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War for Israeli Independence
On Nov. 29, 1947, the United Nations decides to partition Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state. Mounting violence leads to the first Arab-Israeli war in early 1948, when the British withdraw from the region. -
Suez Crisis
Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser's denial of Israel's right to exist and attempts to thwart Western peace initiatives convince the West that Nasser is not an ally. The United States withdraws aid to Egypt for the Aswan Dam Project, infuriating Nasser. He nationalizes the Suez Canal on July 26, 1956. Britain, which owns nearly half of the Suez Canal Company, seeks to prevent the nationalization by joining with France and Israel to gain control of the waterway -
Six-Day War
The U.N. force is able to prevent major Arab invasions of Israel until the summer of 1967, when Egyptian forces gather in Sinai and Nasser orders the international troops to leave. Egypt also blocks Israeli ships in the Gulf of Aqaba. In the United States, President Johnson tries but fails to secure peace and reopen the gulf. -
Yom Kippur War
Arab nations warn Israel that they will not accept Israeli occupation of lands lost in 1967. After Egypt's Nasser was succeeded by Anwar Sadat, Sadat prepares his country for war, including a contract with the Soviets for more sophisticated weaponry. Sadat, allied with President Hafez Assad of Syria, attacks Israel on Oct. 6, 1973 — on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. -
Palestinian Uprising
Palestinians remain frustrated by the lack of a final peace treaty. As tensions mount, Israel's Likud Party leader Ariel Sharon, a hard-line conservative, visits a disputed holy site in Jerusalem on Sept. 28, 2000, sparking demonstrations.
