Arab-Israeli Conflict

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The Arab-Israeli conflict (Arabic: الصراع العربي الإسرائيلي, Hebrew: הסכסוך הישראלי ערבי) spans about a century of political tensions and open hostilities. It involves the establishment of the modern State of Israel as a Jewish nation state, as well as the relationship between the Arab nations and the state of Israel (see related Israeli-Palestinian conflict).

Scope of the conflict

The conflcit is sometimes referred to as the "Middle East conflict". However, the Middle East region has been host to other conflicts not involving Israel, such as the Iran-Iraq War so the term can be misleading. 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. Many countries, individuals and non-governmental organizations elsewhere in the world are involved in or concerned with this conflict for cultural and religious reasons, such as ties with Islam, Arab culture, Christianity, Judaism, Jewish culture or for ideological, human rights, or strategic reasons. Because Israel is a democracy with a free press, the media has access to the conflict which also increases media coverage. While 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[1][2], others oppose this view and claim that the religion dimension is a new matter in this conflict. Animosity emanating from this conflict has caused numerous attacks on supporters (or perceived supporters) of one side by supporters of the other side in many countries around the world. In addition to inter-state wars between Israel and her Arab neighbors, terrorist acts against Israel by Palestinian refugees and Israeli retaliations, civil uprisings against Israeli occupation following the 1967 war, numerous peace initiatives also feature in the story of this major conflict.

History of the conflict

Origins

War, in the technical sense of inter-state armed conflict between Israel and her Arab neighbors began in November 1948 and ceased with a series of armistes in 1949 the origins of the conflct can be traced back to as early as 1882. Some, who attribute the origins of the conflict to ancient animosity between Jews and Muslims, trace the origin back much further. However, from 1882, Jews began to settle in the Palestine area in increased number (some had settled over a century earlier) of what was then the Ottoman Empire's province of Greater Syria, fleeing persecution in Europe. Most of these Jews were secular. Many were socialist but they saw themselves as pioneering a Jewish colony, or even a Jewish state, in their ancient homeland. These Jews bought land from Arabs, who were often absentee landlords. Most of the land they acquired was swamp or desert and it was with skill and ingenuity and financial help from wealthy European Jews that these settles transformed the land into profitable farms. Although migration was legal at this time, there was "strong Arab antagonism to such settlement" [3]. Britain was a strong supporter of Jewish settlement even at this time. In 1917, Britain's Balfour Declaration gave official support to the creation of a Jewish homeland in Israel. Since 1897, the World Zionist Organization had advocated that only in a Jewish state would Jews be truly free from persecution, and although initially Palestine had not been identified as the location for this state, by 1917 it was the only location under consideration. Even before the end of World War I, Britain had already laid claim to administering the Palestine area when her representatives and France's met to carve up the Ottoman Empire among the expected victors (Libya went to Italy). The Paris Peace Conference, 1919 ratified the distribution of territory under League of Nations mandates. The Arab delegation at the Peace Conference objected but it also ratified the intention of creating a Jewish state in Palestine, while not compromising the rights of other communities living there, that is, the Arabs. Immediately, Arabs - Christian as well as Muslim - began to object. Conferences were held. Delegations were sent to London. Anti-Jewish riots broke out, which could be said to represent the start of the actual conflict. Rioting during 1920 saw over 200 casualties. In 1922, the British Mandate of Palestine was created against strong Arab objection.

The British Mandate

Most Arabs immediately adopted a non-co-operation policy with the British. Subsequently, the Legislative Council that was supposed to be established was never created. During 1929 and 1936, anti-Jewish again riots took place. In 1936, the Arabs demanded an end to Jewish migration, which was subsequently severely restricted. Unsure how to prosecute their Mandate, the British set up the Peele Commission to advise them, which recommended that the territory should be divided into two separate states. During World War II, the Mufti of Jerusalem, whom the British had recognized as the leader of the Palestinian Muslims since 1922, despite his part in the 1920 riots, supported Adolf Hitler, convinced that a German victory would lead to the resolution of the Jewish question. Meanwhile, Jewish resistane to British rule had seen terrorist attacks agauinst them by several groups impatient with the delay in implementing the Mandate. By the end of World War II, with thousands of Jewish refugees stranded in Europe and thousands trying to run against the British blockade (restriction of Jewish immigration were still in place), Britain decided that the mandate was unworkable and declared her intention to withdraw completely on May 15th, 1948. Britain handed responsibility over to the newly formed United Nations. The UN also established a commission to advise them, which, following the Peel Commission, recommended what has become known as the "two-state solution", with a third entity, Jerusalem, under direct UN control. This recommendation became the substance of UN Resolution 181, passed 29 Novemebr 1947 against the objection of every Muslim state. 10 states abstained, including Britain 33 voted in favor, incldung the United States. The partition plan awarded 55 percent of the land to the Jews, who formed a 60% majority in the allotted area. However, no official international initiative was started to oversee the process. Given the opposition of the Arab states to Partition, they did not set any plans in motion to create or to help to create an Arab-majority state. Rioting between November and May saw at least 750 fatalites. In the face of international inertia, the Jewish leaders, on the eve of Britain's departure, declared the birth of the modern nation State of Israel (14th May, 1948). The US was the first country to recognize Israel.

The War of 1948-9

The Arab nations objected, pointing out that according to democratic principles, the governance and future of the whole territory should be decided by all its people. Declaring that in the absence of the British, no legal administation existed in Palestine, they announced their intent to intervene. The armies of Syra, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt invaded on November 29th, 1947. What followed is known by Israelis as the War of Independence, by Arabs as al-Naqba, the Catastrophe. When the fighting ended, Israel had extended its territory to 80% of the former mandate of Palestine, while Jordan (itself created from the original Ottoman provice by Britain in 1921 as part fulfilment of promises made to Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca during World War I)acquired portions of the West Bank, including Jerusalem. Egypt gained control of the Sinai and of the Gaza strip. Through the mediation of the UN envoy, Ralph Buncie hostilities ceased during 1949 after a series of separate armistice, with Egypt (February 23), Lebanon (March 23), Jordan (April 23) and Syria (July 20). Iraqi troops withdrew in March under the terms of the armistice with Jordan. Technically, these armistices ended the fighting but not the war. Subsequent treaties between Israel and Egypt (1979) and between Israel and Jordan (1994) have normalized relations but legally Israel and Syria, Lebanon and Iraq are still at war. During the 1948-9 war, thousands of Arabs (estimates range from 750,000 to 900,000) became refugees, either in Lebanon or in territory controlled by Jordan and Egypt.

Subsequent Conflict

Subsequently, in addition to the Six-Day war of 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973 and armed conflict between Israel and various factions in Lebanan, Palestinians have also engaged in terrorist attacks against Israelis, Israeli targets and interests. At issue since the 1967 war, when Israel gained territory from Egypt, Lebanon and Syria, is what the United Nations regards as illegal occupation of these territories, home to about three millions Palestinians. In 1965, Palestinians then operating from Jordan carried out their first cross-border raid into Israel. Al-Fateh, the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, was formed in 1963. In 1964, the Palestinian Liberation Organization was formed under the Chairmanship of Yasser Arafat. Until 1988, the PLO aimed to gain control of the whole of the former British mandate of Palestine and to dismantle what it sees as the Jewish state. 1982 saw Israeli troops invade Lebanon where an anti-Israeli organization, Hezbollah, had been formed. Troops remained there until a partila withdrawl in 1985, a complete withdrawal in 2000. In 1987, the first Intifada or civil uprising broke out in the occupied West Bank. In 2000, the second Intifada started. In 2003, Israel started to construct a security barrier between Israeli territory and Palestinian areas. Hundreds of Jewish settlements have been created on the West Bank (those in Gaza, however, were closed down and evacuated in 2005).

Chronology

  • November 1948-July 1949 Al-Naqba/Israeli War of Independence
  • 1964 The creation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, dedicated to
File:Generals Rabin Dayan Narkis Jerusalem 1967.jpg
Left to right, Israeli generals Uzi Narkiss, Moshe Dayan and Yitzhak Rabin entering Jerusalem in June 1967


The conflict has also been the source of two major Palestinian intifadas (uprisings). Al-Qaeda, a Muslim (and largely Arab) terrorist organization, has cited the conflict among its justifications for attacks on targets in the West.

References
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  1. ↑ Abdallah, Abdel Mahdi "Causes of Anti-Americanism in the Arab World: A Socio-Political Perspective", Middle East Review of International Affairs, 7: 4 (2003) Causes of Anti-Americanism in the Arab World: A Socio-Political Perspective Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Arab-Israeli Conflict: Role of Religion", Isreal Science and Technology Homepage Arab-Israeli Conflict: Role of religion Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  3. ↑ Akenson, p 154


References

  • Bard, Mitchell G Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Chevy Chase, MD: American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2006 ISBN 0971294542
  • Carter, Jimmy Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, NY: Simon and Schuster,2006 ISBN 9780743285026
  • Cohn-Sherbok, Dan and El-Alami, Dawoud The Palestine-Israeli Conflict: A beginner’s guide, Oxford: Oneworld, 2003 ISBN 1851683321
  • Goldenberg, Doron State of Siege. Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House, 2003 ISBN 9789652293107
  • Gelvin, James L. The Israel-Palestine Conflict: 100 Years of War Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005 ISBN 0-521-61804-5
  • Cramer, Richard Ben How Israel Lost: The Four Questions NY: Simon & Schuster, 2004 ISBN 0-7432-5028-1
  • Gold, Dore Tower of Babble: How the United Nations Has Fueled Global Chaos NY: Crown Forum, 2004 ISBN 1-4000-5475-3}}
  • Hamidullah.Muhammad “Relations of Muslims with non-Muslims” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs |7:1 p.9 , 1986 ISSN|1360-2004
  • Katz, Shmuel Battleground: Fact and Fantasy in Palestine NY: Shapolsky Pub, 1973 ISBN 0-933503-03-2
  • Khouri, Fred J. The Arab-Israeli dilemma (3rd ed) Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1985 ISBN 0-8156-2339-9
  • Lewis, Bernard The Jews of Islam Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1984 ISBN 0-691-05419-3
  • Morris, Benny Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001 NY: Knopf, 1999 ISBN 0-679-42120-3
  • Segev, Tom One Palestine Complete: Jews and Arabs Under British Mandate. NY: Henry Holt &Company,1999 ISBN 0-8050-6587-3


External links

General sources

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


Other Sites

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