|
2000 – 750
BC
(see map)
|
EARLY
JEWISH KINGDOMS & PERMANENT FIGHT AGAINST EGYPT
|
750 BC
|
CONQUEST
BY ASSYRO-BABYLONIANS
PERIODICAL
REGAIN OF JEWISH STATEHOOD
REGULAR
DEPORTATIONS
|
|
500 BC
|
CONQUEST
BY THE PERSIANS (ARYANS)
|
|
ca 350 -
63 BC
|
CONQUEST
BY ALEXANDER THE GREAT.
HELLENISTIC
DOMINATION
|
|
63 BC-565
AD
|
ROMAN
DOMINATION, EXPULTION OF THE JEWS
|
|
132-135 AD
|
The last
Jewish rebellion put down by the Romans. Most of the Jews deported from Judea. The country renamed to Syria Palaestina. (see map)
Since then
and until the middle of the 20th century the country ruled by the
consecutive foreign powers (Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Crusaders, Turks, Britons)
|
|
565 – 656
|
BYZANTINE
(GREEK) DOMINATION
|
|
656
|
FIRST
ARABS APPEAR
|
|
656 – 1095
|
ARAB
DOMINATION
|
|
1095 -
1097
|
TURCO-ARAB
DOMINATION
|
|
1097 –
1146
|
CRUSADER
STATES ARE FORMED (see map)
|
|
1146 – 1250
|
FIGHT
BETWEEN CRUSADERS AND TURCO-ARABS
|
|
1250 –
1481
|
ARAB
DOMINATION
|
|
1481 –
1918
|
TURKISH
DOMINATION
The Turks
defined the area as “Southern Syria”
(see map)
|
|
1880 -
1914
|
JEWISH RE-SETTLEMENT BEGINS / 1980-1914
First Zionist pioneers appear.
Their goal is to rebuild "The Holy
Land" in order to create a future shelter for the Jewish
people. The Turks support the idea in order to counter-balance growing Arab
separatism in the area. Development of the country attracts large numbers of
immigrants – Jews, Arabs and others.
|
|
1918 -
1947
|
THE
ESTABLISHEMENT OF BRITISH MANDATE / 1918
In
the aftermath of World War I, the area which today comprises Israel and Jordan
becomes a League of Nations’ Mandate, entrusted to Great
Britain at the Paris
Peace Conference. This is the first time after the end of Rome,
that the name "Palestine"
is applied to a clearly defined territory. (see
map)
Under
the terms of the Mandate, Britain
is supposed to facilitate the implementation of the Balfour Declaration of
November 2, 1917, which pledged the establishment of a national home for the
Jewish people and the encouragement of Jewish immigration into the mandate
territory.
|
|
|
FIRST
PARTITION OF PALESTINE
/ 1923
British Administration divides Palestine
into two administrative districts: West Palestine and Transjordan.
Territory to the east of Jordan river defined as “Transjordan”, is assigned to Hashemite Prince Abdallah
who had been expelled from Hejas (now part of Saudi Arabia)
by the Saudis. Jewish immigrants are not allowed to settle in Transjordan
which encomprises 75% of Palestine. (see
map)
|
|
|
CESSESSION
OF TRANSJORDAN / 1946
In 1946 Transjordan is granted its full independence. In fact
that means that the first independent Palestinian-Arab state has been
created. (see map)
|
|
|
UN
PARTITION PLAN
On
November 29, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations voted with a
2/3 majority to partition western Palestine
into a Jewish and an Arab state. Most of the land allocated to the Jews is
desert. However, the Jewish population accepts the plan. The Arabsreject it.
(see map)
|
|
1948
|
THE ARAB INVASION & THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE / 1948
The leaders of the Arab states decide to attack Israel on the
day of its independence. The Arab League declare
Jihad (the “Holy War”) against Israel. According to Azzam Pasha (the Arab League Secretary) "This will
be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre which will be spoken of
like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades".(1)
The Mufti of Jerusalem,
Haj Amin Al Husseini issues the following decree: "I declare a
holy war, my Moslem brothers! Murder the Jews! Murder them all!" (2) The
armies of Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon,
Saudi Arabia, Syria and Transjordan invade the area
allocated to Israel
by the UN.
The
War of Independence
is accompanied by tremendous losses from both sides. However Jewish forces
manage to put a considerable part of the former Palestine
(excluding Transjordan) under their control.
This territory is slightly more than allocated to the Jewish state by the UN
partition plan.
The
new Arab state is not formed. Most of the territory allocated to it (East
Jerusalem and a large portion of land on the west bank of the Jordan River)
is taken over by Transjordan claiming the whole Palestine. Meanwhile the Egyptians capture
the Gaza
strip
1. Howard
M Sachar, A History of Israel
(New York: Knopf, 1979), p. 333.
2.
Leonard J. Davis and M. Decter (eds.). Myths and
facts 1982; a Concise Record of the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Washington DC:
near east report, 1982), p. 199
|
|
|
ARMSTICE / 1949
Israel signes armistice
agreements with Egypt, Lebanon, Syria
and Transjordan (since April 1949 – Jordan). Jordan annexes West Bank (Judea and Samaria). Egypt annexes the Gaza strip. (see map)
|
|
|
More
than 700,000 Arabs, encouraged by their leaders to leave, flee from Israel. They
are promised quick return following Israel's destruction. Israel's
Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion urges the Arabs to remain. Those who remain, are granted full Israeli citizenship. Those who
leave for the neighboring Arab states are denied any cizenship
and kept in refugee camps in accordance with the wishes of the Arab leaders.
|
|
|
In 1948
some Arab countries start persecuting their Jewish citizens. More than
500,000 Jews are expelled from Arab countries and move to Israel where
they are granted ful citizenship.
|
|
|
FEDAYEEN
RAIDS / 1949-1956
Armed
groups of Palestinian refugees called "the Fedayeens"
(the partisans) launch systematic raids on Israeli territory from their bases
in Egypt.
Lebanon and Jordan. Over
1000 Israeli civilians have been killed by the Fedayeens
between 1949 and 1956..
|
|
|
THE SINAI WAR/1956
On
October 29/1956, Israel, Britain and France
launch a campaingn against Egypt.
Britain and France are angered over the Egyptian nationalization of the Suez
canal, while Israel
attempts to secure its vital port Eilat sealed by the Egyptian navy. Israeli Defence forces overrun Gaza
Strip and parts of Sinai peninsula. Aupon receipt of the UN guarantees, Israel
withdraws from the occupied territories by March 1957. UN troops are
stationed in Sinai and Gaza.
Despite Israel's
withdrawal, Egypt keep the Suez canal
closed for Israeli shipping.
|
|
|
THE SIX-DAY WAR / 1967
On
June 5, 1967, Israel
launches a pre-emptive attack on Egypt. Israel
urges Jordan
to stay neutral but Jirdan refuses. Jordanian
artillery starts shelling West Jerusalem. Israel attacks Jordan. In 3 days Israeli Defense
Forces defeat the Jordanian army and overrun the West Bank (Judea and Samaria). On the 4th
day of the war Israel
defeats Syrian troops that were shelling Israeli territory from the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights are taken over by
Israel
|
|
|
By the end of the 6th day, Israel puts both Gaza
Strip and the entire Sinai Peninsula under
its control. Israel
refuses to withdraw to the 1949 armistice lines claiming that international
guarantees to Israel
have proven meaningless. The cease-fire lines of 1967 armistice, become Israel's new borders until 1973. (see map)
Palestinian raids from Egypt end. However Palestinian
militants keep their bases in Jordan
and Lebanon,
eventually leading to internal conflicts in both countries.
|
|
|
YOM KIPPUR WAR / 1973
On
Saturday / October 6, 1973, Egypt
and Syria launch military
attacks on Israel.
The USSR openly supports
military efforts of Damascus and Cairo while the USA
openly support Israel. Israel manages to repel Egyptian attack and
launches an offensive against Syria.
The USA and the USSR arrange
the new cease-fire agreement. This arrangement is supported by the UN
Resolution 338
|
|
|
CAMP DAVID
AGREEMENT / 1978
In September, 1978, the leaders of Egypt, Israel
and the USA (Sadat, Begin
and Carter) meet ad Camp David (D.C.) and signed Camp
David Accords. As a result of the Accords, Sinai is returned to Egypt and Palestinian “transitional autonomy”
in West Bank area is planned.
(see map)
|
|
1978-1983
|
ISRAELI
INVOLVEMENT IN THE CIVIL WAR IN LEBANON (see map)
|
|
1987
1999
2002
|
THE INTIFADA BEGINS
October
1991: Peace Conference in Madrid
September
1993: Peace Accord signed in Washington/D.C.
“Palestinian
National Authority” established
ISRAELI
DEFENSE FORCES WITHDRAW FROM LEBANON
INTIFADA ESCALATION
|
