What do Palestinians and Israelis want? Both want to establish

independent states (one Jewish and one Arab) on the same land.

Historic ties

Kingdom of Israel ca. 1000 bce – 700s bce

Arab control AD 600s – early 1900s

Religious ties

most holy sites for Jews

3rd holiest site for Muslims

Why do they fight?World War I –

Mandated Territories: Middle East was divided among Western European countries.

1917 Balfour Declarationthe British promised Arabs independence at the same time they supported the Zionist mvt

Why do they fight?

The Holocaust: 1930s-1940s• Dramatic increase in number of

European Jews migrating to Palestine.

• Many Arabs not happy with increase.• World pressure increased to create a

Jewish state.

Why do they fight?

UN Plan: create 2 states; one Jewish and one Arab

• Jewish reaction: supported the plan (declares statehood in 1948)

• Arab Reaction: did not support the plan; did not want to give up more than half their land to a Jewish minority

After 2 attacks by it’s Arab neighbors, once in 1948 and again in 1967, Israel won and gained control over what would be Palestinian territory according to the UN Plan.

Why do they fight?

Why do they fight?

refugees• hundreds of

thousands of Palestinians fled from or were kicked out of their homes

• many still live in refugee camps

• others have become citizens of other Arab countries

Occupied Territories– West Bank– Gaza Strip– Golan Heights

• buffer zones: protect Israel from neighbors

• illegal according to international law

Why do they fight?

Settlements• built by the Israelis

in the Occupied Territories

• effects on Palestinians– loss of

homes– denied

access to water– job loss –

unemployment– low paying

jobs

Why have there been problems with peace?

• lack of trust– both sides do not follow through on

promises– violence on both sides continues to

increase• internal pressures – extremist don’t

want to compromise

current situation• Palestinians have full control in Gaza

and in some areas of the West Bank.• All settlements in Gaza and some in

West Bank have been dismantled.

current situation

Wall on the green line

• protection barrier in the West Bank to keep terrorist out.

• Similar barriers exist in the Gaza Strip and near Syria and Lebanon.