Arab–Israeli conflict

Quick Facts: Who was Arab–Israeli conflict?

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Arab–Israeli conflict

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A protracted geopolitical struggle over the land of Palestine between Jewish and Arab populations.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Since the declaration of Israel's establishment in 1948, conflict has existed between Israel and the surrounding Arab countries, rooted in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Zionists viewed the region of Palestine as the Jewish ancestral homeland and sought to establish a Jewish state or homeland there through colonization, while Arabs generally opposed Zionism, envisioning Palestine as Arab Palestinian land and an essential part of the Arab world. By 1920, sectarian conflict had begun following the first, second, and third waves of Zionist migration to Palestine and the Franco-British occupation and administration (1918–1920) of the former territories of Ottoman Syria (1516–1918) and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. In 1920, following agreements including the 1916 Sykes–Picot treaty between Britain and France, the McMahon–Hussein correspondence, and the Balfour Declaration, which expressed British support for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people", the League of Nations accorded the Mandate for Palestine to the British, establishing British rule in Mandatory Palestine (1920–1948). The intercommunal violence escalated into civil war in 1947 after the United Nations' adoption of the Partition Plan for Palestine, and then into an international war in 1948 with the May 14 declaration of the establishment of Israel, the expiration of British Mandate at midnight, and the entry of Arab regular armies the following morning. The 1948 Palestine war ended with the 1949 Armistice Agreements, which established the Green Line.

Career & Major Achievements

More wars followed in 1956, 1967, 1973, and 1982. Several peace treaties and other diplomatic and economic accords were signed over the subsequent half-century. In 2002, the Arab League proposed the Arab Peace Initiative, although diplomatic activity between Israel and individual Arab countries involved ceasefires and later formal relations with some. By 2020, the Abraham Accords further calmed relations. Conflicts between Israel and various Palestinian factions ebbed and flowed, including the 1987–1993 First Intifada, Israel's intervention in the 1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War to oust the Palestine Liberation Organization from Lebanon, the 2000–2005 Second Intifada, the 2011–2024 Syrian civil war, and most recently the October 7 attacks in 2023 and ensuing Gaza war.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Medieval antisemitism in Arabic-speaking lands was rarer than in Europe, but Jews remained subject to persecution. The rise of Zionism and Arab nationalism in the late 19th century is believed by some scholars to have caused a rise in Arab antisemitism. The roots of the Arab–Israeli conflict lie in the tensions between Zionism and Palestinian nationalism. Territory regarded by the Jewish people as their historical homeland is considered by many Arabs as belonging to Palestinians. The area was under the control of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years until its partitioning in the aftermath of the Great Arab Revolt during World War I. Approaching the end of their empire, the Ottomans began to assert the primacy of Turks within the empire, while discriminating against Arabs.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1920: 1920 Milestone — By 1920, sectarian conflict had begun following the first, second, and third waves of Zionist migration to Palestine and the Franco-British occupation and administration (1918–1920) of the former territories of Ottoman Syria (1516–1918) and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire after World War I.
2. 1947: 1947 Milestone — The intercommunal violence escalated into civil war in 1947 after the United Nations' adoption of the Partition Plan for Palestine, and then into an international war in 1948 with the May 14 declaration of the establishment of Israel, the expiration of British Mandate at midnight, and the entry of Arab regular armies the following morning.
3. 1948: 1948 Milestone — Since the declaration of Israel's establishment in 1948, conflict has existed between Israel and the surrounding Arab countries, rooted in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
4. 1956: 1956 Milestone — More wars followed in 1956, 1967, 1973, and 1982.
5. 1987: 1987 Milestone — Conflicts between Israel and various Palestinian factions ebbed and flowed, including the 1987–1993 First Intifada, Israel's intervention in the 1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War to oust the Palestine Liberation Organization from Lebanon, the 2000–2005 Second Intifada, the 2011–2024 Syrian civil war, and most recently the October 7 attacks in 2023 and ensuing Gaza war.
6. 2002: 2002 Milestone — In 2002, the Arab League proposed the Arab Peace Initiative, although diplomatic activity between Israel and individual Arab countries involved ceasefires and later formal relations with some.
7. 2020: 2020 Milestone — By 2020, the Abraham Accords further calmed relations.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Arab–Israeli conflict

True or False: “The Balfour Declaration explicitly stated that nothing should prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): This clause was included to appease Arab opposition while still supporting the establishment of a Jewish national home.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. Wyatt Tilby — Historical peer (Died in 1948) (1948): British author, journalist, and traveler known for his writings on history and philosophy.
• Abby Aldrich Rockefeller — Historical peer (Died in 1948) (1948): American socialite and influential philanthropist, key patron of modern art.
• Abraham Kuyper — Historical peer (Died in 1920) (1920): Influential neo-Calvinist pastor, journalist, and Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
• Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani — Historical peer (Born in 1920) (1920): Emir of Qatar (1960–1972) whose reign oversaw the nation's oil boom and independence.
• Abdul Hamid II — Historical peer (Died in 1918) (1918): Last effective Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, navigating decline and constitutional upheaval.
• Abraham Pais — Historical peer (Born in 1918) (1918): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• Akechi Mitsuhide — Historical peer (Born in 1516) (1516): A prominent samurai general of the Sengoku period, known for his betrayal of Oda Nobunaga.
• Bayinnaung — Historical peer (Born in 1516) (1516): Emperor of the Toungoo Dynasty, who forged the largest empire in Southeast Asian history.
• Adriana Caselotti — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): American actress and singer, famed for voicing Snow White in the first Disney feature.
• Ahmed Ben Bella — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): Algerian revolutionary and politician who served as the first President of Algeria.

Frequently Asked Questions about Arab–Israeli conflict