A Brief History of Israel:

Biblical Period to the Zionist Period

In the Beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth

Sometime thereafter:

! Approximately 2000 BCE: Avram moves from modern day Iraq to modern day
Israel
! Approximately 1312 BCE: Joshua leads the 12 tribes of Israel into the land of
Canaan
! Approximately 1000 BCE: David’s army conquers Jerusalem from the Jebusites
! 701 BCE: The Assyrians capture the northern kingdom of Israel, lay siege to
Jerusalem, and eventually sign a peace treaty with King Hezekiah of Judah
! 586 BCE: The Babylonians destroy the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem and exile all
Jews from the land
! 516 BCE: The Babylonians are conquered by the Persians. Persian King Cyrus
allows Jews to return to the Holy Land. The second temple is built
! 333 BCE: Alexander the Great conquers Judea
! 161 BCE: Hasmoneans under the leadership of the Maccabees overthrown Antiochus
IV to establish an independent kingdom
! 63 BCE: Pompey conquers Jerusalem and makes Judea a Roman province
! 40 BCE: Herod takes control of Judea and renovates the Temple adding retaining
walls including what is known today as Hakotel (The Western Wall)
! 70 CE: The Second Temple is destroyed and the Jewish Rebellion is destroyed by
Vespasian and his son Titus
! 73: Masada, the last stronghold of the Jewish Rebellion is conquered
! 135: The Bar Kochba Revolt is suppressed and Jews are scattered throughout the
world
! 135-1881: Jews continue to live in the modern State of Israel in small scattered
communities.

Zionist Period to the Creation of the State of Israel

! 1881: After pogroms in Russia, the First Aliyah begins as the first strong wave of
immigration to the Ottoman controlled territory
! 1895: Alfred Dreyfus falsely convicted of treason
! 1896: Theodor Herzl publishes The Jewish State
! 1897: First Zionist Congress held in Basel declared the necessity for a Jewish State
and started modern Zionism.
! 15 & 16 May, 1916: Sykes-Picot Agreement
! British and French governments sign agreement dividing Middle East between the
two of them after WWI
! 2 November, 1917: Balfour Declaration – British see a Jewish homeland in Palestine
 ! “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a
National Home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to
facilitate the achievement of this object…”
! 24 April, 1920: Britain assigned mandatory power over Palestine by the League of
Nations
! 23 August, 1923: Arab attack on the Jewish community in Hebron
! 1937: British Peel Commission suggests Palestine be divided into a Jewish State
consisting of the coastal strip from Mount Carmel to Be’er Tuvia, the Jezreel Valley
and the Galilee; an Arab state consisting of Judea, Samaria, and the Negev; and a
British and International region from Jaffa to Jerusalem
! The British Government accepted the Commission’s recommendation but never
implemented them. The Jews disagreed about whether to accept it or not, and the
Arabs rejected the recommendations entirely. The recommendation was
eventually shelved.
! 17 May, 1939: British White Paper limiting Jewish immigration to Palestine
! This White Paper cut-off immigration from Nazi states to Palestine effective
condemning Jews living under Nazi rule
! 1939-1945: Jews in Palestine are recruited to fight for the British against the Nazis in
Europe forming the Palestine Brigade
! The Palestine Brigade gave many people training for the future Haganah or Israeli
Defense Force
! 2 December, 1945: Arab League Boycott begins
! 29 November, 1947: Palestine partitioned into two states by the U.N.
! The proposed Jewish state was to consist of the Negev Desert, the coastal plain
reaching from Tel Aviv to Haifa, and the Upper Finger of the Galilee including
the Kineret (Sea of Galilee)
! The proposed Arab state was to consist of the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria, and
the Lower Finger of the Galilee
! Jerusalem was to remain an international City according to the U.N. partition plan

Creation of the State of Israel to Oslo

! 14 May, 1948: Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel

(http://www.knesset.gov.il/docs/eng/megilat_eng.htm)
! 15 May, 1948-24 February, 1949: Israel’s War for Independence
! Five Arab countries attacked Israel with the help of Palestinian Irregular forces.
The Haganah (the then Israeli Defense Forces) organize a mass effort to recruit
men and women alike. Immigrants coming to Israel were immediately equipped
to fight in the army
! Approximately 700,000 Arabs living in Israeli territory become refugees. Some
were encouraged to leave by the invading Arab armies with promises of return
after Israel is destroyed, some fled out of fear of the Israeli army, and others were
forced to leave by Israel.
! 1948-1972: Hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees leave Arab countries and are
resettled in Israel
! 29 October-6 November, 1956: Sinai Campaign
 ! Israel is recruited by England and France to attack Egypt after the Egyptians
under Gamal Abdel Nasser close the Suez Canal. In nine days, Israel captures the
entire Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip, but American intervention forces Israel to
return the land.
! January 1964: Creation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
! 5-10 June, 1967: Six-Day War
! In the months leading up to this war, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser
asked the U.N. to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula, closed the amassed troops
in the Sinai Peninsula, and closed the Strait of Tiran from Israeli shipping. These
last two actions are considered causus belli (war actions). In addition, Egypt,
Jordan, and Syria all publicly planned to eliminate Israel
! On June 5, the Israeli Air Force launched a surprise attack on Egyptian air forces
destroying runways and the majority of Egyptian planes. Israeli ground troops
entered the Sinai Peninsula. Israel sent a message to King Hussein of Jordan
through U.N. channels stating that if Jordan doesn’t enter the war, Israel won’t
attack them.
! On June 6, based on falsified reports from Egypt, Jordan began to attack Israel.
Israel proceeded to conquer much of the West Bank and surround the Old City of
Jerusalem. In the north, Syria began firing at kibbutzim in the Galil.
! On June 7, Israel captured the Old City of Jerusalem thus reuniting the city
! On June 8, Jordan signs a cease fire with Israel
! On June 9, Egypt signs a cease fire with Israel
! On June 10, after Israel captures Quneitra and thus securing the Golan Heights, a
cease fire is signed with Syria, ending the Six-Day War
! August 1967: Arab leaders meet at the Khartoum Conference
! Arab leaders at Khartoum adopt policy of “Three No’s”: No to peace with Israel,
No to negotiations with Israel, No to recognition of Israel.
! 22 November, 1967: U.N. Security Council adopts Resolution 242
(http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/b86613e7d92097880525672e007227a7/59210
ce6d04aef61852560c3005da209!OpenDocument)
! U.N.S.C. Resolution 242 calls for all sides to come to peaceful relations, Israel to
return territories captured in the 1967 war, a just solution to the refugee problem,
and for Arab countries to recognize Israel.
! 1-4 February, 1969: Yasser Arafat becomes PLO Chairman
! 8 March, 1969-7 August, 1970: Egyptian War of Attrition
! September 1970: PLO tries to gain control of Jordan. King Hussein of Jordan sends
Jordanian army to crush Palestinian terrorists killing thousands and sending the
leadership into exile. The episode becomes known as “Black September”
! 5 September, 1972: Massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at Munich Olympics by PLO’s
Black September group
! 6-24 October, 1973: Yom Kippur War
! After initial successes by both Syria and Egypt, Israel manages to reclaim its land
at the end of the month-long war.
! 22 October, 1973: U.N. Security Council adopts Resolution 338
(www.un.org/documents/sc/res/1973/s73r338e.pdf)
 ! U.N.S.C. Resolution 338 reaffirms U.N.S.C. Resolution 242, calls for a cease-fire
in the 1973 war, and calls for negotiations between Israel, Egypt, and Syria.
! 10 November, 1975: UN General Assembly declares “Zionism is Racism” in
Resolution 3379 (http://www.mideastweb.org/3379.htm)
! 19 November, 1977: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visits Jerusalem
! 26 March, 1979: Egypt-Israel Camp David Peace Agreement signed by Israeli Prime
Minister Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat
! According to the Camp David Peace Agreement, Israel returned the entire Sinai
Peninsula including settlements and oil fields to Egypt in exchange for
normalization of relations.
! 7 June, 1981: Israel destroys Iraq’s Osiraq nuclear reactor
! 6 October, 1981: Islamic extremists assassinate Egyptian President Anwar Sadat
! 6 June, 1982: Israel launches “Operation Peace for the Galilee,” invading Lebanon
and encircling Beirut.
! 21 August, 1982: PLO expelled from Lebanon
! 16-17 September, 1982: Christian Phalangists attack Sabra and Shatila Palestinian
refugee camps
! Israeli forces had Sabra and Shatila surrounded but chose to look the other way
during the attack. Then Defense Minister Ariel Sharon was forced to resign his
position due to the scandal.
! November 1984: Operation Moses airlifts 7,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel
! 10 June, 1985: Israeli forces withdraw from Lebanon into a small strip of land in
Southern Lebanon
! 8 December, 1987: Beginning of first Palestinian Intifada
! 16 January-27 February, 1991: Persian Gulf War
! During the Gulf War, Iraq fired several Scud missiles into Israel. Israel was asked
by the United States not to retaliate so the U.S. could maintain its coalition of
Arab States.
! While most Arab countries sided with the United States, the PLO sided with Iraq.
After Iraq lost the war, the PLO lost much money and reputation, prompting them
to attend the Madrid Peace Conference later that year.
! 24 May, 1991: Operation Solomon airlifts 14,400 Ethiopian Jews to Israel
! 30 October, 1991: Madrid Peace Conference
! The Madrid Peace Conference was the first multilateral talks between Israel and
its Arab neighbors including Palestinian representatives.
! 16 December, 1991: UN repeals “Zionism is Racism” with Resolution 46/86
(http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0jc50)

Oslo through the Present

! 13 September, 1993: Declaration of Principles (Oslo Accords) signed by Yitzhak

Rabin and Yasser Arafat at the White House
(http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00q00)
! The Oslo Accords establish land-for-peace as the solution to the conflict between
the Israelis and the Palestinians with an eventual goal of fulfilling U.N.
Resolutions 242 and 338
! 25 February, 1994: Baruch Goldstein kills 29 Palestinian worshippers in Hebron
! 4 May, 1994: Gaza-Jericho Agreement
(http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00q20)
! 1 July, 1994: Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat enters Gaza
! 14 October, 1994: Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat awarded Nobel
Peace Prize
! 26 October, 1994: Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty signed by Yitzhak Rabin and King
Hussein
! The Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty was the first treaty signed between Israel and an
Arab country not based on land-for-peace. Joint economic ventures including a
joint Eilat-Aqaba airport were key features of the treaty.
! 1 December, 1994: Palestinian Authority (PA) takes administrative control of
portions of the West Bank
! 28 September, 1995: “Oslo II” Interim Agreement signed
! 4 November, 1995: Yitzhak Rabin assassinated by an Israeli extremist
! 31 December, 1995: Israel completes withdrawal from several Palestinian cities in
the West Bank
! 20 January, 1996: Palestinian Council elections; Arafat elected Chairman of the
Palestinian Authority
! February-March 1996: Suicide bombings kill more than 50 Israelis
! 17 January, 1997: Israel withdraws from Hebron
! 10 June, 1997: U.S. Congress recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s “United Capital”
! White House and State Department have still refused to move the American
Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
! 23 October, 1998: Israel-Palestinian Wye River Memorandum
! The Wye River Memorandum signed by Yasser Arafat and Benjamin Netanyahu
reestablished protocol for accomplishing the “Oslo II” Interim Agreement, and set
up a timeline for further redeployments by Israel.
! 10 December, 1998: Palestinians vote to remove the clause from PA charter calling
for the destruction of Israel
! 5 September, 1999: Sharm el-Sheik Agreement
! The Sharm el-Sheik Agreement reaffirmed the “Oslo II” Interim Agreement.
! 24 March, 2000: Israel unilaterally withdraws from Southern Lebanon thus
complying with UN Resolution 425
(www.un.org/documents/sc/res/1978/78r425e.pdf)
! 11-15 July, 2000: Camp David II Summit
! Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offers 100% of the Gaza Strip, 93% of the
West Bank with the equivalent of an additional 2% in a land swap from Israel to a
future Palestinian state, and a divided Jerusalem. Yasser Arafat rejects this offer
because of a lack of a solution to the refugee problem.
! 28 September, 2000: Ariel Sharon visits Temple Mount
! 29 September, 2000: The second Intifada begins
! 7 October, 2000: Hezbollah kidnaps three Israeli soldiers
! 12 October, 2000: Palestinians lynch two off-duty IDF soldiers who mistakenly enter
Ramallah
! 16-17 October, 2000: Sharm el-Sheik Summit fails to stop the violence
! December 2000-January 2001: Israelis and Palestinians meet at Taba but fail to
come to an agreement
! Prime Minister Ehud Barak offers 100% of the Gaza Strip, 95% of the West Bank
with the equivalent of an additional 2% in a land swap from Israel to a Palestinian
entity. He also offered a divided Jerusalem and a solution to the refugee problem.
Most political commentators speculate that it was rejected because of the wide-
spread belief that Barak would lose the elections scheduled for a month
afterwards and his opponent Ariel Sharon wouldn’t follow through with the
agreement.
! 6 February, 2001: Ariel Sharon elected Prime Minister
! 20 May, 2001: Mitchell Report published
(http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0jz50)
! The Mitchell Report confirmed the fact that Ariel Sharon’s visit to the Temple
Mount in Jerusalem was not the cause of the current Intifada.
! 28 March, 2002: Saudi Peace Initiative approved by Arab League
(http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=146368)
! The Saudi Peace Initiative called for Israeli return to pre-1967 borders in
exchange for normalization of relations with all Arab countries.
! 28 March-5 April, 2002: Near-daily suicide bombings rock Israel including a
bombing of a Passover festival meal
! April 2002: Israelis respond to suicide bombings with military actions in West Bank
and Gaza Strip including siege of Yasser Arafat’s compound in Ramallah, and a
stand-off with gunmen in Bethlehem
! 24 June, 2002: U.S. President George W. Bush calls Palestinian Authority
“irrelevant” and demands a regime change prior to any dealings.
! 31 July, 2002: Bomb explodes at Hebrew University killing 9 including 5 Americans.
! August 2002: Gaza-Bethlehem First Plan
! Palestinian Authority and Government of Israel reach deal where Israel will turn
security responsibilities in the Gaza Strip and Bethlehem over to the Palestinians
on the condition that they are able to stop terror in those places. Plan works in
Bethlehem but fails to reign in terror in the Gaza Strip.