Timeline of the Israeli

Timeline of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

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Start of Jewish migration

There had been a continuous Jewish presence in the Holy Land sinceBiblicaltimes, as well as smaller waves of immigration throughout history. In the mid nineteenth century Jewishcommunities and families, mostly fromEastern Europe, fleeing increasingantisemitismand pogromsin Europe, begin to immigrate in increasing numbers to Palestine, then a province of the Ottoman Empire,the historicLand of Israel.(See Hovevei Zion,Bilu.) Jews were an absolute majority in the 1880's.

1882-1903

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1915

Hussein-McMahon Correspondencepromises Arab state in return for revolt against the Turks.The region of Palestine was not explicitly mentioned. Disputes between Arabs and the Britishover whether Palestine was meant to be included in these documents would fuel the conflict over nationalism.

British control

November 2, 1917

Balfour Declaration 1917: British Foreign SecretaryArthur James Balfour sends a letter toLord Rothschild, President of theZionist Federation, declaring his government would "view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people".

1919-1923

In the third Aliyah, roughly 40,000 Jews arrive in Palestine, mostly from Eastern Europe.

January 18 1919

Faisal-Weizmann Agreement betweenEmir Faisal(son of the King of Hejaz) andChaim Weizmann(later President of theWorld Zionist Organization

). "We Arabs," said Faisal,

"especially the educated among us, look with the deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement...We will wish the Jews a most hearty welcome home."

March 1, 1920

Jewish settlements in the Upper Galilee were attacked by Arab forces.Joseph Trumpeldor wasamong 8 who died defendingTel Hai.

April-June, 1920

Jerusalem pogrom of 1920 April 4-April 7. The violent 3-day riot against the Jews in Jerusalem'sOld City prompts the establishment of Haganah on June 15, 1920.

May 1-7, 1921

Jaffa riots.

May 8, 1921

British High Commissioner Herbert Samuel pardons Palestinian Jews and Arabs involved in the 1920 disturbances, includingMohammad Amin al-Husayni.

March 1922

Under Colonial SecretaryWinston Churchill,Britain splits the mandate of Palestine into the territories of Palestine (west of the Jordan river) and Transjordan. In return for leading the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire, the Hashemitesare given rule over Transjordan to form an Arab state under British supremacy. Jewish settlement is restricted to the remaining Palestine.

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June 3, 1922

TheChurchill White Paper, 1922clarifies the British position regarding Palestine.

July 24, 1922

TheLeague of Nations grantsBritaina mandate to administer Palestine.British express interest in Zionism, and describe their main intent of developing a Jewish national home.

1924-1929

In the fourth Aliyah, roughly 82,000 Jews fleeing from anti-Semitism in Hungary and Poland,arrive in Palestine.

1929-1939

In the fifth Aliyah, due in part to the rise of Nazismin Germany, approximately 250,000 Jewsarrived in Palestine during this period. However, restrictions imposed on Jewish immigration bythe British authorities in response to events such as theGreat Uprisingcurbed Jewishimmigration in the later 1930s.

Summer 1929

The1929 Palestine riots erupt due to a dispute between Muslims and Jews over access to the Western Wall. 133 Jews killed and 339 wounded (mostly by Arabs); 116 Arabs killed and 232wounded (mostly by British-commanded police and soldiers).

August 23, 1929

In the1929 Hebron massacre67 Jews are killed, all but 8 of them foreign students from the localyeshiva. The local residents are saved by Muslim families and neighbours. Nonetheless, theBritish evacuate the Jewish communities in the Arab enclaves of Hebron and Gaza "to preventanother massacre", ending the ancient Jewish presence in the cities. Both communities wouldresume after the 1967 War.

1930-1935

TheBlack Hand Islamistgroup led by ShaykhIzz ad-Din al-Qassamuses violence against Jewish civilians and the British.

October 20, 1930

In reaction to the disturbances of 1929, thePassfield White Paper and theHope Simpson Royal Commissionrecommend limiting Jewish immigration.

May 7, 1936 — March 1939

The Arab leadership, led byAmin al-Husayni, declares a general strikewhich rapidly deteriorates into a violent rebellion, known as theArab revolt,that lasts for three years. The mainstream Jewish defense organization, theHaganah, maintains a policy of restraint, but thesmaller Irgun(also called Etzel) group adopts a policy of retaliation and revenge. Roughly 5000Arabs and 400 Jews are killed.

July 1937

ThePeel Commissionproposes a partition plan (map), rejected by the Arab leadership as it included a Jewish state. The Jewish opinion was divided as Jewish immigration was limited toonly 12,000, and the Twentieth Zionist Congress ultimately rejected the proposal as well.

1938-1949