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{{main|History of the Arab-Israeli conflict}} {{main|History of the Arab-Israeli conflict}}


The conflict began to form around the beginning of the 20th century. After the collapse of the ] in 1917, at the end of World War I, the region known as ] was controlled by ]. Jewish immigration increased during this period. The influx of Jews alarmed Palestinian leadership, and Muslim religious leaders helped to foment ] which led to ]: The conflict began to form around the beginning of the 20th century. After the collapse of the ] in 1917, at the end of World War I, the region known as ] was controlled by ]. Jewish immigration increased dramatically during this period. The influx of Jews alarmed Palestinian leadership, and this led to periodic violence.
<blockquote>"As long as the terrorist activity was directed only at Jewish targets, ], as well as the British administration saw nothing wrong with this. On the contrary, it fell in line with prevalent anti-Jewish policy of the time; the Mufti encouraged it and apparently extended financial aid to ] and his organization."<ref>Shai Lachman (1982), "Arab Rebellion and Terrorism in Palestine 1929-39: The Case of Sheikh Izz al-Din al-Qassam and His Movement," in ''Zionism and Arabism in Palestine and Israel'', ed. Elie Kedourie and Sylvia G. Haim (London: Frank Cass), p. 76.</ref></blockquote>


At the end of World War II the conflict became a major international issue. Great Britain, the ], along with the United States, and the ] were determined to initiate a ]. The ] was put into effect in 1948, but was rejected by the Palestinians and the newly formed Muslim neighbor states of Iraq, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. These countries, in collusion with the Palestinians, and with a view to enlarge their land holdings, attacked the newly formed Israeli state with far superior numbers and equipment. Israel was able to achieve a decisive victory. Before the war, Israel encompassed 54.5% of what was formerly British Palestine (though only 18% of the total area of the original mandate, from which Transjordan was excluded in 1922). Following the war, this grew to 78%. Egypt took the Gaza Strip, and Jordan the West Bank. The Palestinians - which at the time were not a credible or established political unity - were left without a state or voice in their affairs.<ref name=LATimesOnSizeOfPalestine>{{cite news|title = The incredible shrinking Palestine|source = The Los Angeles Times|url = http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-tolan21may21,0,5050089.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions}}</ref> At the end of World War II the conflict became a major international issue. Great Britain, the ], along with the United States, and the ] were determined to initiate a ]. The ] was put into effect in 1948, but was rejected by the Palestinians and the newly formed Arab neighbor states of Iraq, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. These countries, in collusion with the Palestinians, went to war with the newly formed Israeli state with far superior numbers and equipment. Israel was able to achieve a decisive victory. Before the war, Israel encompassed 54.5% of what was formerly British Palestine (though only 18% of the total area of the original mandate, from which Transjordan was excluded in 1922). Following the war, this grew to 78%. Egypt took the Gaza Strip, and Jordan the West Bank. The Palestinians - which at the time were not a credible or established political unity - were left without a state or voice in their affairs.<ref name=LATimesOnSizeOfPalestine>{{cite news|title = The incredible shrinking Palestine|source = The Los Angeles Times|url = http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-tolan21may21,0,5050089.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions}}</ref>


Today many parties play major roles in the conflict. Among those are the ]. The conflict included a great number of major wars including the ], ], ], ], ], ], as well as a number of lesser conflicts. In the late spring of 1967, Gamal Abdel Nasser pushed tensions to the brink again closing off access to Israeli ports in the Sinai until, responding to the mounting threat, the Israelis unleashed a devastating preemptive air attack. Superb intelligence, planning, and execution resulted in the swift destruction of the air forces of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, accompanied by equally successful blitzkriegs on the ground. The "Six-Day War" ended with Israel in possession of the West Bank and Golan Heights in addition to the Sinai and Gaza Strip. Arab-Israeli combat was now sophisticated enough for the world to pay attention to its military lessons, and observers noted how tanks and planes still dominated modern warfare. In the aftermath of the 1967 fiasco, Nasser took a different tack, harassing the Israelis with raids and artillery strikes in what became known as the War of Attrition. Arab revenge of a sort came in 1973, when Egypt and Syria struck in unison on Yom Kippur. Strategic and tactical surprise, combined with an overwhelming ratio of forces, led to initial Arab victories in both theaters. Nevertheless, Israeli counter thrusts regained the lost ground and more, and the war stopped when the superpowers intervened to prevent further Arab losses. Once again the world learned military lessons, this time about how surface-to-air missiles and antitank weapons could humble even Israeli planes and armor. In the course of these conflicts, many Arabs were displaced from what is now Israel, and many Jews were displaced from what is now Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. Today many parties play major roles in the conflict. Among those are the ]. The conflict included a great number of major wars including the ], ], ], ], ], ], as well as a number of lesser conflicts. In the late spring of 1967, Gamal Abdel Nasser pushed tensions to the brink again closing off access to Israeli ports in the Sinai until, responding to the mounting threat, the Israelis unleashed a devastating preemptive air attack. Superb intelligence, planning, and execution resulted in the swift destruction of the air forces of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, accompanied by equally successful blitzkriegs on the ground. The "Six-Day War" ended with Israel in possession of the West Bank and Golan Heights in addition to the Sinai and Gaza Strip. Arab-Israeli combat was now sophisticated enough for the world to pay attention to its military lessons, and observers noted how tanks and planes still dominated modern warfare. In the aftermath of the 1967 fiasco, Nasser took a different tack, harassing the Israelis with raids and artillery strikes in what became known as the War of Attrition. Arab revenge of a sort came in 1973, when Egypt and Syria struck in unison on Yom Kippur. Strategic and tactical surprise, combined with an overwhelming ratio of forces, led to initial Arab victories in both theaters. Nevertheless, Israeli counter thrusts regained the lost ground and more, and the war stopped when the superpowers intervened to prevent further Arab losses. Once again the world learned military lessons, this time about how surface-to-air missiles and antitank weapons could humble even Israeli planes and armor. In the course of these conflicts, many Arabs were displaced from what is now Israel, and many Jews were displaced from what is now Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen.

Revision as of 02:00, 22 February 2007

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 Template:Totally-disputed Template:Infobox Arab-Israeli conflict Template:Campaignbox Arab-Israeli conflict


The Arab-Israeli conflict (Template:Lang-ar, Template:Lang-he) spans about a 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 the state of Israel (see related Israeli-Palestinian conflict).

Scope of the conflict

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). Since 1979, the conflict involves the Islamic Republic of Iran (a non-Arab state, not highlighted on the map) as well.

Despite involving a relatively small land area and number of casualties, the conflict has been the focus of worldwide media and diplomatic attention for decades, perhaps due to the huge petroleum reserves found in the area, in spite of the fact that Israel has practically no petrolium reserves, and neither Lebanon nor the Palestinian Authority have any. Furthermore, 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, the media has 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. Others claim that the religion dimension is a relatively-new matter in this conflict. This conflict has engendered animosities igniting numerous attacks on and by supporters (or perceived supporters) of opposing sides in countries throughout the world.

See also: History of the Middle East

History of the conflict

Main article: History of the Arab-Israeli conflict

The conflict began to form around the beginning of the 20th century. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1917, at the end of World War I, the region known as Palestine was controlled by British colonial forces. Jewish immigration increased dramatically during this period. The influx of Jews alarmed Palestinian leadership, and this led to periodic violence.

At the end of World War II the conflict became a major international issue. Great Britain, the United Nations, along with the United States, and the USSR were determined to initiate a two-state solution. The UN mandated partition was put into effect in 1948, but was rejected by the Palestinians and the newly formed Arab neighbor states of Iraq, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. These countries, in collusion with the Palestinians, went to war with the newly formed Israeli state with far superior numbers and equipment. Israel was able to achieve a decisive victory. Before the war, Israel encompassed 54.5% of what was formerly British Palestine (though only 18% of the total area of the original mandate, from which Transjordan was excluded in 1922). Following the war, this grew to 78%. Egypt took the Gaza Strip, and Jordan the West Bank. The Palestinians - which at the time were not a credible or established political unity - were left without a state or voice in their affairs.

Today many parties play major roles in the conflict. Among those are the Quartet on the Middle East. The conflict included a great number of major wars including the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, 1956 Suez War, 1967 Six Day War, 1970 War of Attrition, 1973 Yom Kippur War, 1982 Lebanon War, as well as a number of lesser conflicts. In the late spring of 1967, Gamal Abdel Nasser pushed tensions to the brink again closing off access to Israeli ports in the Sinai until, responding to the mounting threat, the Israelis unleashed a devastating preemptive air attack. Superb intelligence, planning, and execution resulted in the swift destruction of the air forces of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, accompanied by equally successful blitzkriegs on the ground. The "Six-Day War" ended with Israel in possession of the West Bank and Golan Heights in addition to the Sinai and Gaza Strip. Arab-Israeli combat was now sophisticated enough for the world to pay attention to its military lessons, and observers noted how tanks and planes still dominated modern warfare. In the aftermath of the 1967 fiasco, Nasser took a different tack, harassing the Israelis with raids and artillery strikes in what became known as the War of Attrition. Arab revenge of a sort came in 1973, when Egypt and Syria struck in unison on Yom Kippur. Strategic and tactical surprise, combined with an overwhelming ratio of forces, led to initial Arab victories in both theaters. Nevertheless, Israeli counter thrusts regained the lost ground and more, and the war stopped when the superpowers intervened to prevent further Arab losses. Once again the world learned military lessons, this time about how surface-to-air missiles and antitank weapons could humble even Israeli planes and armor. In the course of these conflicts, many Arabs were displaced from what is now Israel, and many Jews were displaced from what is now Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen.

See also: Palestinian refugees and Jewish exodus from Arab lands

The conflict has also been the source of two major Palestinian intifadas (uprisings).

Notes

  1. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/is.html
  2. "THE GREENING OF THE MIDDLE EAST: Oil for Feud". {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |source= ignored (help)
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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," Clip No. 1050, printable transcript of television interview with Sultan conducted by Al-Khouli, broadcast on Al Jazeera, online posting, Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) February 22, 2006, accessed January 9, 2007.
  6. "The incredible shrinking Palestine". {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |source= ignored (help)

References

Further reading

  • Associated Press, comp. (1996). Lightning Out of Israel: : 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.
  • 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)
  • 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.
  • Segev, Tom (1999). One Palestine Complete: Jews and Arabs Under British Mandate. New York: Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 0-8050-6587-3.

External links

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See main article: List of Middle East peace proposals

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