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TheconflictbetweenArabsandIsraelishasbeenoneofthemostcontinuousandcomplexinthepostwarworld.Although forBrettonWoods
casualitieshavenotbeenashighasonemightexpectforsuchaprolongeddispute,therisksofgreatpowerinvolvementhave KashmirPlebiscite|intheLight
beenhigh.TheSuperpowershavepursuedstrategic,economicandideologicalinterestsintheregionand,asaresult,have ofScottishReferendum
regularlyfoundthemselvesentangledindangerousconfrontation.

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Thelocalconflicthasinvolvedanumberofstatesbutitismadeevenmorebyzantinebythefactthatthecoreandcruxofthe
problempitsafragileIsraelistateagainstanunrepresented,politicallyfragmentedandmilitarilyweakPalestinianpeople.The
conflictisessentiallyrootedinthestrongandancientclaimsoftwopeoplestoasingletinysliceofMediterraneancoastlineat
thecrossroadsoftheMiddleEast.

IsraeliclaimsharkbacktoBiblicaltimeswhenaJewishkingdomdominatedtheareaandJewswerethemajoritypopulationin
the1,600yearsbeforetheRomanoccupation.RomeconqueredtheterritoryitcalledPalestine(afterthePhilistineswholived
alongthecoast)andexpelledtheJews.

BytheninthcenturythevastmajorityoftheremainingpopulationhadbecomeIslamicand,withtheoddinterludesuchasthe
ChristianCrusaders,thearearemainedfirmlyunderMuslimcontrol.

Inthenineteenthcentury,whennationalistmovementswerehelpingshapeEuropeanstatesandJewswerepersecutedin
Europe,manyJewswereattractedtothenotionofZionismthecreationofaJewishhomelandinZion(aHebrewwordfor
Israel).

Forcenturies,IsraelhadremainedthefocusofprayersandculturalidentificationofJewsscatteredaroundtheglobe.Jewish
settlersbeganreturningtoIsrael,alandthenheldbythecrumblingTurkishOttomanEmpire.

TheBritishtookoverPalestinefromtheTurksin1917andsuccessiveBritishgovernmentmanagedtopromisesomeformof
homeruletobothJewsandArabs.In1920,BritishcontrolwascodifiedinaLeagueofNationsMandatefromwhichBritain
soonsplitaneasternsectionwhichwaslatertoformtheKingdomofJordan.

Jewishimmigrationintothewesternsection,Palestine,increasedandPalestiniansfearedthattheirmajoritywouldsoonbe
eroded.WhileriotsinPalestineledBritaintorestrictJewishimmigration,antiSemitisminEurope,especiallyinHitlers
Germany,increasedthepressureforJewstofindrefugeinIsrael.

In1937Britainproposedpartitionoftheterritory,amovewhichmostJewssupportedbuttheArabsrejected.Duringthe
SecondWorldWartheJewssuspendedtheirattacksonBritishruletoaidthewareffortinEurope.

WiththeendoftheSecondWorldWarandtheknowledgethatsixmillionJewshaddiedintheNaziholocaust,pressuregrew
formassivesettlementinIsrael.Britain,alreadyweakenedbythewar,handedthePalestineproblemtotheUnitedNations.
TheGeneralAssembly(withbothSovietandAmericansupport)votedon29November1947topartitiontheterritory.Jews
acceptedtheplan,whichgavethem56%ofthelandbutmostoftherichagriculturalareastothePalestinians.
5/25/2016 jworldtimes.com/Article/92010_History_of_Arab_Israel_Conflict

NeighboringArabstatesrejectedtheplanthePalestinianswerenotaskedandwhenthestateofIsraelwasproclaimedon
14May1948,sixArabstatesinvaded.AlthoughtheJewishstatewasnotexpectedtosurvivesuchanonslaught,byJanuary
1949ceasefiresestablishedIsraelsdefactofrontiersas20%largerthanprovidedforinthepartitionresolution(yetthiswas
stillonly17%oftheoriginalPalestineMandate).

Mostoftheremaining80%ofPalestinewasoccupiedbytheKingdomofJordan.NeitherJordan,norEgyptwhichoccupiedthe
GazaStrip,soughttoestablishaPalestinianstate,preferringtokeepthespoils.

AlthoughArabstatesdidnotintegratetheirbrethrenintotheirstates,IsraeltookinalargeramountofJewsfromArab
countriesandbeyond.Between1948and1972,Israeltook580,000JewsfromArabcountries(including260,000from
Moroccoand129,000fromIraq),600,000fromEurope,60,000fromIran,20,000fromIndiaandafurther100,000fromthe
SovietUnionintheearly1970s.In198485yetanother10,000EthiopianJewswereairliftedtoIsrael.

EgyptantagonizedBritishandFrenchinterestsbynationalizingtheSuezCanalandbyreceivingmodernSovietarms.In1955
NasserclosedaccesstoIsraelssouthernportofEilatontheGulfofAkabaand,inOctober1956,Israel,BritainandFrance
colludedinanattackonEgypt.

TheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnionforcedallthreetoquitbyMarch1957andtheUnitedNationsagreedtosend3,000
mentopatroltheIsraelEgyptfrontierandkeeptheGulfofAkabaopen.

In1964agroupofPalestinianliberationmovementsjoinedtogethertoformthePalestineLiberationOrganization(PLO).But
theconflictcontinuedtobeprimarilybetweenIsraelandestablishedArabstates.InMay1967,NasserdemandedthatUN
forcesleavethefrontier,imposedablockadeontheGulfofAkabaandmobilizedhisforces.

Israeliforcesstruckapreemptiveblowon5June1967andinsixdaystooktheSinaipeninsulafromEgypt,thewestbank
fromJordanandtheGolanheightsfromSyria.SuperpowerforceshadbeenputonalertastheSovietUnionsoughttodeter
IsraelfromtotallyhumiliatingMoscowsAraballies(Jordan,however,wasarmedbytheWest).

ThistimetheUnitedStateswasnotpreparedtoforceanIsraeliwithdrawalandIsraelwasconvincedthatitsvictorywasso
devastatingthatArabstateswouldgiveuptheirhopeofeliminatingtheJewishstate.

InNovember1967theUnitedNationSecurityCouncilpassedResolution242,whichcalledforrecognitionofallstatesinthe
areaandevacuationofterritoryoccupiedinthe1967war(butnotthe1948one).IsraelacceptedtheResolution(asdidthe
GreatPowers)buttheArabstatesdidnot.

FollowingthefailureoftheestablishedArabstatestodefeatIsraelwithconventionalmilitarypowerandIsraelioccupationofall
Palestine,thePLOanditssplinteralliessoughttotaketheirfateintotheirownhands.PLOforcesfoughtKingHusseinofJordan
forpowerin1970and,despiteacampaignofinternationalterror(notablyaircrafthijacking),thePLOunderYasserArafatwas
forcedtosetupheadquartersinLebanon.

AnwarSadat,inconjunctionwithSyria,launchedasurpriseattackonIsraelon6October1973(theJewsholiestday,Yom
Kippur).DespiteearlyArabmilitarygains,Israeliforceseventuallytookevenmoreterritorythantheyhadheldafter1967.

AbdulRasheed
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5/25/2016 jworldtimes.com/Article/92010_History_of_Arab_Israel_Conflict

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