1. Arab Israeli Conflict 1880--1948Arab Israeli Conflict 1880--1948
• key features of the modern
world
• political, economic, social and
technological features of the
origins of Arab-Israeli conflict
• forces for change that
emerged during the origins of
Arab-Israeli conflict
• the nature of the political,
social, economic and
technological change that
occurred in the origins of Arab-
Israeli conflict
• the impact of change and the
formation of Israel

2. Arab Israeli ConflictArab Israeli Conflict
Concepts to learn:
• Zionism
• Imperialism
• Decolonisation
• Aliyah
• Anti-Semitism
• Internationalism
• Nationalism
• League of Nations
• United Nations
• Alliances
• Spheres of influence
• Terrorism
• Diaspora
Major Players:
• Britain
• France
• USA
• Israel
• Palestine (PLO)
• Egypt
• Arab League

3. Description

4. Arab Israeli conflict: an overviewArab Israeli conflict: an overview
• Local conflict – Jews and Palestinians
• Regional conflict – Israel and Arab States
• International conflict – Ottoman Empire,
Britain France then USSR / US
• Conflict over land
• Conflict over religion
• Conflict over nation states

6. Arab Israeli conflict: an overviewArab Israeli conflict: an overview
Can be seen as a conflict between:
• Jews V Muslims
• Self defence V Self determination
• Competing Nationalisms
• Competing Fundamentalisms
• Interference from imperialist rivalries
• Proxy war between competing superpowers
• Oil is a ‘burning issue’ and ‘fuels’ the British and
American interference in the region

7. Palestinian FlagPalestinian Flag

8. Historical Rulers of PalestineHistorical Rulers of Palestine
• First settlement at
Jericho about
8000BC Canaanites
• 15thC BC Egyptians
• Moses escapes from
Egypt and returns to
the promised land.
• Israeli King David
conquered Jerusalem
in 1000BC
• Romans conquered
Palestine in 63BC and
ruled for 700 years.
• Islamic Empire 8thC AD
• The Crusades 1095-1291
rules by Christians
• Ottoman Empire 1517-
1917
• British influence 1889-
1914
• British mandate 1920-
1947
• UN partition 1947
• Israel’s declaration of
independence 1948

9. Israeli FlagIsraeli Flag

10. ZionismZionism
• The belief in the restoration of Eretz Yisrael –
Jewish homeland in Palestine to protect Jews
from persecution
• Zion means hill on which a temple is built in
Hebrew
• Gained currency amongst European Jews.
• 1897 Zionist World Conference officially adopted
this homecoming idea.
• Part of 19th
C nationalism
• Part of an reaction against anti-Semitism in
Europe
• Russia forced Jews to live separately which was
a form of apartheid
• Many Jews migrated to Europe and Palestine

12. ZionismZionism
• Theodore Herzl (1860-1904) published Der
Judenstaat in 1896 ( see source p.68 text)
• To unite the diaspora (dispersal of Jewish
communities around the world)
• Zionist Jews believed that God had chosen the
Jews to carry His message.
• Centuries of persecution had created a strong
national sentiment and a longing for peace and
security.
• The “Holy Land” was the preferred choice due to
the historical links to Palestine

13. ZionismZionism
• Anti-Semitism is a “special and peculiar hatred
of the Jews, which derives its unique power from
the historical relationship between Judaism and
Christianity” Bernard Lewis
• Jews seen as satanic, root of all evil,
conspiratorial, corrupt, inventors of capitalism
and communism and even enslavers.
• In short, they have been made scapegoats for
centuries.

14. The First AliyahThe First Aliyah
• Pogroms in Russia produced first exodus
of Jews between 1882-1903
• 2 million went to United States
• 30,000 to Palestine increasing population
to about 40,000 Jews
• 150,000 Arabs in Palestine
• Jews believed in agricultural self-
sufficiency and establishing Eretz Yisrael.

15. 22ndnd
Aliyah 1904-1914Aliyah 1904-1914
• New wave of immigrants brought socialist ideas
and laid the foundations for modern Israel.
• Jewish labour a vital factor in national revival
• Formation of independent settlements and
collective agriculture called kibbutzim
• Kibbutzes cooperated and kept costs down.
• They stopped hiring Arab labour
• By beginning of WW1 (1914) Jewish population
was 90,000
• Forty agricultural settlements
• Tel Aviv founded in 1909.

16. Three Important DocumentsThree Important Documents
1. The McMahon-Hussein Correspondence 1915
2. The Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916
3. The Balfour Declaration 1917
• All three lead to the British Mandate 1922-23 by
the League of Nations.

17. Impacts of WW1Impacts of WW1
• Ottoman Empire
collapsed after WW1
• Britain, France and
Russia all had significant
interests in Middle East
• After WW1 1918 British
forces (including
Australian and NZ)
controlled the region
• The Middle East was
divided between French
sphere of interest (Syria
and Lebanon) and British
(Palestine and Iraq).
• Sykes-Picot Agreement
1916 (read extracts p.52)
• British and French secret
security agreement which
divided the region which
included some area to
Russia.
• Palestine was to become
an international zone
while Britain and France
secured areas to the
south and north of
Jerusalem (see map p.53)

18. McMahon – Hussein LettersMcMahon – Hussein Letters
• Britain needed support of
Arabs to help defeat Turks.
• Encouraged a revolt against
Ottoman rulers in exchange for
independence and land
• 1915 started letters between
the High Commissioner in
Egypt Sir Henry McMahon and
the Sharif of Mecca Hussein
ended in 1916.
• Correspondence has been
subject to historical
interpretation about promises
made by Britain to Arabs
• British leaders are also holding
secret talks with Jewish
leaders about Eretz Yisrael in
1916
• June 1916 Hussein declared
independence and started
revolt.
• Lawrence of Arabia helped
coordinate the revolt.
• After was there was confusion
about the precise borders and
area to be given to Arabs –
especially in regards to
Palestine
• British didn’t give up Palestine
or Jerusalem to Arabs which
angered Hussein and
supporters
• (Read letters p.55-57)

19. Balfour Declaration Nov 2 1917Balfour Declaration Nov 2 1917
• British PM David Lloyd George
favoured Jewish homeland in
1916
• He hoped the large Jewish
populations in US and Russia
would influence their
Governments in WW1.
• Members of British Gov
thought a Jewish homeland
would help GB control
Palestine post-war era
• They preferred this to the
Sykes-Picot Agreement which
ceded land to Arabs and
French sphere of influence.
• Zionist leader Dr Chaim
Weizmann lobbied British Gov
for Eretz Yisrael through 1917.
• 2 Nov 1917 Britain issued
statement called Balfour
Declaration (British Foreign
Secretary Alfred Balfour)
• Declaration approved by
France and US
• Declaration regarded as a
victory by Zionists.
• Arabs condemned it because
land was promised to them in
the McMahon-Hussein
Correspondence. (read Balfour
Declaration p.59)

20. British Mandate 1920-1948British Mandate 1920-1948
• San Remo conference 1920 supported the
Balfour Declaration (post WW1 meeting of
victors to discuss new borders and spheres of
influence)
• Areas assigned by League of Nations to British
and French control
• Britain officially took control in July 1922
• Britain had to recognise Jewish homeland and
prepare for self governance. Also safeguard the
civil and religious rights of Palestinian Arabs

21. British Mandate 1922British Mandate 1922
The approximate borders of the British Ma

22. Mandate 1919-1939Mandate 1919-1939
• Period of stability undermined by periods of
rioting, strikes and armed clashes between Jews
and Arabs
• First Phase 1920-28 relatively stable
• Second Phase 1929-35 increased tensions
• Third Phase 1936-39 Arab revolt
• Governing body for Jews was The Jewish
Agency, Knesset and National Jewish Council
• Palestine Arab Council and Supreme Muslim
Council administered Arab sectors.
• Population growth increased tensions especially
immigration of European Jewry from Europe pre-
WW2

24. Churchill White Paper 1922Churchill White Paper 1922
• Released by Churchill to reassure Arabs that Britain
didn’t intend to impose Jewish majority on Palestine (read
document p.71 Retreat from Mandate)
• Zionist accepted the White Paper but Arabs did not.
• Arabs believed it supported Balfour Declaration.
• Fourth Arab Congress resolved political not violent
means should be used to resolve conflict.
• Fourth wave of Jewish immigration 1924-1930 added
35,000 in 1925 alone.
• More Arabs attracted to the area due to increased
economic activity.
• Second phase of riots start over dispute about the
Wailing Wall in 1929.

25. Sir Winston Churchill
Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill

26. Rioting and Violence 1925-1936Rioting and Violence 1925-1936
• Passfield White Paper 1930 recommended
Jewish immigration be stopped if it prevented
Arab employment. Further urged restriction of
land sales to Jews.
• Zionists opposed the report and lobbied the
Government to reject the recommendations. The
British Gov agreed.
• Created further mistrust by Arabs and steeled
their resolve to oppose the Mandate.
• Rise of Palestinian nationalism emerged and
began to override local or village loyalties.
• Role of Haj Amin al-Husseini became more
important as he led the Arab Higher Committee
and mobilised Palestinian strikes and riots.

27. Haj Amin al-Husseini 1936Haj Amin al-Husseini 1936

28. Peel Commission 1937Peel Commission 1937
• Riots and strikes erupted between 1936-39 with
large loss of life on both sides
• Peel Commission set up and concluded that
Arab national independence and hatred and fear
of Yisrael was the cause of unrest.
• PC also concluded that the sides were
irreconcilable and Mandate was unworkable.
• It recommended the Mandate be terminated and
separate Jewish and Palestinian states be
established.
• Jews accepted this but Arabs rejected saying
there would be no partition of Palestine.
• Further attacks from Arabs continued and Jews
set up the Havlagah (restraint) as self-defence.

30. 1939 White Paper1939 White Paper
• British now rejected the Peel Commission’s
recommendations
• Arabs refused to meet with Jewish leaders at the Round
Table Conference in Jan 1939.
• British Gov facing war in Europe had to appease Arabs
to secure oil rich Middle East.
• British abandoned Balfour Declaration.
• White Paper recommended establishment of
independent democratic Palestinian state and restriction
of Jewish immigration.
• Arab Higher Committee rejected these proposals
demanding an immediate Arab state and no more
Jewish immigration.
• Britain maintains this policy throughout war years.

31. Hitler’s pledge – “To rid Germany ofHitler’s pledge – “To rid Germany of
the Jews”the Jews”

32. Chronology of anti-Semitic eventsChronology of anti-Semitic events
in Europe 1933-1945in Europe 1933-1945
• 1933 – Boycott of Jewish
shops. Burning of books.
• 1935 - Nuremburg Laws.
Jews deprived of German
citizenship., No Jew can
marry a German.
• 1938 - Crystal Night.
organised anti-Jewish
violence and expulsion of
Polish Jews from
Germany
• WW2 begin 1 September
with invasion of Poland
• 1940 creation of Ghettoes
and relocation of Jews
• 1941 Invasion of USSR
and mass shooting of
Jews
• 1942 Wannsee
Conference. The Final
Solution – mass killing by
gassing
• April 1945. Germany
surrenders and the ‘Final
Solution’ is revealed.

34. The Shoah (Holocaust)The Shoah (Holocaust)

35. WWII and Middle EastWWII and Middle East
• Palestine was an important strategic area for Allies
during WW2 – access to Mediterranean and oil fields.
• British gave in to Arab demands to restrict Jewish
immigration – angered Zionists
• 1942/3 German’s advanced in North Africa, Balkans and
into the Soviet Union threatening oil fields at Baku.
• French Vichy Gov (Fascist sympathises) took over
Syrian administration
• British navy enforced immigration restriction and turned
Jews away fleeing Europe to appease Arabs.
• Two refugee ships sank after being intercepted by British
in 1940/41 killing nearly a thousand Jews fleeing Europe.
•

36. Jewish Response to WWIIJewish Response to WWII
• 18000 Jews joined the British Army to fight the Germans
in Palestine.
• Strong resistance still remained against British because
of appeasement of Arabs
• Zionist leaders turned to USA for support.
• Biltmore Program established by Ben Gurion. He called
for Jewish state in the whole of Western Palestine and
unlimited immigration. US very sympathetic.
• Haganah (Jewish defence force) continued to work
against the British and Germans. The Irgun broke away
and formed a more militant response than Haganah.
• This culminated in the bombing of the bridges and the
King David Hotel (British headquarters) in 1946 which
killed 91 people

37. Arab response to WWIIArab response to WWII
• Arabs still saw British and French as common
enemy
• Amin al-Husseini collaborated with the Germans
and helped organise a revolt against the British
in Iraq.
• A fatwa (call to holy war) was issued against the
British by al-Husseini in 1941
• However, moderate Arabs supported the British
war effort and 8000 Palestinians joined the
British Army.
• In 1945 the Arab League (Egypt, Iraq, Saudi
Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Transjordan
was formed and maintained their opposition to
Yisrael and immigration of Jews after the
holocaust.

38. Post WWIIPost WWII
• British Labour Government under PM Attlee continued
policy of 1939 White Paper which outraged Zionists
• Britain wanted to maintain control in region and now
threatened by the Soviet Union’s growing influence (later
to become the Cold War 1948-1990)
• USA under President Truman took on cause of Jewish
displaced persons.
• US also had rival interests to Soviet Union in region and
attempted to block them.
• The US supported partitioning Palestine but Britain
rejected this idea and referred the problem to the newly
formed United Nations in 1947.

39. UN Resolution 181UN Resolution 181
• Proposal to partition Palestine was hotly debated and
finally agreed upon 29 Nov 1947. Votes 33 for, 13
against, 19 abstained (Britain abstained, Australia
supported).
• Arabs rejected outright because they received 6400 km
and Jews received nearly 10,000
• Arabs saw it as a denial of their rights, betrayal by the
British and unfair that they had to atone the sins of the
Nazis for the holocaust.
• Newly formed Arab League warned the UN they would
intervene militarily and called the UN vote invalid.
• Most Zionists supported the UN 181 but some rejected it
because Jerusalem was not part of the Jewish state.
• By now the conflict had grown from a local one to a
regional clash between Jews and the surrounding Arab
nations (Arab League).