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Arab-Israeli Timeline

  • 1948 war image

    1948 war image
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    1948 War

    Israel declared indeoendence, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq attacked Israel. Israel gained land. Egypt gained the gaza strip and Jordan gained the west bank and East Jerusalem. Hundreds of thousands of palestinians and Jews became refugees.
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    Six Day War or The 1967 War

    Egypt blockaded Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq moved troops to Israel's borders and made threatening statements. Israek launched a preemptive strike.
  • Settlement Construction Begins

    Settlement Construction Begins
    -Israeli government approved the building of settlement in Sinai, Gaza and the west bank. Settlements were intended to act as security. In 1976 there were approximately 3,200 West Bank settlers. Now there are 300,000. The future of the settlements is one of the issues that Israel and Palestine must negotiate.
  • Six day war image

    Six day war image
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    Attrition battles

    Israel had gained land from Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Israel wanted Jerusalem to remain a unified city. Arab nations met in Sudan, discussing that they were not going to make peace with Israel. Egypt began small attacks against Israeli positions. PLO attacked Israeli military bases in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. Jordanian army fought back and won the battle.
  • Attrition battles image

    Attrition battles image
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    The Yom Kippur War

    -Egypt and Syria attacked Israel on Yom Kippur. The israelis pushed back the attack. The united states convinced israel to withdraw from the territories it had entered. For many Israelis the 1973 war reinforced the strategic importance of the buffer zones gained in 1967.
  • Yom Kippur War image

    Yom Kippur War image
  • Egypt and Israel sign a Peace Agreement

    Egypt and Israel sign a Peace Agreement
    -Egypt became the first arab country to recognize Israel and to enter into a peace treaty with it. The president realized that a continuing state of war with Israel was harming the egyptian economy. Israel returned to Egypt all of the Sinai that had been captured during the 1967 war and removed Jewish families from the homes they had there. This was called the “Land for Peace Policy”.
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    The 1982 Lebanon War

    -PLO units attacked northern Israeli communities. Israel launched an attack on PLO militants stationed in Lebanon. This brought Israel into the Lebanese war. In June 1985, Israel withdrew from most of Lebanon.
  • 1982 lebanon war image

    1982 lebanon war image
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    The First Intifada

    -Palestinians in Gaza Strip and west bank engaged in an uprising against Israeli control of these territories. Palestinians fought with better weapons. The Israeli army was not prepared for this kind of fight. An approximately equal number of Palestinians were killed in Palestinian fighting.
  • The Oslo Accords

    The Oslo Accords
    -A set of agreements that begun in 1993 when Israel and the PLO signed a declaration of principles. The Oslo accords led to the creation of the Palestinian authority, which kept the territory intact. The DOP left Israel with the independence to defend itself. Israel and the PLO exchanged letters of recognition.
  • First Intifada image

    First Intifada image
  • Israel and Jordan sign a peace treaty

    Israel and Jordan sign a peace treaty
    -The U.S. led a process to help Jordan and Israel achieve peace. Jordan became the second Arab country to recognize Israel. Trade, business, relations, tourism, cultural exchanges, and scientific cooperation between the two nations increased.
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    The Camp David Summit

    Bill Clinton brings Israeli prime minister and Palestinian president to camp david in july 2000. It was the first major attempt to negotiate a final status agreement between israel and the palestinians. tbc
  • The Camp David Summit

    The Camp David Summit
    pt. 2: The prime minister of israel was reported to make major concessions, including withdrawing from the vast majority of the west bank to create an independent palestinian state with the capital in east jerusalem. Palestinian president did not feel the offer was enough and refused it. The goal of the summit, two states living side by side in peace, was not achieved and further conflict ensued.
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    The Second Intifada

    -Israeli general visited the jewish temple mount, a site honored by jews that is also a major importance to muslims. There was a lot of frustration at the lack of progress in the peace process. Many palestinians claimed that the general’s visit was a pretext for violence and began to riot. The visit started the second intifada. The conflict caused great bloodshed and suffering for both sides. tbc
  • The Arab Peace Initiative is Proposed

    The Arab Peace Initiative is Proposed
    During the Beirut Summit of the Arab League, prince of Saudi Arabia proposed a peace initiative that was endorsed by all members of the arab league. The proposal offered israel peace in return for israeli withdrawal from all territories captured in the 1967 war, recognition of an independent Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and a “just solution” for Palestinian refugees. tbc
  • The Arab Peace Initiative is Proposed

    pt.2: The proposal is viewed by some as a major breakthrough because previously most Arab nations had ruled out peace, recognition, and even negotiations with Israel. Israel had welcomed the proposal, but does not accept all of it demands. Israel especially rejects the demand that it withdraw the pre-1967 borders as a precondition to negotiations. In july 2007, Israeli leaders met with representatives if the Arab League to discuss the proposal.
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    Israel Begins Constructing the West Bank Barrier

    -Israel decided to build a security barrier that would separate its citizens from terrorist groups in the west bank. It was a large fence. However, the fence has been criticized for dividing some palestinians from their land and places of work or study and requiring these individuals to wait to pass through security checkpoints. Other people argue that the barrier is temporary and can be removed in the context of true peace, but that lives lost to terrorism cannot be brought back.
  • The Roadmap for Peace is Proposed

    The Roadmap for Peace is Proposed
    -A plan for peace that was proposed in 2003 by the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations. It involves reciprocal steps by the Israelis and Palestinians with the ultimate goal of an independent Palestinian state and a secure Israel. tbc
  • The Roadmap for Peace is Proposed

    pt. 2: Progress on the Roadmap was halted by the palestinian election of Hama in 2006. Hamas is a terrorist organization committed to destroying Israel. On November 27th, 2007, the basic principles of the Roadmap were reaffirmed at the Annapolis Conference. There as yet to be a significant progress as a result of the Roadmap.
  • Israel constructing west bank image

    Israel constructing west bank image
  • The Second Intifada

    The Second Intifada
    pt. 2: Israeli’s were terrorized by a lot of suicide bombers who targeted and killed hundreds of civilians Israel’s military returned to major population centers in the territories and carried out operations against terrorist targets. The result of the failed peace process has been a prolonged condition of misery for both peoples. Some believe it never stopped.
  • Disengagement from Gaza

    pt 2: Nevertheless, Israel decided to remove itself from this territory so that the Palestinians living there could govern themselves. The plan has not been criticized because it was not done as part of negotiations with the Palestinians and did not require the removal of all West Bank settlements. Since Israel withdrew from Gaza, the number of rockets fired by terrorists from Gaza into Israel has increased dramatically.
  • Disengagement from Gaza

    Disengagement from Gaza
    Prime minister Ariel Sharon moved ahead with the policy of “Disengagement” or the physical seperation of Israel from Palestinian territories. In addition to continuing the construction of the West Bank Barrier, he determined that Israel should withdraw from the gaza strip. Thus was very controversial in Israel because the Israeli citizens who lived there did not want to leave. tbc
  • Hamas is Elected

    Hamas is Elected
    Palestinians elected a majority of Hamas members to the Palestinian Authority’s legislature over the PLO’s fatah party that had previously been in power. People have speculated that hamas won the elections because many palestinians saw the previous government as corrupt. Hamas calls for the destruction of Israel and for the killing of the Jews. The group has claimed responsibility for hundreds of terrorist attacks.
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    The 2006 Lebanon War

    Hezbollah is a radical islamist organization committed to destroying Israel. It is based in Lebanon and is believed to be heavily supported by Iran and Syria. On July 11th, 206 it crossed the Lebanon Israel border and attacked the Israel army unit killing eight soldiers and kidnapping two more who were later murdered. At the same time it began launching rockets into Israel cities and towns. In response Israel launched airstrikes on suspected hezbollah military tbc
  • The 2006 Lebanon War

    pt.2: targets particularly rocket launchers and mounted a ground offensive.This conflict is known as the 2006 Lebanon war. Hezbollah used a human shield strategy by embedding its fighters into rocket launchers in civilian neighborhoods and homes. This resulted in the loss of civilian lives as well as property damage when Israel retaliated. Israel also damaged Lebanon's transportation infrastructure in an attempt to prevent hezbollah from resupplying and redeploying.
  • 2006 Lebanon War Image

    2006 Lebanon War Image
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    The Battle of Gaza

    There had been a great tension and occasional conflict between Hamas and the PLO Fatah since Hamas won the Palestinian election in January 2006. Hamas militants attacked fatah members throughout Gaza. In response, the Palestinian Authority president dissolved the Hamas government. Today there are in effect two Palestinian governments Hamas controls Gaza and the Palestinian Authority controls the West Bank.
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    The Gaza War

    -Israel attacked Hamas targets in Gaza in an attempt to stop rocket attacks on southern Israel and to disrupt terrorist infrastructure and weapon smuggling. Hundreds of militants were killed. But because Hamas was based in and launch attacks from urban areas, there was also much civilian casualties and gaza's buildings and economies were heavily damaged.
  • The Gaza War image

    The Gaza War image
  • Battle of Gaza Image

    Battle of Gaza Image
  • The Gaza Flotilla Incident

    pt.2: The ships refused. Israeli commandos boarded the ship. On one ship the commandos were attacked with iron bars and knives. During the ensuing struggle, nine Turkish activists were killed. Israel gained control of the ship and directed it to Ashdod along with the other five ships, which were taken there without incident. The cargo was subsequently inspected and permitted good were shipped into Gaza. tbc
  • The Gaza Flotilla Incident

    pt.3: Turkey has demanded an apology from Israel. Israel states that his actions were justified and instead expressed regret at the loss of life this has led to a severe deterioration in the relationship between Israel and Turkey which had been allies.
  • Gaza flotilla incident

    Gaza flotilla incident
    -after Hamas seized control from the Palestinian authority, Israel and Egypt begin a blockade of Gaza. They required all goods to be inspected before entering Gaza to prevent Hamas from smuggling and weapons. In May 2010, six ships set sail to break in the blockade. Israel informed the ships that they could not sail into Gaza but they could dock at the Israeli port of Ashdod where their cargo would be inspected and permitted goods would be shipped into Gaza.
  • The Arab Spring

    pt. 2: The long-term impact on the ongoing changes in Arab nations on the Arab-Israeli conflict and peace process is not clear yet.
  • The Arab Spring

    The Arab Spring
    Before 2011 no Arab state had a democratic government. Beginning in Tunisia on December 18, 2010 citizens in Arab states began to protest against autocratic and oppressive governments. This is known as the Arab spring. Protests spread from Tunisia across the Arab world. The Tunisian president left the country on January 14, 2011. The Egyptian president resigned on February 11. Protests have also occurred in Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Libya, Morroco, Oman, Syria, Yemen, and other countries.