Palestine-Israel Conflict till 1973
Background
The story of the formation of Israel is linked with the nationalist movement of Zionism which had emerged in late 19th century in Russian Empire. The founders of this movement believed that the establishment of a Jewish state was the only way of protecting Jews from anti- Semitism. Ottoman controlled Palestine was chosen as the most desirable location for a Jewish state. Many Jews of Eastern Europe and Russia started coming to Palestine. Palestine is located in between the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan river. This place is regarded as a holy place for all the three communities — the Christians, the Muslims and the Jews. The area was under the control of Ottoman empire before the first World War and it was mostly ruled by the Muslims. In the beginning of the twentieth century when Jews were actively targeted in Europe, demand for a separate Jews state started getting sympathy. Many local people however, did not like the arrival of Jews in the region and they started protesting them.
First World War and British Mandate
In the First World War the Ottoman Empire sided with Germany which was badly defeated in this war. Consequently, the Ottoman empire was also disintegrated and divided after this War by the post war treaties and the area of Palestine was mandated to Great Britain for administration. In spite of the British pro-Zionist Balfour declaration in 1917 and establishment of their authority under the mandate for Palestine granted by League of Nations, the British did not fulfill their promises which they had made with the Jews and Palestinians during and even before the World War-I. They, however, renewed the Zionist enterprise and appointed a high commission with instructions to allow the Jews to build their national home. All these resulted in a growing conflict between the Arabs and the Israelis in Palestine region.
Formation of Israel in 1948 and its Consequences
The brutality of Adolf Hitler and Holocaust of Jews by the Nazis during the Second World War became an important factor in favour of a separate state for Jews. Amid the growing pressure it was decided that the area under British mandate would be divided among the Palestinians and Jews. In 1947 voting took place in U.N.O on the question of separate nation for both the Palestinians and the Jews and Jerusalem was made an international city. The Jews leaders accepted the planning but the Arabs rejected the idea. Consequently, the U.N decision was never implemented and the British also failed in solving the issue and left the problem unsolved. But ultimately one group proclaimed its independence and founded Israel on 14th May 1948 which was not liked by the other group-the Arabian world. However, after the formation of Israel, the local issue assumed the form of regional and national tensions. Next day after the formation of Israel many countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq attacked the region which is called the first violent Arab-Israel war or conflict. On the other hand, it is also regarded as the freedom struggle of the Jews. After this the U.N.O supported the idea of giving half of the land of Palestine to both Israel and the Arabs.
Suez Canal Crisis 1956 and role of Israel
As a matter of fact 1948 was the beginning of the real conflict between Israel and Arabs in Palestine. Many other conflicts took place between them later on. The two forces had similar conflict during Suez Canal Crisis when America and Britain decided not to finance Egypt’s construction of the Aswan High Dam in response to Egypt’s growing ties with communist Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. During this crisis Britain along with France and Israel invaded Egypt to recover control of the Suez Canal. Later political pressure from United States, the Soviet Union and the United Nations the Arab-Israel conflict could not go out of control.
Formation of P.L.O and 1967 Conflict
It is important to note that ‘The Palestine Liberation Organization’ was also founded by the Arab League in 1964 in order to champion the causes of Palestinian nationalism. It was an umbrella organization of the Palestinians of the entire world. It sought to establish an Arab State over the entire territory of Palestine of the period of British mandate prior to the 1948 war. The P.L.O followed the militancy campaign and used guerrilla tactics against Israel from their base in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria.
Again in 1967 Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Egypt. It is said that this attack was a reaction of Israel against the Palestinian fedayeen attacks stemming from the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian expulsion of UNEF, Egypt’s amassing of an increased number of troops in the Sinai Peninsula, and several other threatening gestures from other neighboring Arab nations. This is also known as Six -Day War. In this war Israel had captured, among other territories, the Gaza Strip from Egypt and the West Bank from Jordan (including East Jerusalem). Hence Israel seized control over Jerusalem and asserted sovereignty over entire Jerusalem and the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem were given a permanent resident status in Israel. The status of the city as Israel’s capital and the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip created a new set of contentious. This meant that Israel controlled the entire former British mandate of Palestine that under the Balfour Declaration was supposed to allow a Jewish state within its borders. At the end of August 1967, Arab leaders met in Khartoum in response to the war, to discuss the Arab position toward Israel. They reached consensus that there should be no recognition, no peace, and no negotiations with the State of Israel. The P.L.O also played an important role in the war against Israel in the period of 1960s.
1973 Arab — Israel Conflict
The latest Arab-Israel war before this ongoing war of 2023 took place in the month of October 1973. It is also known as Yom Kippur War or Ramadan War as the Israelis were observing Yom Kippur (A Jewish Festival) and Arabs were passing through Ramadan which was a Muslim month of fasting. In the series of conflict or war it was the Fourth Arab-Israeli War. During this war an armed conflict took place between the Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria which continued from 6 to 25 October 1973. During this war both the U.S and U.S.S.R supported their allies which led to a confrontation between the two super powers also. The war ended with a ceasefire in which Syrian forces were repulsed, Egypt reoccupied a belt of the Sinai desert on the East Bank of the Suez Canal and Israel established a salient position on the West Bank of the Suez Canal.
