Israeli Palestinian Conflict History

Below is a brief overview of the historical background of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, including key wars and the significance of the Balfour Declaration.

---

Historical Background

1. Late 19th–Early 20th Century: Nationalist Movements and Ottoman Rule

   • Zionism and Arab Nationalism: In the late 1800s, European Jews began to organize the Zionist movement, seeking a return to what they considered their ancestral homeland. At the same time, the Arab inhabitants of the region began developing their own sense of national identity.
   • Ottoman Period: Until the end of World War I, the area known as Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire, where diverse religious and ethnic communities coexisted under imperial rule.

2. British Mandate and the Balfour Declaration (1917)

   • Balfour Declaration: Issued by the British government on November 2, 1917, the declaration stated that Britain supported the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. Importantly, it also noted that nothing should be done to prejudice the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities.
   • Mandate Period: Following World War I, the League of Nations granted Britain the mandate over Palestine. During this period, rising Jewish immigration (fueled in part by persecution in Europe) and growing Arab opposition laid the seeds for future conflict.

3. The UN Partition and the Creation of Israel (1947–1948)

   • UN Partition Plan (1947): In an attempt to resolve the tensions, the United Nations proposed dividing Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem under international administration. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, while many Arab leaders rejected it.
   • 1948 Arab–Israeli War: When Israel declared independence in May 1948, neighboring Arab states invaded. This war—known in Israel as the War of Independence and among Palestinians as the Nakba (catastrophe)—resulted in significant territorial changes, mass displacement of Palestinian Arabs, and the establishment of the state of Israel.

---

Major Wars and Military Engagements

1. 1948 Arab–Israeli War (War of Independence / Nakba):

   • Fought immediately after Israel’s declaration of independence, this conflict led to the armistice lines that left Israel with more territory than originally envisaged by the UN partition plan, and it created a large refugee population among Palestinians.

2. 1956 Suez Crisis:

   • Israel, along with Britain and France, invaded Egypt following Egypt’s nationalization of the Suez Canal. The conflict was short-lived, and international pressure eventually forced a withdrawal.

3. 1967 Six-Day War:

   • In a rapid and decisive conflict, Israel fought against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. As a result, Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. These territorial gains, particularly the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, remain central issues in the conflict.

4. 1973 Yom Kippur War:

   • Launched by Egypt and Syria on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, this war aimed to regain lost territories. Although Israel ultimately repelled the attacks, the war had long-lasting political and military consequences.

5. Intifadas and Later Conflicts:

   • First Intifada (1987–1993): A grassroots uprising by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza against Israeli occupation, which eventually led to the Oslo Accords—a set of agreements intended to pave the way for peace.
   • Second Intifada (2000–2005): A period of intensified Israeli–Palestinian violence following the collapse of peace talks.
   • Gaza Conflicts: Since Israel’s unilateral disengagement from Gaza in 2005, the territory has seen multiple flare-ups (notably in 2008–2009, 2012, 2014, and in later periods) between Hamas (the governing authority in Gaza) and Israel. These conflicts have involved significant military operations and civilian hardship.

---

The Balfour Declaration

• What It Is:
  The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917, during World War I. It declared support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine while stipulating that the rights of the existing non-Jewish communities should not be harmed.

• Significance:
  This declaration was significant because it:

  • Laid a diplomatic and ideological foundation for the later establishment of Israel.
  • Influenced the patterns of Jewish immigration to Palestine during the British Mandate period.
  • Contributed to rising tensions between Jewish immigrants and the Arab population, tensions that would eventually erupt into full-scale conflict.

---

Summary

The conflict in the region today—the struggle involving the state of Israel, the Palestinian territories (including the West Bank and Gaza Strip), and broader Arab nations—has its roots in overlapping national aspirations, historical claims, and colonial-era decisions. Major wars (1948, 1956, 1967, 1973) and uprisings (the Intifadas) have shaped the current landscape. The Balfour Declaration played a crucial early role by setting the stage for the eventual establishment of Israel and the complex dynamics of the region.

This overview touches on key moments and themes; however, each phase of the conflict involves complex social, political, and international factors that continue to evolve.