the PLO who represented Palestinians everywhere including refugees.? The gap between the PA and the PLO was bridged by Arafat, the Chairman of the PLO becoming the president of the PA.? As per the Accord and following Israeli withdrawal of certain areas of the West Bank and Gaza, the PA were to govern in the West Bank and Gaza for a period of five years during which a final settlement would be reached based on United Nations resolutions 242 and 338 (basically, a two-state solution and Israeli withdrawal to pre 1967 war). Israeli terrorists opposed to peace with the Palestinians killed PM Rabin in 1995 and subsequent hardline governments had no interest in a two-state solution.

1995, Oslo 2 Accord (Taba Agreement or the Interim Agreement)

It was a follow up based on Oslo 1 and signed in Taba, Egypt.? The West Bank was divided into three areas, two Palestinian where the PA had limited authority and one containing the Israeli settlements.? Negotiations were to follow to reach final settlement, again, based on UN security council resolutions 242 and 338.

2000, Camp David Summit

It was held by U.S. President Clinton, Israel PM Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Yasser Arafat. The discussion was about land, East Jerusalem, and the right of return of the Palestinian refugees.? This summit was a farce. Israel and the U.S. pressured Arafat to accept unfair conditions.? Arafat did not and they conveniently blamed him for the failure of the summit.?

On the land issue, the PA had accepted 22% of Palestine in Oslo I Accord (land pre 1967 war consisting of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem).? However, Israel offered 73% of the West Bank, increasing to 91% over 10-25 years as Israel wanted to keep settlements in the West Bank, i.e., Israeli enclaves linked to Israel by roads inside the supposedly State of Palestine controlled by Israel (how ridiculous is that!), thus, the West bank would consist of separated areas.? The West Bank and Gaza would be linked by elevated road and railway controlled by Israel.

On East Jerusalem, the PA sovereignty over entire East Jerusalem (pre 1967 war) but keeping the Western Wall and Jewish Quarters under Israel’s authority was rejected by Israel.? Israel offered the PA much smaller area and custodianship over Haram al-Sharif (on the Temple Mount) and administration of the Muslim and Christian quarters, i.e., no sovereignty.

On the right of return of Palestinian refugees, the PA signaled it would accept a return of 150000 refugees (or their descendants) per year to allow absorption by Israel plus financial compensation (the number of the original nearly 750000 refugees that were expelled in the 1948 war plus their descendants had increased by then to about 4 million). Israel refused to accept more than 100000 in total with compensation paid to the rest from an international fund (make others pay!).

In addition to all that, Israel wanted the right to set up radar stations inside the Palestinian state, use its airspace, deploy troops, maintain a permanent security presence along sections of the Palestinian-Jordanian border, veto power over PA alliances with other states, keep the State of Palestine demilitarized, and share and manage the water resources in the West bank.? Israel also wanted the PA declare the conflict over and never make further claims.? It’s clear why the summit was a farce.

2002, the Roadmap for Peace

Proposed initially by U.S. President George W. Bush, it was proposed by the Quartet on the Middle East and called for two-state solution but was never implemented.?? The quartet comprised the UN, U.S., Russia, and EU and was established in 2000 following the 2nd Palestinian Intifada (uprising) in order to find tangible steps to advance the Palestinian economy and preserve the two-state solution.? In July 2016, the Quartet reported that the continuing policy of Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, designation of land for exclusive Israeli use, and denial of Palestinian development, including the high rate of Palestinian property demolitions, is steadily eroding the viability of the two-state solution. This raised legitimate questions about Israel’s long-term intentions, which were compounded by the statements of some Israeli ministers that there should never be a Palestinian state. In fact, the transfer of greater powers and responsibilities to Palestinian civil authority has effectively been stopped.? The UN passed Security Council Resolution 2334 in December 2016 in another bid to address the settlement question. The resolution urged Israel to stop its settlement policy, and to appease Israel, urged Palestinians to end incitement to violence (how dare Palestinians resist Israel usurping their land/property and uprooting them). The quartet agreed to meet on regular basis to pursue a solution.

2002, Arab Peace Initiative (the Saudi Initiative)

It was a proposal to end to the Arab–Israeli conflict that was endorsed by the Arab League in 2002 and re-endorsed at the 2007 and 2017 Arab League summits. It offers normalization of relations by the Arab world with Israel, in return for a full withdrawal by Israel from the occupied territories (including the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights, and Lebanon), with the possibility of comparable and mutual agreed minor swaps of the land between Israel and Palestine, a "just settlement" of the Palestinian refugee problem based on UN Resolution 194 (principles for reaching a final settlement and returning Palestine refugees to their homes), and the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.? The Palestinian Authority led by Yasser Arafat immediately embraced the initiative. His successor Mahmoud Abbas also supported the plan and officially asked U.S. President Barack Obama to adopt it as part of his Middle East policy. Islamist political party Hamas, the elected government of the Gaza Strip, was deeply divided, with most factions rejecting the plan. The Israeli government under Ariel Sharon rejected the initiative as a "non-starter" because it required Israel to withdraw to June 1967 borders. In 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed tentative support for the Initiative but in 2018 he rejected it as a basis for future negotiations with the Palestinians.

When did Israel Leave Gaza?

Israel withdrew unilaterally from Gaza in 2005 after concluding its stay wasn’t sustainable.? About 8000 Jewish settlers were evacuated by Israel (some by force) and the average household received about $200,000 in compensation (Israel receives military assistance and billions of dollars annually from the U.S.).? However, Israel maintained tight control including sea, air, and land blockade after Hamas won the majority of seats in the election in 2006 and took power by fighting from the PA.

Status of Palestinian State

The Palestine National Council (the PLO’s legislative body) proclaimed in 1988 an independent State of Palestine according to the Declaration of Independence (written by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish) proclaimed by the Chairman of the PLO Arafat in Algiers, Algeria, which referenced UN resolutions. Yasser Arafat was elected by the PLO Central Council as the first President of the State of Palestine.? Of the 193 members of the United Nations Organization, 138 countries recognize the State of Palestinian (the U.S. doesn’t).? By comparison, 165 recognize the state of Israel.? The declared State of Palestine gained in 2012 a “non-member observer state” status in the UN that continues today.? The PLO was granted in 1974 an “observer status” as a “non-state entity” in the UN.? Observer status continues today.

Where do Matters Stand?

The West Bank, surrounded by “security” walls built by Israel on Palestinian land to protect Israel, is administered by the PA (Mahmoud Abbas, President of the PA, President of the State of Palestine, and Chairman of the PLO). Violating international law, Israel continues to uproot Palestinians, seize their land and build illegal settlements, effectively, killing the two-state solution.

Mustafa Barghouti, leader of the Palestinian National Initiative, 8 October 2023: "Today the whole West Bank is paralyzed by 560 military Israeli checkpoints. And these checkpoints were there during the last 30 years. We are suffering from a wall that is built on our land. The whole West Bank has been divided in 224 small ghettos, separated from each other. There are "5,300 Palestinian prisoners who are in Israeli jails, including 1,260 Palestinians who are in jail without knowing why under the so-called administrative detention."

Gaze is administered by Hamas and has been under Israeli sea, land, and air blockade since Hamas came to power in 2007.? Gaza is surrounded by “security wall” basically, turning it into a 140 square mile open-air prison inhabited by 2.2 million “prisoners”. Unemployment is close to 60%. And poverty is over 60%.

Israel returned Sinai to Egypt following the Camp David Accord in 1979 in return for peace with Egypt, free passage of Israeli ships through the Suez Canal, unblocking the straight of Tiran, and Egypt keeping Sinai demilitarized.? Acting unilaterally, Egypt was ostracized by the Arab World for 10 years and Sadat was assassinated by the Islamic Jihad on 6 October 1981, the 8th anniversary of the 1973 war.

Israel continues to occupy the Syrian Golan Heights (though Syria got back the city of Quneitra in the Golan Heights after the 1973 war) and annexed it illegally (unrecognized internationally) in 1981.