Arab–Israeli conflict

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Template:Infobox Arab-Israeli conflict Template:Campaignbox Arab-Israeli conflict The Arab-Israeli conflict (Arabic: الصراع العربي الإسرائيلي, Hebrew: הסכסוך הישראלי ערבי) spans roughly one century of political tensions and open hostilities. It involves the establishment of the modern State of Israel, as well as the establishment and independence of several Arab countries at the same time, and the relationship between the Arab nations and Israel (see related Israeli-Palestinian conflict).

Scope of the conflict

See also: History of the Middle East

Some uses of the term Middle East conflict refer to this matter; however, the region has been host to other conflicts not involving Israel (see List of conflicts in the Middle East).

Despite involving a relatively small land area and number of casualties,[1][2] the conflict has been the focus of worldwide media and diplomatic attention for decades. Many countries, individuals and non-governmental organizations elsewhere in the world feel involved in this conflict for reasons such as cultural and religious ties with Islam, Arab culture, Christianity, Judaism or Jewish culture, or for ideological, human rights, strategic or financial reasons.

Because Israel is a democracy with a free press,[3] the media have easier access to the conflict which also increases media coverage. Some consider the Arab-Israeli conflict a part of (or a precursor to) a wider clash of civilizations between the Western World and the Arab or Muslim world.[4][5] Others claim that the religious dimension is a relatively new matter in this conflict.[6] This conflict has engendered animosities igniting numerous attacks on and by supporters (or perceived supporters) of opposing sides in countries throughout the world.

History of the conflict

Main article: History of the Arab-Israeli conflict

End of 19th century-1948

Tensions between the native Arab population of the Palestinian part of the Middle East and the small, but increasing number of Jewish settlers in the area were on the increase towards the late 19th century. The Middle East was still part of the Ottoman Empire.

After the end of World War I the area came under British rule under the British mandate of Palestine. Jewish immigration to Palestine increased. This together with the dire economic situation in the land, as a result of internal factors and as a result of the world-wide economic difficulties, led to a large Arab immigration and further increased tensions in the region.[7][8] These led to riots and general civil unrest.

The situation was at a boiling point by 1939. However, with the winds of war in the air, the issue was put on hold for the duration of the war. At the end of World War II, Britain wanted a resolution of the problem. It referred the issue to the United Nations. Its solution was a two-state solution. The UN partition plan [9] was approved by the United Nations in November 1947 by 33 votes to 13 with 10 absentions, but was rejected by Palestinian Arabs and the Arab states which constituted the Arab League.

The main differences between the 1947 partition proposal and 1949 armistice lines are highlighted in light red and magenta

Israel declared its independence on 14 May 1948. Almost immediately the Arab League countries Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Transjordan, and Iraq declared war on the new state. By the conclusion of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Israel had signed ceasefire agreements with all its Arab neighbors. In relation to the UN Partition Plan, Israel's territory after the armistice agreements was considerably greater than that allocated to the Jewish State by the UN partition plan.

1949-June 11, 1967

In 1956, Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping, and blockaded the Gulf of Aqaba, in contravention of the Constantinople Convention of 1888. Many argued that this was also a violation of the 1949 Armistice Agreements.[10][11] On July 26, 1956, Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal Company, and closed the canal to Israeli shipping.[12]

Israel responded on October 29, 1956, by invading the Sinai Peninsula with British and French support. During the Suez Canal Crisis, Israel captured the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula. The United States and the United Nations soon pressured it into a ceasefire.[12][13] Israel agreed to withdraw from Egyptian territory. Egypt agreed to freedom of navigation in the region and the demilitarization of the Sinai. The United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) was created and deployed to oversee the demilitarization. [14]. The UNEF was only deployed on the Egyptian side of the border, as Israel refused to allow them on its territory.[15]

On May 19, 1967, Egypt expelled UNEF observers,[16] and deployed 100,000 soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula.[17] It again closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping,[18][19] returning the region to the pre-1956 status quo.

On May 30, 1967, Jordan entered into the mutual defense pact between Egypt and Syria. In response, on June 5 Israel sent almost all of its planes on a preemptive mission in Egypt. The Israeli Air Force (AIF) destroyed most of the surprised Egyptian Air Force, then turned east to pulverize the Jordanian, Syrian and Iraqi air forces.[20] This strike was the crucial element in Israel's victory in the Six-Day War.[17][19]

June 12, 1967-1973

In the summer of 1967, Arab leaders met in Khartoum in response to the war, to discuss the Arab position toward Israel. They reached consensus that there should be:

  • No recognition of the State of Israel.
  • No peace with Israel.
  • No negotiations with Israel.[21]

In 1969, Egypt initiated the War of Attrition, with the goal of exhausting Israel into surrendering the Sinai Peninsula.[22] The war ended following Nasser's death in 1970.

On October 6, 1973, Syria and Egypt attacked Israel on Yom Kippur, overwhelming the surprised Israeli military.[23][24] The Yom Kippur War accommodated indirect confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union. When Israel had turned the tide of war, the USSR threatened military intervention. The United States, wary of nuclear war, secured a ceasefire on October 25.[23][24]

1974-2000

Egypt

Following the Camp David Accords of the late 1970s, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in March, 1979. Under its terms, the Sinai Peninsula returned to Egyptian hands, and the Gaza Strip remained under Israeli control, to be included in a future Palestinian state.

Jordan

In October, 1994, Israel and Jordan signed a peace agreement, which stipulated mutual cooperation, an end of hostilities, and a resolution of other unsorted issues.

Iraq

In June, 1981, Israel successfully attacked and destroyed newly built Iraqi nuclear facilities in Operation Opera.

During the Gulf War, Iraq fired 39 missiles into Israel, in the hopes of uniting the Arab world against the coalition which sought to liberate Kuwait. At the behest of the United States, Israel did not respond to this attack in order to prevent a greater outbreak of war.

Lebanon

In 1970, following an extended civil war, King Hussein expelled the PLO from Jordan. The PLO resettled in Lebanon, whence it staged raids into Israel. In 1981, Syria, allied with the PLO, positioned missiles in Lebanon. In June, 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon. Within two months, the PLO agreed to withdraw thence.

In March, 1983, Israel and Lebanon signed a ceasefire agreement. However, Syria pressured President Amin Gemayel into nullifying the truce in March, 1984. By 1985, Israeli forces had mostly withdrawn from Lebanon, and Israel completed its withdrawal in May 2000, leaving behind a power vacuum which Syria and Hezbollah soon filled.[25]

Palestinians

In 1987, the First Intifada began. The PLO was excluded from negotiations to resolve it until it recognized Israel and renounced terrorism the following year. In 1993, Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accords, and their Declaration of Principles, which, together with the Road map for peace, have been loosely used as the guidelines for Israeli-Palestinian relations since.

2000-present

As a response to the al-Aqsa Intifada, Israel raided facilities in major urban centers in the West Bank in 2002. Violence again swept through the region. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon began a policy of unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2003. This policy was fully implemented in August, 2005.[26]

In July, 2006, Hezbollah fighters crossed the border from Lebanon into Israel, attacked and killed eight Israeli soldiers, and kidnapped two others, setting off the 2006 Lebanon War.[27] A UN-sponsored ceasefire went into effect on August 14, 2006, officially ending the conflict.[28]

On September 6, 2007, in Operation Orchard, Israel bombed a northern Syrian complex which was suspected of holding nuclear missiles from North Korea.[29]

References

  1. ^ Mid-Range Wars and Atrocities of the Twentieth Century in Historical Atlas of the Twentieth Century, compiled by Matthew White
  2. ^ Casualties in Arab-Israeli Wars Jewish Virtual Library, based on OnWar - Armed Conflict Israel 1948-1999)
  3. ^ Freedom of press:
    • In 2006, Reporters Without Borders (RWB) ranked Israel 47th out of 167 countries as regards freedom of the press, the highest of any country in the Middle East and just behind the United States (44th). "Israel - Annual report 2006". Reporters Without Borders. 2006. The Israeli media were once again in 2005 the only one in the region that had genuine freedom to speak out.
    • Israel is the only country in the region to have its press ranked as "Free" (28 on the scale 1-100) by Freedom House. "Press Freedom Rankings by Region 2006. Middle East and North Africa". Freedom House. 2006.
  4. ^ Abdel Mahdi Abdallah (Dec. 2003), More specifically, author Edward Said affirms his belief that if a solution can be found in Israel, the global community may be able to follow this guideline, generating peace and understanding between the cultures of the East and West. "Causes of Anti-Americanism in the Arab World: A Socio-Political Perspective," Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) 7.4, accessed January 9, 2007.
  5. ^ Section 2: "Clash of Civilizations," in Arab-Israeli Conflict: Role of religion, Israel Science and Technology ("the national database and directory of science and technology related sites in Israel"), (c) 1999-2007, accessed January 9, 2007.
  6. ^ Ibrahim Al-Khouli and Wafa Sultan (February 21, 2006), "Arab-American Psychiatrist Wafa Sultan: There is No Clash of Civilizations but a Clash between the Mentality of the Middle Ages and That of the 21st Century", transcript of television interview with Sultan conducted by Al-Khouli, broadcast on Al Jazeera, Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) February 22, 2006.
  7. ^ Sela, Avraham. "Arab-Israeli Conflict." The Continuum Political Encyclopedia of the Middle East. Ed. Avraham Sela. New York: Continuum, 2002. pp. 58-121.
  8. ^ "Palestinians: The making of a people", by Baruch Kimmerling and Joel S. Migdal
  9. ^ On 15 May 1947 the UN appointed a committee, the UNSCOP, composed of representatives from eleven states. To make the committee more neutral, none of the Great Powers were represented.
  10. ^ Howard M. Sachar. A History of Israel from the Rise of Zionism to Our TimePublished by Alfred A. Knopf (New York). 1976. p. 455. ISBN 0-394-28564-5.
  11. ^ "Background Note: Israel". US State Department. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
  12. ^ a b "1956: Egypt Seizes Suez Canal". British Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
  13. ^ "UN GA Resolution 997". Mideast Web. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
  14. ^ http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761575008_10/Israel.html
  15. ^ http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/dpko/co_mission/unef1backgr2.html
  16. ^ "UN: Middle East - UNEF I, Background". United Nations. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
  17. ^ a b Lorch, Netanel. "The Arab-Israeli Wars". Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2007-03-04. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishdate= ignored (help)
  18. ^ 'Egypt Closes Gulf Of Aqaba To Israel Ships: Defiant move by Nasser raises Middle East tension', The Times, Tuesday, May 23, 1967; pg. 1; Issue 56948; col A.
  19. ^ a b "The Disaster of 1967". The Jordanian Government. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
  20. ^ "Course of the Six Day War". Palestine Facts. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
  21. ^ "President Mubarak Interview with Israeli TV". Egyptian State Information Service. Retrieved 2007-03-04. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publishdate= ignored (help)
  22. ^ "Israel: The War of Attrition". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
  23. ^ a b "Israel: The Yom Kippur War". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
  24. ^ a b "Arab-Israeli War of 1973". Encarta Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2007-03-04. Cite error: The named reference "Encarta: Arab-Israeli War of 1973" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  25. ^ "After the cease-fire", Brandeis University.
  26. ^ "Special Update: Disengagement - August 2005", Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  27. ^ Israel (country), Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia., 2007, p. 12.
  28. ^ "Lebanon truce holds despite clashes", CNN
  29. ^ "Israelis 'blew apart Syrian nuclear cache'". The Sunday Times. 2007-09-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

Further reading

  • Associated Press, comp. (1996). Lightning Out of Israel: [The Six-Day War in the Middle East]: The Arab-Israeli Conflict. Commemorative Ed. Western Printing and Lithographing Company for the Associated Press. ASIN B000BGT89M.
  • Bard, Mitchell (1999). Middle East Conflict. Indianapolis: Alpha Books. ISBN 0-02-863261-3.
  • Carter, Jimmy (2006). Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-8502-6. Note: Critical analyses such as [1] have pointed to numerous factual errors and misrepresentions in this book.
  • Casper, Lionel L. (2003). Rape of Palestine and the Struggle for Jerusalem. New York & Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House. ISBN 965-229-297-4.
  • Citron, Sabina (2006). The Indictment: The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Historical Perspective. New York & Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House. ISBN 965-229-373-3.
  • Cramer, Richard Ben (2004). How Israel Lost: The Four Questions. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-5028-1.
  • Dershowitz, Alan (2004). The Case for Israel. New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-67952-6.
  • Falk, Avner (2004). Fratricide in the Holy Land: A Psychoanalytic View of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Madison: U of Wisconsin P. ISBN 0-299-20250-X
  • Gelvin, James L. (2005). The Israel-Palestine Conflict: 100 Years of War. New York & Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge UP. ISBN 0-521-61804-5.
  • Gold, Dore (2004). Tower of Babble: How the United Nations Has Fueled Global Chaos. New York: Crown Forum. ISBN 1-4000-5475-3.
  • Goldenberg, Doron (2003). State of Siege. Gefen Publishing House. ISBN 965-229-310-5.
  • Hamidullah, Muhammad (1986). "Relations of Muslims with non-Muslims". Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. 7 (1): 9. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Howell, Mark (2007). What Did We Do to Deserve This? Palestinian Life under Occupation in the West Bank, Garnet Publishing. ISBN 1859641954
  • Israeli, Raphael (2002). Dangers of a Palestinian State. New York & Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House. ISBN 965-229-303-2.
  • Katz, Shmuel (1973). Battleground: Fact and Fantasy in Palestine. Shapolsky Pub. ISBN 0-933503-03-2.
  • Khouri, Fred J. (1985). The Arab-Israeli dilemma (3rd ed. ed.). Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. ISBN 0-8156-2339-9. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  • Lewis, Bernard (1984). The Jews of Islam. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP. ISBN 0-691-05419-3.
  • –––. (September 1990). "The Roots of Muslim Rage." The Atlantic Monthly.
  • Morris, Benny (1999). Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0-679-42120-3.
  • Rogan, Eugene L., ed., and Avi Shlaim, ed. The War for Palestine: Rewriting the History of 1948. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2001.
  • Segev, Tom (1999). One Palestine Complete: Jews and Arabs Under British Mandate. New York: Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 0-8050-6587-3.

External links

Government and official sources

Regional media

Israeli
Arab

Think tanks and strategic analysis

Peace proposals

See main article: List of Middle East peace proposals

Maps

General sources

See also

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