Concise Overview of Recent Israeli-Palestinian HistoryConcise Overview of Recent Israeli-Palestinian HistoryNov 2, 1917British issued the Balfour Declaration, viewed by Jews and Arabs as promising a “National Home” for the Jews in Palestine.1936-1939Arab Revolt led by Haj Amin Al-Husseini. Over 5,000 Arabs were killed according to some sources, mostly by British. Several hundred Jews were killed by Arabs. Husseini fled to Iraq and then to Nazi Germany.
May 15, 1948Israel War of Independence (1948 War). Declaration of Israel as the Jewish State; British leave Palestine; Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia declared war on Israel. Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian invasion began.
April 3, 1949Armistice – Israel and Arab states agree to armistice. Israel gained about 50% more territory than was originally allotted to it by the UN Partition Plan.
Oct. 29, 1956Suez Campaign. In retaliation for a series of escalating border raids as well as the closure of the straits of Tiran and Suez canal to Israeli shipping, and to prevent Egyptian use of newly acquired Soviet arms in a war, Israel invades the Sinai peninsula and occupies it for several months, with French and British collaboration.
May, 1964PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) founded with the aim of destroying Israel. The Palestinian National Charter (1968) officially called for liquidation of Israel.
May, 1967Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser closes the straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping and dismisses UN peacekeeping force. Negotiations with US to reopen the Straits of Tiran fail.
June 5-11,19676-day war. Israel destroys the Egyptian air force on the ground, conquers and occupies Sinai and Gaza, then conquers the West Bank from Jordan, and Golan Heights from Syria. UN resolution 242 called for Israeli withdrawal, establishment of peace.
Oct. 6, 1973Yom Kippur War (October War). In a surprise attack on the Jewish day of atonement, Egypt retook the Suez canal and a narrow zone on the other side. Syria reconquered the Golan Heights. Following massive US and Soviet resupplying of the sides, Israel succeeded in pushing back the Syrians and threatening Damascus. Ariel Sharon crossed the Suez Canal and cut off the Egyptian Third Army.
March 26, 1979Peace treaty signed between Egypt and Israel.June 7, 1981Israel destroys Iraqi nuclear reactor in daring raid.Oct. 6, 1981Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is assassinated while on the reviewing stand of a victory parade.June 6, 1982Massive Israeli invasion of Lebanon to fight PLO.Sept. 13, 1993Oslo Declaration of Principles – Israel and PLO agree to mutual recognition.Sept 28, 1995Oslo Interim Agreement signed. Palestinian Authority to be established.Nov. 4, 1995Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin assassinated by right-wing Israeli fanatic Yigal Amir. Rabin is replaced by Shimon PeresJune, 1996Right-Wing Likud leader Benjamin Nethanyahu elected Prime Minister in Israel, replacing Shimon Peres.Sept, 1996“Al-Aksa tunnel riots – Arab sources spread the false rumor that a gate opened in an underground tunnel tourist attraction by the Israeli government, endangered the foundations of the Al-Aqsa mosque. This caused several days of rioting and numerous casualties.
>The official Egyptian government’s stated goal of maintaining a safe, prosperous, and secure Egypt would not continue to rely on Israel’s support of the PLO. In view of this, during the years following Rabin’s ouster, Egyptian officials in Washington continued to favor support for the PLO despite its close ties to the PLO. This changed in April 2001 with the decision by Egypt’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to issue a security warrant for the Israeli Embassy in the United States for security of Ambassador Richard Perle. For this reason, Egyptian security officers prevented Israeli visitors from using Egyptian-owned diplomatic compounds in the US. In July 2001 and October 2001, Egypt placed a restriction on Palestinian access to US airports; however, Egyptian authorities refused to take any actions. Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi remained the PM of Egypt, even after Mubarak’s resignation and the collapse of the Suez Canal.Egypt was the first democratic country to officially recognize the Suez Canal as a port after Cairo, Israel, and Russia. In 1991 Egypt, through the US administration of John Kerry, began to work with Congress to establish a UN military advisory council to represent Egypt as a signatory of the UN Security Council, based on a UN agreement. At the same time in November 1994, in the wake of Egyptian Security Council Resolution 2544 (S28) Israel withdrew from Egypt’s Gaza Strip. This decision by Egyptian President, Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali was to allow the transfer of arms to Palestinian militias in the Gaza Strip. Following the end of Gaza’s War of 1967 (1967-1973), the “war on terror” continued, and Egypt was allowed to purchase the “war on terror” by supplying military funds under UN sanctions. The $200 million arms deal was terminated when Israel’s UN ambassador, Adel Yahya, fled Israel to Jordan, where he had been arrested the previous July and tortured for 15 days. The PA had become a force with significant military and political support throughout Israel. In November 1994, Egyptian President Sam Adly and a select group of generals were appointed as the Special Military Command (SMC), the Ministry of Defense (MoD), and various ministries of foreign affairs. The MoD and the MCD were initially accused of being more Islamist than Islamic, while the SMC’s military role in the ongoing war on terror became more secularist. However, by April 1995, all generals and several ministers were officially banned from service by the National Security Council (NSC), where they were not allowed to publicly criticize the state of Israel. Since the military-dominated parliament then decided to abolish the “Arab National Authority” as Israel’s official Palestinian group and to rename it the Palestinian National Organization (PNO).In April 1993, after the collapse of the Suez Canal, Egyptian President Abo Nahari was forced out of office. Nahari was succeeded by former President Shimon Peres. Following the end of the war [against Israel], Israel signed an agreement with the PLO to maintain a peace treaty with Egypt. However, in May 1994, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to give a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli aggression in the conflict with Lebanon.[/p>
“1) In January 1996, Egyptian President, ElBaradei, threatened to call in the international community if any government, either government of nonindependents, would not take action against any Israeli government. In his speech of February 1996, ElBaradei described Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip as genocide perpetrated against Egyptian and Palestinian citizens. “We would
Jan 18, 1997Israel and Palestinians reach agreement on Israeli redeployment