1917-2008

Historical Context of Israel’s Formation and Conflicts

  • 1917 Balfour Declaration: The British pledged support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine, encompassing modern-day Israel and Jordan, recognizing Jewish rights to the land.

  • 1920 League of Nations Mandate: The League of Nations unanimously affirmed the land, then called “Palestine,” as the Jewish homeland under international law, tasking Britain with facilitating Jewish return while safeguarding Arab civil and religious rights.

  • 1920 Arab Pogroms: Anti-Jewish pogroms erupted in Jerusalem, marking the start of Arab violence against Jews in the region.

  • 1922 Creation of Jordan: Britain allocated 70% of the Mandate’s land (Trans-Jordan) to form the Arab state of Jordan, where 60-70% of the population today is Palestinian.

  • 1937 Peel Commission: Proposed a two-state solution, with Jews receiving 20% of the land (Haifa and Tel Aviv) and Arabs gaining the Negev, Judea, and Samaria. Jews accepted; Arabs rejected the plan.

  • 1939 British Immigration Restrictions: Amid Arab pressure, Britain curbed Jewish immigration to Palestine as World War II began, while Arab leader Al-Husseini allied with Hitler, advocating for the extermination of Middle Eastern Jews.

  • 1947 UN Partition Plan: The UN proposed dividing the land into Jewish and Arab states, with 70% of the Jewish state’s land being the Negev Desert. Jews accepted, offering Arab citizenship; Arabs rejected it and launched a war to prevent a Jewish state.

  • 1948 Israel’s Independence: On May 14, 1948, Israel declared independence, inviting Arabs to stay as equal citizens. Arab states invaded, sparking the War of Independence.

  • 1948 War of Independence – IDF Formation: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was established on May 26, 1948, unifying Jewish paramilitary groups like Haganah, Palmach, Etzel, and Lehi. Initially ill-equipped, the IDF, bolstered by Czech-supplied aircraft, repelled invasions by multiple Arab armies, securing armistice agreements by July 1949 at the cost of 4,000 soldiers and 2,000 civilians—over 10% of Israel’s population.

  • 1948 Refugee Crisis: Up to 200,000 Palestinians fled before major fighting, urged by Arab leaders, with others displaced during the war due to Arab rejection of peace, not a premeditated Israeli expulsion. Most settled in the West Bank and Gaza, under Arab control until 1967.

  • 1948-1951 Jewish Exodus: Israel absorbed over 800,000 Jews expelled from Arab lands, integrating them as citizens.

  • Arab States’ Refugee Policy: Arab nations (except Jordan) refused to grant citizenship or equal rights to Palestinian refugees, using them as political pawns against Israel. Today, 62% of Palestinian refugees live outside the West Bank and Gaza, in countries like Lebanon and Jordan.

  • 1964 PLO Formation: While Arabs controlled Gaza and the West Bank, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded, calling for Israel’s destruction.

  • 1967 Arab League’s Three No’s: Post-Six-Day War, Arab states declared no peace, no negotiations, and no recognition of Israel.

  • 1973 Yom Kippur War: Arab states launched a surprise attack on Israel, which survived and gained territory.

  • 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace: Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt in exchange for peace.

  • 1987 First Intifada: Palestinian uprising began, escalating regional tensions.

  • 1993 Oslo Accords: Israel agreed to a phased process for Palestinian statehood, conceding territory.

  • 1998 Further Concessions: Under PM Netanyahu, Israel transferred additional land to the Palestinian Authority.

  • 2000 Camp David Summit: President Clinton proposed a Palestinian state on 91% of the West Bank, all of Gaza, and East Jerusalem as its capital. PM Barak accepted; Yasser Arafat rejected it, launching the Second Intifada, killing over 1,000 Israelis, mostly civilians.

  • 2005 Gaza Withdrawal: Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, forcibly relocating Jewish residents. Hamas, elected in 2006, turned Gaza into a base for terrorism.

  • 2008 Olmert Peace Offer: PM Olmert proposed a Palestinian state on nearly all of the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital and shared control of the Temple Mount. Mahmoud Abbas did not respond.

  • Pattern of Rejection: Israel has accepted every peace proposal since 1937; Palestinian and Arab leaders have rejected each one, revealing a conflict driven not by territory but by opposition to Jewish existence.