A HOME to MANY

ISSUE TWENTY -THREE

honesthistory.co
 ISSUE TWENTY-THREE•SPRING 2024

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A Letter for Young Historians

Dea r Yo un g Hi s tor ia n s ,

Many of you have probably heard the adults in your life talking
abo u t the wa r u nfold in g in Is rae l and Pal e s tin e . The co nf li c t
between t h e se co mm un i t ie s i s one wi t h a co mpl i ca te d h i s to ry a nd
one we could not even begin to cove r in a 64-page magazine. It
is our hope that Honest History can provi d e a b as i c s ta rt i n g p oint
for yo u to be g in yo u r own re s ea rc h i nto th is top i c and l e ar n mo re
about both sides.

This is not meant to be an all-inclusive history on the matter.

There are many people, events, and moments in time that we
co uld not i ncl u d e in t h i s is s u e of t h e m ag a zi ne . It is o u r ho p e t ha t
you can learn about the background of the hostilities and get a
better understanding of why current events are progressing as
they are.

Thi s co nf li ct i s o ne th a t h as caus e d pa i n for g e n e rat i o ns a nd

co nti nue s to be a s ource of s a d ne s s for p e op l e arou nd t he wo r ld.
But by learning about the past, we can try fo r a better future.

Ke ep u p t he res earch , yo un g hi s to ri ans , a nd kn ow t ha t yo u ca n

make a b ig i mp a ct on h istor y to da y.

Brooke Knight

Edi tor-in -C hi ef
 Table of Contents

Welcome to Israel and Palestine ...................... 6

You Probably Didn’t Know ................................. 8

People You Should Know ................................. 10

A Land of Ancient Civilizations ........................ 12

Israel-Palestine Conflict: A History ................... 16

A Remarkable Find .......................................... 28

Would You Like Some Hummus? .................... 36

The Oslo Accords ............................................. 40

Percy’s Mailbox ................................................ 44

Thinking It Over .............................................. 46

The War of 1967 ............................................... 48

Words We Should Learn .................................... 54

Alphabet Activity .............................................. 56

In Case You Missed It ...................................... 58

F E A T U R E D
YO U N G H I S T O R I A N

My favorite
color is:
Blue.
What is your
favorite thing to
study in school?
N T.
My favorite thing to am n
e: Na tha
study is math. ro Ag e : 7 t

s
F
m: s et
Ma ssachu

Would you rather

live in the past or
the future? Why? What do you
Do you have any I would live in the do for fun?
siblings? future because then I like to ride my bike,
there might be faster draw, hike, and
I have two siblings;
cars. read books.
the youngest is Oliver,
the middle is Noah,
and I am the oldest.

Who are your What do you

heroes? want to be when
you grow up?
My favorite thing My hero is Neil
to read is: Armstrong. I want to be a
geologist.
Honest History and
The Vanderbeekers.

HONEST HISTORY | 5
 ISRAEL
POPULATION: 9,550,600 as of 2022
CURRENCY: Israeli New Shekel (ILS)
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Hebrew
SHARES A BORDER WITH:
the Palestinian territories of the West Bank
and Gaza Strip, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria

CONTINENT: Asia

&
PALESTINE
POPULATION: 5,043,612 as of 2022
CURRENCIES: Israeli New Shekel (ILS),
Jordanian Dinar (JOD)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Arabic

SHARES A BORDER WITH:
Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria

CONTINENT: Asia

* For the pur po se s of this pag e, Palest ine is def ined as the West B ank a nd t he Gaza Strip.
Y O U P R OBA
BLY
Israel is home to Jewish,
Arab, Christian, and Druze
communities.
Palestine boasts the first all-female race car
team in the Middle East. The team is called
the Speed Sisters.

The Dead Sea, the lowest point on

Earth, is located at the border between
the West Bank, Israel, and Jordan.
Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities
in the world and is important to
Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Today,
both Israelis and Palestinians claim
Jerusalem as their capital.

HONEST HISTORY | 8
 D I D N ’ T KNOW

Many Palestinians were displaced during

the wars and conflicts. Today, there are
about 5.9 million Palestinian refugees
living across the Middle East.
Today, Israel is often called a “startup
nation” due to its high number of technology
companies. One important innovation was in
drip irrigation to grow crops.

Today, the two Palestinian

territories include the Gaza
Strip and the West Bank.

Fruits like pomegranates, olives, dates,

figs, and grapes are native to Palestine and
Israel. Thousands of Jewish refugees moved to
Israel in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Some 140,000 of these refugees were
Holocaust survivors.

YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW | 9

 PEOPLE YOU
U Q A N KNOWN as the “Poetess
T of Palestine,’’ Fadwa Tuqan
witnessed a turbulent period in
her country’s history. She was
A

born in 1917 while Palestine

FA DW

was under British rule.

Although she came from a
wealthy family, her strict
home life made it difficult
for Tuqan to receive an
education.

Her brother, the well-

known poet Ibrahim Tuqan,
noticed his sister’s interest
in poetry and began
teaching her at home.

FADWA began to write poems about

her personal experiences as a woman in Palestine. Following the wars
of 1948 and 1967, she became more interested in politics. Her poetry
began to focus on her experience living under Israeli occupation and
the struggles of the Palestinian people.

Today, she is considered an important figure in Arabic literature

and the most famous female poet in Palestine.

HONEST HISTORY | 10
SHOULD KNOW
BORN in Königsberg, Prussia,
Lea Goldberg would grow up to
LEA G
become an influential Hebrew-

OL
language poet. She spent her
early childhood in Kovno,

DB E
Lithuania. Then, during
World War I, the Russian
government forced her
family and many other

RG
Jews to leave their homes.

After the war, she returned

to Lithuania and began
writing poems at 12 years old.

ALTHOUGH her parents

did not speak Hebrew, Goldberg
learned the language at a young age
and went on to study it at university.
In 1935, she moved to Mandate Palestine and began publishing
poetry. Lea was one of the few female poets to write in Hebrew at
that time.

During her career, she also worked as a translator, teacher, children’s

book author, and playwright. Today, her writings are considered
classics of Israeli literature.

PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW | 11

A LA ND O F A N C IEN T
C IV IL IZ AT I ONS

Canaanites
Canaanites were the people
of a land called “Canaan.” This ancient
land may have included parts of
modern-day Palestine, Israel, Lebanon,
Syria, and Jordan.

Canaanites worshiped over 200

different gods.

Historians believe Canaanites

did not have a single ruler, so many
different groups and cultures could
be called “Canaanite.”

The Phoenicians were a people of

Canaanite origin. They were famous for
their alphabet, purple cloth,
and ships.

The world’s oldest translated

sentence was written by Canaanites on
a comb. What were they writing
about? Trying to get rid of head lice!

HONEST HISTORY | 12
 THE REGION THAT IS NOW PALESTINE AND ISRAEL HAS BEEN
SETTLED AND RULED BY MANY ANCIENT CULTURES AND PEOPLES.

L ET’S LEARN ABOUT THEM!

Isr aelites
The Israelites lived in part of Canaan
during the Iron Age and established the
Kingdom of Israel.

Their kingdom later split into two: the

Kingdom of Israel to the north and the
Kingdom of Judah to the south.

The Israelites worshiped one God and

recorded their stories, songs, laws, and
beliefs in the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh.
The first five books of this text are called
the Torah.

The Temple of Jerusalem was the center

of the kingdom’s cultural and religious
life. Centuries later, it was destroyed
twice: once by the Babylonians and
another time by the Romans.

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS | 13
 Philistines
The Philistines lived in Canaan during
the Iron Age in a region called Philistia.

They largely settled in cities near the

coast, and records suggest they may
have been seafaring people.

They knew how to forge weapons

out of iron, which were much stronger
than bronze weapons. These gave
them an advantage in battle.

The Philistines worshiped many

different gods that shared similarities
with the Canaanite gods.

Historians believe the word

Palestine comes from the word
Philistia.

HONEST HISTORY | 14
 The Israelites and Philistines were
conquered by the Assyrians and the
Babylonians. These conquerors both
came from the ancient region of
Mesopotamia in West Asia.

In the centuries that followed,

Canaan would be ruled by many
more groups, including the Persians,
Greeks, Romans, Arabs,
and Ottomans.

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS | 15
THE

CONFLICT:
A HISTORY

A LAND DIVIDED
WHERE ON EARTH?
The land that is known today as Israel
and Palestine is nestled between the
Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan
River. There are sandy beaches and
sunny mountains that cut through
the horizon. There are vibrant new
cities and fascinating ancient ruins.
Interestingly, nobody can agree on
who owns this beautiful land.

THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT: A HISTORY | 17

 ANCIENT TIMES
WHO WAS THERE FIRST?
Historians believe the first people to live in this area were called the
Canaanites. There is very little historical evidence of the Canaanites for
us to learn from today, but we think they were an agricultural society settled
in the modern-day city of Jericho.

15 s-19 s
OTTOMAN
PALESTINE
The Ottoman rulers, or
Sultans, were Muslim and
ruled over a large empire
with many different religions,
languages, and ethnic
groups.

By the time the Ottomans

took over, most of the
people who lived in Ottoman
Palestine were Muslims, but
some were also Christian and
Jewish.

Most Ottoman Palestinians, no matter their religion, were Arab.

HONEST HISTORY | 18
This means they spoke Arabic, and their ancestors were from the
Middle East and North Africa.

The most famous city in Ottoman Palestine was Jerusalem. Jews,

Christians, and Muslims from all around the world believe that Jerusalem
is a holy city, meaning it is important for their religion.

MANY
PALESTINIANS
WERE FARMERS, BUT
SOME ALSO HAD
JOBS AS TRADERS,
SHEPHERDS,
TEACHERS, AND EVEN
PIGEON TRAINERS!

THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT: A HISTORY | 19

 ̽IONISTS
In 1880, a Jewish man
living in Europe named
Theodor Herzl helped
organize a movement
called Zionism, which
called for a Jewish
national homeland.
Jews had a long history
of being persecuted.

In the 1880s, Jews

in Eastern Europe
were subjected to
pogroms: violent riots
that destroyed the
properties of the Jews
and often ended in
their deaths as well.

While some Jews emigrated to other countries, others agreed with

Theodor Herzl that Jews would be safer if they had their own country.

THE PEOPLE WHO AGREE WITH THIS IDEA ARE

CALLED ̽IONISTS. THEY HAD
MEETINGS TO DECIDE WHERE THE JEWISH
COUNTRY SHOULD BE.

HONEST HISTORY | 20
They decided that Palestine, or Eretz Israel, would be the best choice
because of Jews’ cultural, religious, and historical ties to the region.

By the early 1900s, some European Jews started to move to Palestine,

which was still ruled by the Ottoman Empire. Many Zionists believed
that very few people lived in Ottoman Palestine. They had a popular
saying, “A land without People for a People without land.”

IN HEBREW, E RET̽ MEANS “LAND,” AND

ISRAEL MEANS “ONE WHO STRUGGLES
WITH GOD” OR “GOD PREVAILS,” BUT
MAINLY IT IS THE NAME OF THE TRIBE
OF ISRAEL WHICH THE BIBLE, OR TANAKH,
SAY JEWS COME FROM.

But this was not true. There were many Palestinians living on the
land. When the Zionists moved onto the land, they would often have
conflicts with Palestinians.

THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT: A HISTORY | 21

 WORLD WARS
TOO MANY PROMISES
The Ottoman Empire fought on the losing side in World War I.
After the war, Britain and other European countries decided Britain
should take temporary control over Palestine.

This was a problem because Britain had promised

Palestine to many different people.

In 1916, British officials secretly promised an Arab

tribe the right to govern Palestine as part of an Arab
kingdom in exchange for their help fighting the
Ottomans.

In 1917, the British also made a declaration that they

would support a Jewish national home in Palestine.

MANDATE PERIOD
After World War I, an international group called the League of Nations
gave Britain control over the area—a government system they called
“The Mandate for Palestine.” The years between 1922-1948 are called
the Mandate Period.

The League of Nations said that the British government could create
laws for Palestine and made decisions without asking Palestinians
for their opinion.

HONEST HISTORY | 22
 Under the Mandate, the
British were also supposed
to leave eventually, but
they stayed for a long time.

During the Mandate Period,

Palestinians and Zionists
fought a lot.

The Palestinians wanted

to be able to have their
own government and did
not want anyone else to rule
over them. They were
worried that the British
would give too much
power to the Zionists.

The Zionists thought

they had the right to live
on the land and also
wanted to have their own
government to be safe from persecution.

PERSECUTION IN EUROPE
During World War II, Jews were again persecuted in Europe. Between 1933
and 1945, over six million Jews were killed by the Nazis. Many more were sent
to concentration camps where they were starved and tortured. This is called
the Holocaust. Many Jews tried to leave areas under German control, but
few countries would let them in.

THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT: A HISTORY | 23

After the war ended, many Jews had nowhere to go, which helped make
the idea of Zionism very appealing. More and more Jews started moving to
Mandate Palestine.

PARTITION PLAN
After World War II, Britain was weak. They had spent a lot of money
on the war, and many of their citizens had died in battle.
Britain could no longer rule over Palestine, so they asked the
United Nations to help them come up with a plan. The
United Nations decided to partition, or divide, the land
between Zionists and Palestinians. The United Nations
also decided they would control Jerusalem.

The new map of the area looked like a jigsaw

puzzle. Palestinians were given land in the west
called Gaza and an area in the east called the
West Bank. The West Bank looks like it is on the east
side of the territory, but because it is west of the
Jordan River, it is called the “West Bank.”

The Zionists were given the rest of the land. Palestinians and
other Arab countries did not like this plan because they thought it
gave too much land to the Zionists.

The Zionists hesitantly agreed to the plan because it would officially

establish a new Jewish state, which they named “Israel.”

HONEST HISTORY | 24
 1948 AND BEYOND
WAR OF INDEPENDENCE OR CATASTROPHE?
In 1948, the British left the land. Fighting immediately broke out between
the newly established Israel and the surrounding Arab countries of Egypt,
Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. After almost one year, Israel defeated
the Arab armies. However, Egypt gained control of Gaza, and Jordan
took control of the
West Bank and East
Jerusalem. Other Arab
countries were still
upset with Israel. They
did not think Israel
had the right to create
a country on what
they considered to be
Palestinian land.

The Israelis call this

conflict the War of
Independence because
they created their own
independent country
after the war.

Palestinians call it the

Nakba, which means
“catastrophe” in
Arabic.

THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT: A HISTORY | 25

 Palestinians call this a
catastrophe because over
750,000 Palestinians were
kicked out of their homes,
and they were not able to
have their own country.

WHO HAS THE

RIGHT?
For many years, there
were high tensions
between Israel and the
Palestinians, along
with their Arab allies.
Palestinians wanted to
return to the homes they
were kicked out of.
Israel would not let
Palestinians return
until they recognized
Israel’s right to have
a Jewish country on the
land. Many Palestinians and surrounding Arab countries refused.

TENSIONS CONTINUE
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza were facing worse
and worse living conditions. Israel built settlements in the West Bank.
These settlements are towns or even cities just for Jews. Many of the
settlements were illegal under international law, but international law
can be difficult to enforce. Many Palestinians who were kicked out of
their homes after different wars were forced to live in refugee camps.
Israel also built checkpoints, so Palestinians could not travel freely.

HONEST HISTORY | 26
They had to carry an ID card with them, and they were often not allowed
to cross into Israeli territory. Israel said they made these rules and
settlements to keep their country safe, but Palestinians did not think
these laws were fair.

BOILING POINTS
On December 9, 1987, Palestinian frustration boiled over. They marched
down streets, went on strike, and refused to buy Israeli products. Some
Palestinians turned to violence. They threw rocks and fire at Israeli
soldiers and blocked off parts of cities. Israel responded by sending in
more soldiers who beat, arrested, and deported Palestinians.

This period became known

A SECOND INTIFADA as the First Intifada, which
OCCURRED IN 2000 AND means “shaking off”
RESULTED IN MORE LOSS or “uprising” in Arabic.
OF LIFE FOR BOTH About 160 Israelis and
ISRAELIS AND 1,160 Palestinians were

PALESTINIANS.
killed. Fighting eventually
stopped with the signing of
the Oslo Accords in 1993.

UNCERTAINTY TODAY
Conflicts between Israel and Palestinians remain ongoing. Israelis want
to make sure Israel is a safe country for Jewish people. They want to be
safe from persecution and safe from other countries attacking them. At
the same time, Palestinians want their own country. They want to live in
the houses their families have lived in for generations, and to be able to
live and travel without restrictions.

Both sides have valid claims to the land, which has led to nearly constant
conflict in the region for generations.

THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT: A HISTORY | 27

HONEST HISTORY | 28
IN 2017, archaeologists made a truly remarkable discovery, one
that sheds light on a fascinating moment in history. At the site of
‘En Esur, located in the northwest part of Israel, an ancient city
was discovered.

The city dates back to the Early Bronze Age (c. 3300–3000 BCE),
and at its peak, was bustling with activity. Let’s ask two of the
site’s archeologists, Itai Elad and Yitzhak Paz, some questions
about this amazing find.

1. The site was first discovered during construction on a

nearby road. What was the condition of the city at the
time it was found, and did the road cause any damage to
the site?

THE site was already known to us since it was excavated on

a small scale about 30 years ago. What we didn’t know was how
big and densely built it was. Before the excavation, we did probe
trenching, which is a common practice to understand the intensity
of the archaeological remains before excavating them. This
process means we dig many trenches (with a backhoe tractor)
until we reach the first archaeological layer.

To our surprise, the remains of the Early Bronze Age city were
found almost immediately under the modern-day surface, an
extremely rare situation considering that they are about 5,000
years old.

In the excavation itself, we discovered that the remains were very

well preserved, especially the architecture.

A REMARKABLE FIND | 29
2. How long does it take to excavate a city of this size?
Roughly how many people are working on it each day?

THE length of the excavation depends on how many people are

working each day. On average, we had about 200 workers per
day, which is a lot!

Salvage excavations are usually fast since they are restricted

by a certain budget and timetables. The size of the city, as we
understand it, was approximately 65 hectares (approximately 161
acres). We excavated only about 10 percent of that, which is still
one of the largest excavations ever conducted in Israel.

3. Who has helped excavate the site?

THE excavation staff was composed of archaeologists, surveyors,

and other professional personnel working in the Israel Antiquities
Authority. The workers were, for the most part, paid employees,
both Israeli and Palestinian.

We also hosted a large number of youths. They usually came in

groups for about a week or two to both learn about archaeology
and to participate in the actual excavation work.

4. What types of buildings have been uncovered?

THE buildings of the Early Bronze Age city at ‘En Esur are some
of the most remarkable things we’ve uncovered.

HONEST HISTORY | 30
The people of the city constructed a very large and complex
network of streets and alleys that allowed them to move freely
within the settlement. Between the streets, neighborhoods were
formed, and within them, private houses and courtyards.

The typical Early Bronze Age houses we found were either

capsular in shape or rectangular with rounded corners. An
average house would have measured about 10 x 3.5 meters, so
they were quite large.

Beside the houses, we also uncovered two public buildings.

A REMARKABLE FIND | 31
HONEST HISTORY | 32
The first is a 22-meter long building that we have identified as a
temple. The second is a round structure, 7.80 meters in diameter,
with walls two meters thick. These kinds of buildings, judging by
their size and related finds, are not domestic.

5. What are the homes made of?

THE houses in the Early Bronze Age were usually made of

stones, mud, and wood. The walls were built of stone foundations
that usually rise slightly above the level of the floor. Upon the
foundations were courses, or layers, made of sun-dried mud brick
made from local soils.

The floor was mostly beaten earth or more rarely paved with
flat stones. We assume that the roofs of the houses were made
of wood since we didn’t find them in the excavation. Organic
materials such as wood don’t survive long in this region of the
country.

6. Have any important artifacts been uncovered

during the excavation?

YES, we have found many interesting artifacts. Probably the most

exciting are the ones we found in the temple, including a very rare
head of a humanlike figurine and a pottery shard that bears an
impression of a cultic scene that involves humans and animals.

A REMARKABLE FIND | 33
7. How do archaeologists decide a site has been
fully excavated?

IF you’re talking about sites in general, we never fully excavate

them.

Archaeologists will always excavate only a portion of the site and

leave other parts of it for future archaeologists who will surely
have more knowledge and better technology than we currently
possess.

If you are referring to the specific area of an excavation,

archaeologists aim to excavate until reaching the virgin soil, or
bedrock, meaning there are no more archaeological layers
beneath.

8. Why is the site of ‘En Esur so important?

What does it tell us about the history of the region?

‘EN ESUR is now the largest known site in Israel from the Early
Bronze Age. Beginning as a small village, it ultimately grew to a
staggering 65 hectares, and an extensive portion was revealed
during our excavation. Although we already knew a little about
the appearance of urban centers during the Early Bronze Age,
this is the first large-scale city we have found.

The excavation has exceeded all of our expectations. The find is

important because it helps us put this puzzle together, giving us a
better understanding of this crucial moment in the history of our
region, when people changed their way of living, building large
cities and all that comes with them.

HONEST HISTORY | 34
 WOULD YOU LIKE
Hummus has been around
for ages. In fact, one of
the first written hummus
recipes dates back to the
13th century!

The earl
mashed y recipes called
ch fo
tahini, an ickpeas, vinega r
d r, o
several c many spices. To il,
d
the M idd ountries through ay,
l e E a st h out
ve r s i o n o a v e a m
f hummu odern
s.

e
m a n y of thes ore
Fo r mus is
m
e s , h u m
c o u nt r i j u s t a f o o d — i t
than
n t s a p art of a
r e p r e s e h e ri t a g e a n d
l
Let’s make a n a t i o n a nt i t y .
ide
modern take on
a medieval
hummus
recipe.

HONEST HISTORY | 36
SOME HUMMUS?
Medieval Recipe: Himmas Kassa
Take chickpeas and after they boil,
pound them finely with vinegar, olive oil,
tahini (sesame paste), black pepper, atraf teeb
(spice blend), mint, parsley, and dried thyme.

Add [and continue pounding] shelled walnut,

hazelnut, almond, and pistachio, as well as
Ceylon cinnamon, toasted caraway
seeds, coriander seeds, salt, lemon
preserved in salt, and olives.

Stir all to blend, and then spread

[on a plate] and set aside overnight,
and eat it. It will be wonderful,
God willing.

The recipe above is translated

from a 14th-century cookbook
called K itab Wasf al-At’ima
al-Mu’tada. It was likely written
in Cairo, Egypt.

WOULD YOU LIKE SOME HUMMUS ? | 37

 MODERN TAKE ON
1 can of chickpeas

2 tablespoons tahini, stirred

with water and wine vinegar,
2 tablespoons of each

1/4 cup finely ground walnut,

combined with 2 tablespoons
of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon
of wine vinegar

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped mint

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of each: caraway,

coriander, black pepper, ginger,
and cinnamon, all crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

For garnish: olive oil, chopped

pistachio, chopped parsley, and
cinnamon

HONEST HISTORY | 38
 HIMMAS KASSA
Mash the chickpeas by
hand or in a food processor
until smooth.

Next, add the tahini

mixture and remaining
ingredients and mix
thoroughly.

Add garnish and

serve with bread
or crackers.

WHO INVENTED HUMMUS?

This is still heavily debated.
In fact, hummus can be a
source of conflict. In 2008,
Lebanon accused Israel of stealing
hummus and marketing it as their
national dish. During these “Hummus
Wars,” Lebanon sued Israel for
infringement of food copyright laws.
Hummus is important to many people
and their cultural heritage.

WOULD YOU LIKE SOME HUMMUS ? | 39

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HONEST HISTORY | 44
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PERCY’S MAILBOX | 45
 The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has
been ongoing for many generations. What do you
think it would be like to grow up in the midst of a
conflict such as this?

What are some things you think people from both

sides can agree on?

HONEST HISTORY | 46
As young historians, we know that it’s important to
check sources, do our own research, and not believe
everything we see in the media. What are a few ways
we can check media sources?

THINKING IT OVER | 47
 THE WAR OF 1967
After the war of 1948, Israelis’ war of Independence and Palestinians’
“Nakba,” or catastrophe, there was no peace between Israel and the
defeated Arab states. There was only an armistice, or the end to fighting.

The Arab countries did not want to recognize Israel, in part because they
had lost to it in the war but also because recognizing Israel would mean
that the Arab countries had given up on Palestinian refugees being able to
return to their homes. Nineteen years later, tensions remained high.

WAR BEGINS
In 1967, the president of Egypt readied Egypt’s troops and threatened to
attack Israel. There are many explanations why this took place.

One explanation is that there were unresolved issues from the war of 1948.
Another explanation is that Egypt received false information from the
Soviet Union which had been helping supply Egypt and Syria with weapons.
Some also argue Egypt may have prepared for war because the Egyptian
president hoped foreign powers would intervene on behalf of Egypt as

HONEST HISTORY | 48
they had before in 1956. As news of Egypt’s threat spread, Israel prepared
its troops. On June 5, 1967, Israel launched a surprise attack on Egypt’s air
bases.

A six-day war had begun.

The 1967 War, also known as the Six-Day War or the 1967 Arab-
Israeli War, began on June 5, 1967, and ended on June 10, 1967. For
neighboring Arab countries and Palestinians, it would become known
as the “Naksa,” meaning set back. The war was fought between Israel
and a coalition of Arab states (primarily Egypt, Syria, and Jordan).
This war transformed the map of the Middle East.

THE WAR OF 1967 | 49

SURPRISE ATTACK
In response to Egypt’s threat, Israel
unleashed air raids and struck Egypt’s
planes while they were still on the
ground. Within hours, the base was
destroyed.

HONEST HISTORY | 50
Later that day, Israel targeted air bases in Syria and Jordan. These surprise
attacks dealt great damage to the Arab air force and showed Israel had a
strong military. Israel also sent their troops to attack at ground level. War
spread as Syrian and Jordanian soldiers joined Egypt in the fight. But by the
end of the six days, Israel had won.

THE WAR OF 1967 | 51

THE WAR’S LEGACY
After the war, Israel controlled several areas: the Gaza Strip, Sinai
Peninsula, West Bank, and Golan Heights. Israel occupied, or ruled over these
areas, and their populations, but did not make them part of Israel. It also took
over, or annexed, East Jerusalem, including the Old City of Jerusalem.

HONEST HISTORY | 52
It made the city part of Israel but did not force its Palestinian inhabitants
to become Israeli citizens. The old city of Jerusalem is an important
religious and cultural center for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Gaining
control of all of Jerusalem was very important to Israel.

The war changed the map of the Middle East. After 1967, Israel controlled
more land and people than ever before. Many Arab peoples were
unhappy with Israel’s expanding control. It had a huge impact on the
Palestinians who lived in those territories. Many were under Israeli control
but were not Israeli citizens. This meant they were controlled by an Israeli
military government, but could not vote for representatives, or on laws
which controlled their lives. Thousands more Palestinians were expelled
or fled their homes and are refugees to this day. In the following years,
Palestinian resistance to Israeli rule grew.

All the lands Israel occupied in 1967

are still at the center of the conflict.
Unfortunately, it has been difficult
for Israel, the Arab countries, and
Palestinians to find a peaceful
resolution. The war in 1967 is an
important event in Middle Eastern
history, with consequences that are
still felt today.

THE WAR OF 1967 | 53

 REFUGEE: ZIONISM:
someone who is a movement to establish
forced to leave their a homeland for the
county to avoid war, Jewish community.
persecution, or
natural disaster.

PARTITION:
ARAB:
the act of dividing
someone whose a country into
native language different parts.
is Arabic.

WORDS WE SHOUD
LEARN
MANDATE
PERIOD: JERUSALEM:
the declared
the period when Britain
capital of both Israel
occupied territories
and Palestine.
previously held by
the Ottoman Empire.

PERSECUTE:
to treat someone
cruelly because of
their appearance or
what they believe.

HONEST HISTORY | 54
 The Arabic Alphabet
Did you know the
words “giraffe” and
“coffee” originate
from Arabic?
Look at the letters below and practice writing them.

Arabic is the
official language of Palestine
and is widely spoken
HONEST HISTORY | 56 in Israel.
 The Hebrew Alphabet
Today, Hebrew
is the official
language
of Israel.
Look at the letters below and practice writing them.

Did you know

Hebrew almost died out
as a spoken language?
ALPHABET ACTIVITY | 57
 IN CASE YOU
c. 3000 BCE c. 1050 BCE
The Israelites
establish the
Kingdom of Israel

The Canaanites settle

in the ancient land
known as Canaan The Philistines
found Philistia

c. 1175 BCE

1917
Britain rules over
Palestine for the next
Palestine becomes
The modern state of 30 years
part of the Ottoman
Israel is created after Empire
the War of 1948
1517
1948

1967
The War of 1967
begins and
lasts six days Palestinans rise up
during the First Intifada

1987
HONEST HISTORY | 58
MISSED IT ... The Persian
Empire conquers
604 BCE the Babylonian
Empire

539 BCE

The Assyrians invade

the Kingdom of
Israel
The Babylonians
732 BCE invade Philistia 332 BCE

1099 CE

Alexander the Great

takes over Palestine
European forces
capture Jerusalem Romans troops
during the First occupy Palestine
Crusade
63 BCE
1993

The second Oslo Accords

is signed in Egypt

The first Oslo Accords is 1995

signed in Washington, DC
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | 59
CO
LOR IN THE
GA
RD
E

N
WORD SEARCH
WH ERE AR E TH E SE W O R D S?
CANAANITES OCCUPATION PEACE
ISR AEL OSLO ACCORDS REFUGEE
JERUSALEM PALESTINE WEST BANK
MANDATE PARTITION ZIONIST

I W O X S T F D P O E
S E C S M A N D A T E
R S C R S Y K R L R G
A T U B N Y S Z E E U
E B P Z I O N I S T F
L A A F X A J I T L E
C N T X B W C I I O R
F K I N G F A F N F F
R R O R P E A C E R R
C A N A A N I T E S Y
E J E R U S A L E M E
O S L O A C C O R D S
WORD SEARCH | 61
Get the boy to his favorite
fruit ˌ"10.&(3"/"5&ˍ

HONEST HISTORY | 62
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