VI.

Creation of Israel
A. Jewish and Arab nationalists both wanted to END the British
mandate of Palestine. Due to anti Semitism, Zionism became a
popular movement.
Zionism -
Establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine

B. Theodor Hetzel created an organization which encouraged

Jews to migrate to Palestine. They even called on Britain and
other European nations for support.

2. It started a wave of anti-Semitism

1. The Dreyfus Affair
A Jewish captain in the French
army, Alfred Dreyfus was tried in
1894 on a trumped-up charge of
spying for Germany.
in France. The entire Jewish
community was suspected of
disloyalty. Synagogues were
desecrated and individual Jews
were attacked.
C. As international pressure
increased to create a Jewish state,
Lord Balfour of Great Britain sent a
letter to a Zionist leader. "The
Balfour Declaration.“
The Balfour Declaration
enraged Palestinian Arabs who
outnumbered the Jewish settlers.
The Arabs started to call for their
own independent state.
D. The Great Depression of the 1930's did not improve conditions
and many were moving to Palestine. The demand for an independent
Jewish state increased after the Holocaust.

E. In Palestine, Zionist groups tried to establish Jewish settlers.

1. Zionist groups helped Jews buy land from Arabs.
a. The Arabs sold the land because many had moved to the city.
2. Arab tenant farmers were forced to leave.
a. When the Arab farmers sold the land, the tenant farmers had
to vacate.

Jewish homes
throughout the
world kept Jewish
National Fund
boxes, PUSHKEH.
By 1947 more
than half of the
total Jewish
holdings in
Palestine came
F. The newly formed United Nations tried to keep order in Palestine.
The UN divided the area into two zones. One zone was Arab and
the other Jewish. Many Palestinians were upset about losing parts of
their homeland. It led to an increase in Pan Arabism.

Population of Palestine

Year Jewish Arab

1883 15,300 356,000
1914 61,000 737,000
1922 95,000 726,000
1931 176,000 881,000
1939 458,000 1,083,000
1946 603,000 1,340,000 

Partition Plan
November 29, 1947
United Nations Partition Plan, 1947

Tan: Jewish state

Grey: Arab state
White: International zone
 Holy City of Jerusalem

The Western Wall

Dome of the Rock

Church of the Holy

Sepulcher
G. Armed conflicts over Israel
1. 1948-49: War after creation of Israel- The
independent state of Israel was declared on May 14, 1948.
One day later, united Arab neighbors declared war on Israel.
2. 1967: “Six-Day War”
a) Preemptive war to create protective buffer around Israel
b) Tripled Israeli territory in six days
c) Placed 1.5 million Palestinians under Israeli rule

3. 1973: “Yom Kippur War”

a) Egypt and Syria attack unsuccessfully in Sinai and Golan Heights
b) An oil embargo was placed on Western nations that supported
Israel. Oil prices increased drastically.
**Oil Crises of 1973**
 A. The Oil Crises of 1973 is an example of the impact OPEC has on the
international community. The Yom Kippur War which involved Israel
against Egypt and Syria had just started. OPEC supported the Arab nations
in the war. What could OPEC do to impact western nations?
• Supporters Israel could not buy oil.
• Increased price per barrel
• Increased inflation

 INFLATION -
Increasing consumer prices over a period of time causing the value
of money to decrease
Gas lines in New York during 1973
 The western nations then imposed an embargo of the OPEC nations.
EMBARGO –
Not permitting trade and commerce with a particular nation.

 The Camp David Accords ended the war and the oil crises. OPEC became less
uniform. Some were producing more than the agreed amount. OPEC focused on
countries that were producing too much oil, what could be done?
• Negotiate new prices
• Take over the country

Jimmy Carter – US President

Anwar Al Sadat – Egyptian
President
Menachem Begin – Israeli Prime
Minister
September 17, 1978
 **The Palestinian Liberation Organization**
[PLO]
• Created in 1964 as a government
in exile

• Leader: Yasir Arafat [d. 2004]

• 1974: PLO recognized by the U.N.

as representative of the
Palestinian people

• 1987 and 2000 used strategy of

intifada [uprising] to oppose
Israeli rule

• Became Palestinian Authority

1993; current leader Mahmoud
Abbas
H. Other Armed conflicts over Israel?
 Refer to BBC activity/notes
Where are the Palestinians?

The largest group of refugees

in the world today.

Israel: 1 million
Jordan: 1.5 million
Gaza: 825,000
West Bank: 583,000
Saudi Arabia: 123,000
Iraq: 90,000
Syria: 383,200
Lebanon: 376,500
Egypt: 40,000
N. Africa: 13,000
Kuwait: 35,000

80% left in 1948.

44% of Jordan’s population are
displaced and refugee Palestinians

Israel rejects the “right of return” for

refugees.
I. Attempts at Pursuing Peace
A. U.N. Resolution 242 (1967)
1) Called for withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories occupied in 1967
2) Called for Israel, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan to recognize one another

B. Separate peace agreements between Israel and Egypt (1978) and Israel
and Jordan (1994)

C. Oslo Agreement (1993) “Land for Peace”

1) Palestinians abandon armed struggle and accept Israel’s right to rule over 78%
of mandate Palestine

2) In return they receive the remaining 22% (West Bank, Gaza, Arab East
Jerusalem)

D. U.S. Policy- George W. Bush: 2002 “two-state solution”

J. Continuing Conflict
1) Hamas, Hezbollah, and other
extremist groups reject right of
Israel to exist and reject all
negotiations with Israel

2) Violent acts on both sides invite

violent reprisals, continuing the
cycle of violence

3) Western Wall and Jewish

settlement in West Bank

4) Gaza: Palestinian state or

“prison?”
 **Hezbollah**

• Created in 1964 as a government

in exile

• Leader: Yasir Arafat [d. 2004]

 **Hamas**

• Created in 1964 as a government

in exile

• Leader: Yasir Arafat [d. 2004]

 Arab-Iraeli Conflict
EXIT TICKET
• If you are a conservative Israeli, what you want?

• If you are a conservative Palestinian, what do you

want?

• What do YOU think should be done to finally solve this

conflict?