After wwll, why did the USA give Israel to the Jews?

Question

In 1942, the United Nations was formed and adopted a world peace declaration. Five years later, the US declared Israel to be the Jewish homeland and gave money, support and weapons nessesary for the Jews to remove, terrorize and murder the Palestinians in that region. Totally going against the United Nations own rules. The land of Israel is holy to most all of the people in the region, not just the Jews. Why did our president do it? And why have we continued to support Israel to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars over the years? Our armed forces are trying to help the Iraqi people, how can they trust us when we are still helping the upsurper keep their holy land. That would be like another country declaring that Texas belongs to the Mexicans and then giving them the latest and greatest weapons to remove all the current occupants. We'd be irate! I don't understand why we did it or why we continue to break our own rules. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel-United_States_relations

Answer 1

History of the State of Israel
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This article describes the history of the modern State of Israel, from its Independence Proclamation in 1948 to the present. The modern State of Israel gained independence in 1948 after more than sixty years of efforts by Zionist leaders to establish sovereignty and self-determination in the Jewish National Homeland.
Map of Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights
Map of Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights
Emblem of Israel State of Israel Flag of Israel
Geography

Land of Israel · Districts · Cities
Transport · Mediterranean · Red Sea
Judea and Samaria · Sea of Galilee
Jerusalem · Tel Aviv · Haifa
History

Jewish history · Timeline · Zionism · Aliyah
Herzl · Balfour · British Mandate
1947 UN Plan · Independence · Austerity
Arab-Israeli conflict · History

1948 War · 1949 Armistice
Jewish exodus · Suez War · Six-Day War
Attrition War · Yom Kippur War
1982 Lebanon War · 2006 Lebanon War
Peace proposals · Treaties with Egypt, Jordan
Israeli-Palestinian conflict · History

Timeline · 1948 Palestinian exodus
Occupation · Peace process
Peace camp · First Intifada · Oslo
Second Intifada · Barrier
Disengagement
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Contents
[hide]

* 1 Background
o 1.1 Political Zionism
* 2 Founding of the State and War of Independence
* 3 After the founding of the State of Israel
o 3.1 The Lavon Affair
o 3.2 1956 Sinai Campaign
o 3.3 Six-Day War
o 3.4 The Yom Kippur War
o 3.5 The "Zionism is Racism" UN Resolution
o 3.6 Egyptian-Israeli Peace Process
o 3.7 Lebanon
o 3.8 First Intifada
o 3.9 Gulf War
o 3.10 Immigration from the former Soviet Union
o 3.11 Middle East peace process
o 3.12 Assassination of Rabin
o 3.13 Election of Netanyahu
o 3.14 Hebron and Wye River agreements
o 3.15 Visit of the Pope
o 3.16 Withdrawal from Lebanon
o 3.17 Second Intifada
o 3.18 Special elections and negotiations by Barak
o 3.19 Israeli West Bank barrier
o 3.20 Disengagement from Gaza
o 3.21 Election of Ehud Olmert
o 3.22 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
* 4 Foreign relations of the State of Israel
* 5 Endnotes
* 6 References
* 7 Arab-Israeli peace diplomacy and treaties
* 8 See also
* 9 External links

[edit] Background

Main articles: Jewish history, Land of Israel, History of the Jews in the Land of Israel, and History of Palestine

The desire of Jews to return to their historical homeland was first expressed during the Babylonian captivity after 597 BCE. This became a universal Jewish theme after the Jewish-Roman wars, which included the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in the year 70 CE, and the exile that followed. The Jewish diaspora and the population that stayed in the Land of Israel continued to see it as their spiritual home and as the Promised Land; there is no evidence of any interruption of the Jewish presence there for the last three millennia. For generations, the universal theme of the ingathering of the exiles and the re-establishment of the kingdom of Israel carried mostly religious overtones due to the belief that the Jewish people would return to Zion with the coming of the Messiah, i.e., after divine intervention. Throughout centuries, some Jewish leaders proposed or attempted a return, but they were in a minority.

Between the 13th and 19th centuries, the number of those who made the aliyah (literally "ascent", Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel) rose mainly due to the resurgence of messianic fervor among the Jews of Spain, France, Italy, the Germanic states, Russia and North Africa. During this period, Jewish immigration was also spurred by a general decline in the status of Jews across Europe and an increase in religious persecution. The expulsion of Jews from England (1290) France (1391), Austria (1421) and Spain (the Alhambra decree 1492) were seen by many as a sign of approaching redemption and contributed to the messianic spirit of the time.

[edit] Political Zionism

Main articles: Zionism and Aliyah

By the mid-19th century, Palestine was a part of the Ottoman Empire populated mostly by Muslim and Christian Arabs, as well as Jews, Greeks, Druze, Bedouins and other minorities. By 1844, Jews constituted the largest population group (and by 1890 an absolute majority) in a few cities, most notably Jerusalem (although as a whole, the Jewish population in Palestine made up far less than 10% of the total).[1][2]

During the 19th century the spread of Enlightenment ideals across Europe led to the emancipation of Jews across the continent. It also led to a counter-reaction of Europeans who sought to prevent Jews from being granted citizenship and who saw them as alien, non-European community. Opponoents of Jewish civil rights called themselves antisemites and became increasingly well organized as the century wore on. In Tzarist Russia, the government actively encouraged pogroms in an effort to divert popular resentment at the government and to drive out the Jewish population.

The rise of anti-semitism, pogroms and the birth of new nations across Europe led many Jews to consider the possibility of re-establishing themselves as an independent nation. Support for pogroms from left-wing groups (as legitimate expressions of working class anger) led many socialist Jews to seek solutions within their own community.

Thus not only religious Jews were drawn to Israel but also secular nationalists and in addition to traditional religious Jewish communities, known as the Old Yishuv, the second half of the 19th century saw a new kind of Jewish immigrant, prevalently secular left-wing socialists who aimed to reclaim the land by working on it.

Mikveh Israel was founded in 1870 by Alliance Israelite Universelle, followed by Petah Tikva (1878), Rishon LeZion (1882), and other agricultural communities founded by the members of Bilu and Hovevei Zion.

In 1897, the First Zionist Congress proclaimed the decision "to establish a home for the Jewish people in Eretz-Israel secured under public law."[3]

The Balfour Declaration of 1917 asserted that the British Government "view[ed] with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people"..."it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine". This declaration was supported by a number of other countries, including the United States, and became more important following World War I, when the League of Nations assigned the United Kingdom the Palestine mandate.

Jewish immigration grew slowly in the 1920s; it increased substantially in the 1930s, due to political turmoil in Europe and Nazi persecution, until restrictions were imposed by UK in 1939. After the end of World War II, and the near-extermination of European Jews by the Nazis, international support for Jews seeking to settle in Palestine overcame British efforts to restrict immigration.

Since the Holocaust, Judaism has become overwhelmingly Zionist.[4][5][6] Today all of Reform, Conservative and Modern Orthodoxy is staunchly Zionist, and most Haredi Jews have changed from anti-Zionism (active opposition to Zionism) to non-Zionism (neutrality towards Zionism.)

While non-Zionist Jewish organizations and movements are the minority, they are still very active both in Israel and in the global Jewish Diaspora. Orthodox Jewish anti-Zionist organizations include: Satmar, Skullene, Neturei Karta, Bene Yoel, Breslov, Brisk, Hazon Ish, Toldoth Avrohom Yitzchok, Toldoth Aharon, Slonim, and many others.[7]

All Hasidic Jewish opponents to Zionism, including Rabbi Teitelbaum and Rabbi Shapira, do approve of Jews living in the Land of Israel. Their opposition is not to Jews living in the Land of Israel, but to the ideology of Zionism. Indeed, there are many Hasidim and yeshivos of both Munkacz, Satmar and many other strongly anti-Zionist groups in Israel, particularly in Jerusalem. Yakov M. Rabin, a professor of history at the University of Montreal, argues in his book ‘’A Threat Within: A Century of Jewish Opposition to Zionism,’’ that Haredi Jews who publicly criticize Zionism do so for two religiously-based reasons:

“The first of these is to prevent desecration of the name of God. And since the State of Israel often claims to be acting on behalf of all the world's Jews, and even in the name of Judaism, these Jews feel they must explain to the public, and primarily to non-Jews, the falsehood of this pretension. The second commandment is to preserve human life. By exposing the Judaic rejection of Zionism, they hope to protect Jews from the outrage they believe the State of Israel has generated among the nations of the world.”[12]

Secular organizations include Israeli Anarchists against the Wall and locally-organized Jewish anti-Zionist groups in most major urban centers throughout Europe and North America.[8]

[edit] Founding of the State and War of Independence

Main article: 1948 Arab Israeli War

Following World War II, the British announced their intention to withdraw from the British mandate of Palestine. The United Nations General Assembly proposed the partition of Palestine into two states, an Arab state and a Jewish state, with the city of Jerusalem to be under the direct administration of the United Nations. While most Jews in Palestine accepted the proposal, most of the Arabs in Palestine rejected it. Violence between Arab and Jewish communities erupted almost immediately. Toward the end of the British mandate, the Jews planned to declare a separate state, a development the Arabs were determined to prevent. On May 14, 1948, the last British forces withdrew from Palestine, and the Jews, led by David Ben-Gurion, declared the creation of the State of Israel, in accordance with the 1947 UN Partition Plan. Arab countries refused to recognize the State of Israel, and armies from Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq joined the fighting, thus beginning the second phase of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. On the northern front, the Syrian army was blocked in Deganya, the Iraqis were unsuccessful in their efforts to cross the Jordan River and were blocked at the border, as were the Lebanese to the north. The Jordanian Legion invaded on the eastern front and captured East Jerusalem, cutting off the Western part and effectively laying siege to the city. On the Southern front, Haganah forces managed to block the invading Egyptian armies in the Ashdod area, and Irgun forces halted the Egyptians at Ramat Rachel. In early June, the UN declared a month-long ceasefire, which was used by Israel to create the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). When the fighting resumed, the Israelis took the attacking initiative and had the upper hand. In March 1949, after several long months of fighting, a ceasefire was brought into effect, determining Israel's interim borders, known as the Green Line. The war for Israel's Independence, proved to be the costliest in its history: Some 6,000 men and women perished, about 4,000 of which were combatants, from a Jewish population of 650,000. The exact number of Arab losses is unknown but are estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000 people. For the Palestinian Arabs the war was costly as well, as many of them fled to neighboring Arab countries, resulting in some 700,000 refugees (see 1948 Palestinian Exodus).

[edit] After the founding of the State of Israel

[edit] The Lavon Affair

Main article: Lavon Affair

After Gamal Abdal Nasser came to power in Egypt of 1952, relations between the U.S. and Egypt improved. This was viewed as a threat to Israel. In an incident which later shocked the Israeli public when the facts came to light, and which then brought down its government, a handful of individuals in the Israeli government and the Mossad conspired to undermine relations between the U.S. and Egypt. This group orchestrated a bombing campaign against American governmental and civilian installations in Egypt, including an American library in Alexandria and Cairo, an MGM Cinema, and other American owned business buildings.

The campaign was halted in 1954 by the arrest of two agents who had attempted to place a bomb; this led to the collapse of the cell and the imprisonment or execution of most of its members by Egypt. Some quarters maintain that Israel did not do enough to protect its agents, prompted by allegations of torture and mistreatment of the bombers by the Egyptian authorities.

In the following internal investigation, Brigadier Binyamin Gibli claimed that the Defence Minister, Pinhas Lavon gave a verbal order to carry out the operation. The Chief of Staff of that time, Moshe Dayan, agreed with him. As a result of the scandal, now known as the Lavon Affair, Lavon was forced to resign. David Ben-Gurion replaced him in office. In 1960, following new evidence from a secret 1958 trial of a suspected double agent, Lavon asked Ben Gurion to exonerate him. Ben-Gurion refused, since he could not believe that officers of the Israeli army, which he had built himself, would be able to commit such a dishonest action as framing Lavon.

In 1960, a committee of seven ministers set up to investigate the matter revealed the forging of a document used by Moshe Dayan and Shimon Peres, then Deputy Minister of Defense, to deflect responsibility for the botched 1954 Egyptian operation onto Lavon. A subsequent hearing revealed that Peres, Dayan and Brigadier Abraham Givli were also involved. The conclusions of the committee were accepted by the government. Despite attempts to censor the details of the case on grounds of national security, the Lavon Affair led to a second scandal, and Ben-Gurion's forced resignation due to the inability of the government to act due to political considerations. The Israeli public reacted with outrage when they learned the truth about the conspiracy.

In the following 1961 elections, Ben-Gurion declared that he would only accept office if Lavon was fired from the position of the head of Histadrut, Israel's labor union organization. His demands were accepted; however in 1963 he quit again in the wake of the scandal. His attempts to make his political party MAPAI resolve this issue during 1964-1965 turned against him, and Ben-Gurion was forced to leave.

Further information about the Lavon Affair

* Doron Geller: The Lavon Affair [4]
* List of books and articles covering the affair [5]
* Jack Riemer: Author unravels the scandal that brought down Ben-Gurion [6]
* Israeli government's summary (in Hebrew) [7]

[edit] 1956 Sinai Campaign

Main article: 1956 Suez War

The Sinai Campaign came about as conflict between Egypt and Israel increased in 1956, with Egypt sending forces into Israeli territory and Israel launching frequent incursions into Egyptian territory in response. Egypt blockaded the Gulf of Aqaba, and closed the Suez canal to Israeli shipping. Egypt also nationalised the canal, to the dismay of its British and French shareholders. In response, France and the United Kingdom entered into a secret agreement with Israel to take back the canal by force. In accordance with this agreement (which was not officially admitted until very much later), Israel invaded the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula in October 1956. Israeli forces reached the canal in short order and then French and British forces stepped in on the pretext of restoring order.

The Israeli, French and United Kingdom forces were victorious, but withdrew in March 1957 due to pressure from the United States. The United Nations established the UN Emergency Force (UNEF) to keep peace in the area.

[edit] Six-Day War

Main article: Six-Day War.

In June 1967, the united Arab military command amassed troops along the Israeli borders, while Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran and Nasser insisted that the UNEF leave Egypt. The blockade and the ouster of UNEF was widely understood to have been a direct 'act of war'. Despite protests from the UN, United States, and World Community, Syrian and Egyptian forces mobilized toward Israel's border, threatening escalation to a full shooting war. The Six-Day War began when on June 5, 1967, the Israeli air force launched preemptive attacks destroying the Egyptian air force, later the same day neutralising the air forces of Jordan and Syria. Israel then defeated (almost successively) Egypt, Jordan and Syria. By June 11 the Arab forces were routed and all parties had accepted the cease-fire called for by UN Security Council Resolutions 235 and 236.

Israel gained control of the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the formerly Jordanian-controlled West Bank of the Jordan River, including East Jerusalem. On November 22, 1967, the Security Council adopted Resolution 242, the "land for peace" formula, which called for the establishment of a just and lasting peace based on Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in 1967 in return for the end of all states of belligerency, respect for the sovereignty of all states in the area, and the right to live in peace within secure, recognized boundaries.

In retaliation for repeated Egyptian shelling of Israeli positions along the Suez Canal, Israeli planes made deep strikes into Egypt in the 1969-1970 "war of attrition". In early 1969, fighting broke out between Egypt and Israel along the Suez Canal. The United States helped end these hostilities in August 1970, but subsequent U.S. efforts to negotiate an interim agreement to open the Suez Canal and achieve disengagement of forces were unsuccessful.

In as much as the 1949 Armistice lines were no longer direct borders, and Israel now had the responsibility of administration of Golan, Gaza, West Bank, and Sinai, the opportunity to unite divided Jerusalem was taken, and formal annexation completed. Israel also formally annexed the Golan. Gaza and the West Bank, overwhelmingly Palestinian, remained as administrative territories, pending a final settlement. Sinai, remained in a military occupation, although its sparse population required little administration.

[edit] The Yom Kippur War

Main article: Yom Kippur War.

The Yom Kippur War began on October 6, 1973 (the Jewish Day of Atonement) when the Syrian and Egyptian armies launched a simultaneous attack on the unprepared Israeli Defence Force. After the first 24-48 hours, the war's momentum shifted to Israel and within three weeks the invaders were pushed back, the land was recaptured and a UN peacekeeping force was put in place.

As a result of the shock sustained by Israeli society in the aftermath of the war, the Israeli government started negotiations for security on its borders. On January 18, 1974, a Disengagement of Forces agreement was signed with the Egyptian government, and on May 31, with the Syrian government. On the international scene, the Arab world retaliated by imposing an oil embargo on countries trading with Israel. The government of Japan announced on November 22, 1973 that it would reconsider its relations with the Israeli government unless it withdrew from all territories occupied in as a result of the 1967 Six Day War.

[edit] The "Zionism is Racism" UN Resolution

On November 10, 1975, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 3379 which asserted Zionism to be a form of racism. The General Assembly rescinded this resolution on December 16, 1991 with Resolution 46/86.

(See also Zionism and racism, Israel, Palestine and the United Nations.)

[edit] Egyptian-Israeli Peace Process

In November 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat broke 30 years of hostility with Israel by visiting Jerusalem at the invitation of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, who was elected as the prime minister earlier that year in the 1977 election, in what is known as the Mahapakh. During a 2-day visit, which included a speech before the Knesset, the Egyptian leader created a new psychological climate in the Middle East in which peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors seemed a realistic possibility. Sadat recognized Israel's right to exist and established the basis for direct negotiations between Egypt and Israel.

In September 1978, U.S. President Jimmy Carter invited President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin to meet with him at Camp David, and on September 11 they agreed on a framework for peace between Israel and Egypt and a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. It set out broad principles to guide negotiations between Israel and the Arab states. It also established guidelines for a West Bank-Gaza transitional regime of full autonomy for the Palestinians residing in these territories and for a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The treaty was signed on March 26, 1979, by Begin and Sadat, with President Carter signing as witness. Under the treaty, Israel returned the Sinai peninsula to Egypt in April 1982. In 1989, the governments of Israel and Egypt concluded an agreement that resolved the status of Taba, a resort area on the Gulf of Aqaba.

The Arab League reacted to the peace treaty by suspending Egypt from the organisation and moving its headquarters from Cairo to Tunis. Sadat was later assassinated by members of the Egyptian army which had opposed his efforts to make peace with Israel.

[edit] Lebanon

See also: Israel-Lebanon conflict

In the decades following the 1948 war, Israel's border with Lebanon was quiet compared to its borders with other neighbors. After the expulsion of the Palestinian fedayeen (fighters) from Jordan in 1970 and their influx into southern Lebanon, however, hostilities on Israel's northern border increased. In March 1978, after the Coastal Road Massacre, Israeli forces crossed into Lebanon commencing Operation Litani. After passage of Security Council Resolution 425, calling for Israeli withdrawal and the creation of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon peace-keeping force (UNIFIL), Israel withdrew its troops.

In July 1981, after additional fighting between Israel and the Palestinians in Lebanon, President Ronald Reagan's special envoy, Philip C. Habib, helped secure a cease-fire between the parties, which ended the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) rockets and artillery attacks against northern Israel. During this time the The PLO simultaneously engaged Lebanese Christian forces.

In June 1982, after the attempted assassination of Shlomo Argov, Israel invaded the southern half of Lebanon during the 1982 Lebanon War to drive out the PLO, initially from Southern Lebanon and then altogether. While a few Lebanese did at first welcome the Israelis, almost all Lebanese came to resent Israeli occupation. Heavy Israeli casualties and a lack of clear goals led to increasing disquiet at the war among Israelis as well.

In August 1982, the PLO withdrew its forces from Lebanon. With U.S. assistance, Israel and Lebanon reached an accord in May 1983 that set the stage to withdraw Israeli forces from Lebanon. The instruments of ratification were never exchanged, however, and in March 1984, under pressure from Syria, Lebanon canceled the agreement. In June 1985, Israel withdrew most of its troops from Lebanon, leaving a small residual Israeli force and an Israeli-supported militia in southern Lebanon in a "security zone," which Israel considered a necessary buffer against attacks on its northern territory. Israel finally withdrew from this zone in 2000, during the Prime Ministership of Ehud Barak, fulfilling UN Security Council Resolution 425. Lebanon has since claimed a small area of the Golan Heights called "Shebaa Farms" which Israel captured from Syria in 1967.

[edit] First Intifada

Main article: First Intifada.

In response to the continuing Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip regions, Palestinians began the first Intifada (uprising) in 1987. Israel responded with strong military and police resistance, but failed to end the fighting. The first intifada continued until 1991.

[edit] Gulf War

Main article: Gulf War

In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, triggering the Gulf War between Iraq and a large allied force, led by the United States. Iraq, seeking to inflame Arab public opinion and draw Arab states out of the alliance (and possibly to Iraq's side), attacked Israel with 39 Scud missiles. Under pressure from the United States, Israel did not retaliate. Instead, it accepted U.S. assistance in deflecting the attacks. One man in the Ramat Khen neighborhood in Ramat Gan was killed by a MIM-104 Patriot anti-missile missile which went astray. Between 7 and 13 people died from asphyxiation due to gas mask misuse. Statistical analysis suggests that 30-80 excess deaths occurred, mostly from heart attacks due most likely to "emotional stress and breathing difficulties" (Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 273(15), 19 April 1995, pp 1208-1210). Israel provided gas masks for both the Palestinian population and Israeli citizens. [8]

[edit] Immigration from the former Soviet Union

In 1990, the Soviet Union permitted Soviet Jews to emigrate from the Soviet Union to Israel. Prior to this, the Soviet government had prohibited those members of its Jewish population (approximately three million) who wished to emigrate from doing so. Several hundred thousand chose to leave once the restrictions were eased. There has been some doubt expressed as to how many of these emigrants were Jewish according to Jewish law. Traditional Jews expressed these concerns due to issues of Jewish unity.

Additional concerns centered on the ability of these immigrants to adapt to Israeli culture and find suitable employment. [9]

[edit] Middle East peace process

Main article: Peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The coalition's victory in the Gulf war opened new possibilities for regional peace, and in October 1991 the U.S. President, George H.W. Bush and Soviet Union Premier, Mikhail Gorbachev, jointly convened a historic meeting in Madrid of Israeli, Lebanese, Jordanian, Syrian, and Palestinian leaders. This meeting became the foundation for ongoing bilateral and multilateral negotiations designed to bring lasting peace and economic development to the region.

On September 13, 1993, Israel and the PLO signed a Declaration of Principles (DOP) (text of DOP) on the South Lawn of the White House. The declaration was a major conceptual breakthrough achieved under the Madrid framework. It established an ambitious set of objectives relating to a transfer of authority from Israel to an interim Palestinian authority. The DOP established May 1999 as the date by which a permanent status agreement for the West Bank and Gaza Strip would take effect. Israel and the PLO subsequently signed the Gaza-Jericho Agreement on May 4, 1994, and the Agreement on Preparatory Transfer of Powers and Responsibilities on August 29, 1994, which began the process of transferring authority from Israel to the Palestinians.

Tensions with Jordan were lessened on July 25, 1994 when the two nations signed the Washington Declaration which formally ended the state of war that had existed between them since 1948. On October 26, 1994, Israel and Jordan signed a historic peace treaty at a border post between the two countries, witnessed by US President Bill Clinton, accompanied by US Secretary of State Warren Christopher. Israel ceded a small amount of contested land to Jordan, and the countries opened official diplomatic relations, with open borders and free trade. Govt Israel, Govt Jordan

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat signed the historic Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on September 28, 1995, in Washington, D.C.. The agreement, witnessed by President Bill Clinton on behalf of the United States and by Russia, Egypt, Norway, and the European Union, incorporates and supersedes the previous agreements and marked the conclusion of the first stage of negotiations between Israel and the PLO.

The accord broadens Palestinian self-government by means of a popularly elected legislative council. It provides for election and establishment of that body, transfer of civil authority, Israeli redeployment from major population centers in the West Bank, security arrangements, and cooperation in a variety of areas. Negotiations on permanent status began on May 5, 1996 in Taba, Egypt. As agreed in the 1993 DOP, those talks will address the status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, final security arrangements, borders, relations and cooperation with neighboring states, and other issues of common interest.

[edit] Assassination of Rabin

The assassination of Prime Minister Rabin by a right-wing Jewish radical on November 4, 1995 climaxed an increasingly bitter national debate over where the peace process was leading. Rabin's murder left Israel profoundly shaken, ushered in a period of national self-examination, and produced a new level of national consensus favoring the peace process.

[edit] Election of Netanyahu

In February 1996 Rabin's successor, Shimon Peres, called early elections. Those elections were held in May 1996 and were the first featuring direct election of the prime minister, resulted in a narrow election victory for Likud Party leader Binyamin Netanyahu and his center-right National Coalition (Likud) and the defeat of Peres and his left-of-center Labor/Meretz government. On the run up to the election the polls showed that Peres would win a comfortable margin, but a spate of suicide bombings reinforced the Likud position for security. Hamas claimed responsibility for most of the bombings.

Despite his stated differences with the Oslo Accords, Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed to continue their implementation, but his Prime Ministership saw a marked slow-down in the Peace Process. (Netanyahu supporters argue that this slow-down was in response to Palestinian terrorism.)

[edit] Hebron and Wye River agreements

Prime Minister Netanyahu signed the Hebron Protocol with the Palestinian Authority on January 15, 1997. The Protocol resulted in the redeployment of Israeli forces in Hebron and the turnover of civilian authority in much of the area to the Palestinian Authority. Since that agreement, there has been little progress in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. A crisis of confidence developed between the parties as the parties had difficulty responding to each other and addressing each other's concerns. Israel and the Palestinians did agree, however, in September 1997, to a four-part agenda to guide further negotiations: security cooperation in the fight against terror; further redeployments of Israeli forces; a "time-out" on unilateral actions that may prejudge the outcome of the permanent status talks; and acceleration of these talks. The U.S. sought to marry continued implementation of the 1995 Interim Agreement with the start of the accelerated permanent status talks. In order to overcome the crisis of confidence and break the negotiating impasse, President Clinton presented U.S. ideas for getting the peace process back on track to Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Arafat in Washington in January 1998. Those ideas included all aspects of the September 1997 four-part agenda and would allow for the start of accelerated permanent status negotiations. The Palestinians agreed in principle to the U.S. ideas.

The U.S. continued working intensively with the parties to reach agreement on the basis of U.S. ideas. After a 9-day session at the Wye River Conference Center in Maryland, agreement was reached on October 23, 1998. The Wye Agreement is based on the principle of reciprocity and meets the essential requirements of both the parties, including unprecedented security measures on the part of the Palestinians and the further redeployment of Israeli troops in the West Bank. The agreement also permits the launching of the permanent status negotiations as the May 4, 1999 expiration of the period of the Interim Agreement.

[edit] Visit of the Pope

On March 21, 2000 Pope John Paul II arrived in Israel for a historic visit.

[edit] Withdrawal from Lebanon

In 2000, Israel unilaterally withdrew its remaining forces from the "security zone" in southern Lebanon. The UN Secretary-General had concluded [10] that, as of June 16, 2000, Israel had withdrawn its forces from Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 425. Lebanon claims that Israel continues to occupy Lebanese territory called "Sheba'a Farms"; but the UN insists that Sheba'a Farms is Syrian, not Lebanese, territory.

[edit] Second Intifada

At the even of the Camp David talks in the Fall of 2000, it looked promising that the Israel/Palestine conflict would be finally resolved. Israel had conceded 95% of the Palestinian request for territory and political concessions, including Arab parts of east Jerusalem.[11] Israel was to build two corriders(rail or roads) connecting the West Bank and Gaza, open borders, free trade, and full statehood to Palestine. It is unclear what Arafat was thinking, but speculation centers on two areas:

1) The Right of Return; Arafat decided to reintroduce the physical right of Palestinians to return to pre-1948 homes or property inside Israel. Israel had offered a token number of returnees and compensation for the remaining families with valid claims. A mass Palestinian influx would overwhelm Israel's delicate demographics and support capabilities, and would likely be intended to lead to the eventual destruction of Israel as a 'Jewish State.'

2) Additional Concessions; Arafat had taken the negotiations as far as possible. Only the threat of return to terrorism and Intifada could possibly advance the remaining stumbling blocks to 100%, instead of 95% of the agreement.

To that second area of speculation, a convenient flash point excuse was found for Arafat. Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount on September 28, 2000, sparking Palestinian riots. This marked the beginning of the al-Aqsa Intifada. Israel claims that the Palestinians had been planning violence far in advance of Sharon's visit, and that his visit was used as an excuse for the planned violence to be launched. In his book The High Cost of Peace, Yossef Bodansky describes the event: "When Sharon expressed interest in visiting the Temple Mount, Barak ordered GSS chief Ami Ayalon to approach Jibril Rajoub with a special request to facilitate a smooth and friendly visit... Rajoub promised it would be smooth as long as Sharon would refrain from entering any of the mosques or praying publicly... Just to be on the safe side, Barak personally approached Arafat and once again got assurances that Sharon's visit would be smooth..." (p354)

In October 2000, Palestinians destroyed a Jewish shrine in Nablus, Joseph's Tomb and brutally murdered several young soldiers, brazenly showing their bloody handiwork to cheering throngs. They also stoned worshippers at the Western Wall and attacked another Jewish shrine, Rachel's Tomb.

[edit] Special elections and negotiations by Barak

With the Peace Process increasingly in disarray, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak called a special election for Prime Minister. Barak was hoping that a victory for him would give him renewed authority in negotiations with the Palestinians. But Barak's hopes were not to be, and in 2001, opposition leader Ariel Sharon was elected PM in a special election for Prime Minister in 2001.

A map of Barak's proposal at the Camp David Talks in October 2000 may be found here: [12]

[edit] Israeli West Bank barrier

In recent years, much of the Israeli public and political leadership has lost confidence with the Palestinian Authority as a peace partner, claiming that many Palestinians view the peace treaty with Israel as a temporary measure only. By the same token, some groups in the Israeli left have asserted that Israel has never abided by the terms of any proposal it has agreed with the Palestinians: [13] and has attempted to discredit all genuine peace proposals, regardless of their origin: [14]
The approved barrier route as of May 2005
The approved barrier route as of May 2005

[edit] Disengagement from Gaza

On December 18, 2003, then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced he would consider a unilateral withdrawal from parts of the occupied territories in order to make it easier for long term management of the ongoing intifada. This was crystallized as a plan for total withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, while maintaining most of the settlements in the West Bank. The US government announced its support for the plan on April 14, 2004. The first phase of the plan regarding the work of technical committees to work out logistical details was approved by the Israeli cabinet on June 6, 2004.

On October 26, 2004, Sharon's withdrawal plan was ratified by the Israeli parliament. The civilians were evacuated from Gaza (some forcibly) and the residential buildings demolished after August 15, and the disengagement from the Gaza Strip was completed on September 12, 2005, when the last Israeli soldier left the Gaza strip. The military disengagement from the northern West Bank was completed ten days later.

[edit] Election of Ehud Olmert

After Ariel Sharon suffered a severe hemorrhagic stroke, the powers of the office were passed to Ehud Olmert, who was designated the "Acting" Prime Minister. On April 14, 2006,[9] Olmert was elected Prime Minister after his party, Kadima, won the most seats in the 2006 legislative elections.

[edit] 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

Further information: 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict

[edit] Foreign relations of the State of Israel

Main article: Foreign relations of Israel.

Ever since the establishment of Israel in 1948, the state has faced problems in its foreign policy. In 1948, Israel was in diplomatic isolation resulting from being boycotted by its Middle Eastern neighbours. As an alternative, the Israeli government began developing ties with distant countries. The Israeli government sought to establish good relations especially with the U.S. government, and the newly independent states in Africa and Asia. On January 9, 1950, the Israeli government extended recognition to the People's Republic of China, but diplomatic relations were not established until 1992. On May 15, 1952, diplomatic relations were established with the government of Japan.

[edit] Endnotes

1. ^ How to Respond to Common Misstatements About Israel. Anti-Defamation League (2006). Retrieved on 4 October 2006.
2. ^ The Population of Palestine Prior to 1948. MidEastWeb.org (2005). Retrieved on 4 October 2006.
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ Zionism, Judaism, and the Jewish People. Zionism As Judaism By Robert Wolfe (Jewish Magazine)
5. ^ Resources and articles on Religious Zionism (WZO)
6. ^ The Role of Judaism. U.S. Library of Congress Country Studies. Israel.
7. ^ [2]
8. ^ [3]
9. ^ Hasson, Nir (11 April 2006). Cabinet approves appointment of Ehud Olmert as interim PM (HTML). Retrieved on 2006-11-06.

[edit] References

* Berger, Earl The Covenant and the Sword: Arab-Israeli Relations, 1948-56, London, Routledge K. Paul, 1965.
* Bethell, Nicholas The Palestine Triangle: the Struggle Between the British, the Jews and the Arabs, 1935-48, London: Deutsch, 1979 ISBN 023397069X.
* Bregman, Ahron A History of Israel, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002 ISBN 0333676327.
* Davis, John, The Evasive Peace: a Study of the Zionist-Arab Problem, London: J. Murray, 1968.
* Eytan, Walter The First Ten Years: a Diplomatic History of Israel, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1958
* Israel Office of Information Israel’s Struggle for Peace, New York, 1960.
* Herzog, Haim The Arab-Israeli Wars: War and Peace in the Middle East from the War of Independence to Lebanon, London: Arms and Armour; Tel Aviv, Israel: Steimatzky, 1984 ISBN 0853686130.
* Laqueur, Walter Confrontation : the Middle-East War and World Politics, London: Wildwood House, 1974, ISBN 0704500965.
* Laqueur, Walter & Barry Rubin (editors) The Israel-Arab Reader: a Documentary History of the Middle East Conflict, New York, N.Y. : Penguin Books, 1984 ISBN 0-14-022588-9.
* Lucas, Noah The Modern History of Israel, New York: Praeger, 1975.
* Gilbert, Martin Israel : A History, New York: Morrow, 1998 ISBN 0688123627.
* Pappe, Ilan The Making of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1947-51, London: I.B. Tauris, 1992 ISBN 1850433577.
* O’Brian, Conor Cruise The Siege: the Saga of Israel and Zionism, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1986 ISBN 0671600443.
* Oren, Michael Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002 ISBN 0195151747.
* Rubinstein, Alvin Z. (editor) The Arab-Israeli Conflict: Perspectives, New York: Praeger, 1984 ISBN 0030687780.
* Lord Russell of Liverpool, If I Forget Thee; the Story of a Nation’s Rebirth, London, Cassell 1960.
* Sachar, Howard M. A History of Israel, New York: Knopf, 1976 ISBN 0394485645.
* Samuel, Rinna A History of Israel: the Birth, Growth and Development of Today’s Jewish State, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1989 ISBN 0297793292.
* Schultz, Joseph & Klausner, Carla From Destruction to Rebirth: the Holocaust and the State of Israel, Washington, D.C. : University Press of America, 1978 ISBN 0819105740.
* Segev, Tom The Seventh Million: the Israelis and the Holocaust, New York: Hill and Wang, 1993 ISBN 0809085631.
* Talmon, J.L. Israel Among the Nations, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1970 ISBN 0297002279.
* Wolffsohn, Michael Eternal Guilt? : Forty years of German-Jewish-Israeli Relations, New York: Columbia University Press, 1993 ISBN 0231082746.

* Facts about Israel: History, Jerusalem: Israel Information Centre, 2003.

[edit] Arab-Israeli peace diplomacy and treaties

* Paris Peace Conference, 1919
* Faisal-Weizmann Agreement (1919)
* 1949 Armistice Agreements
* Camp David Accords (1978)
* Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty (1979)
* Madrid Conference of 1991
* Oslo Accords (1993)
* Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace (1994)
* Camp David 2000 Summit
* History of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
* Peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
* Projects working for peace among Israelis and Arabs
* List of Middle East peace proposals
* International law and the Arab-Israeli conflict

[edit] See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
History of Israel

* History of Levant

[edit] External links

* The Jewish History Resource Center Project of the Dinur Center for Research in Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
* NAAMZ, Israeli Advocacy Group
* Israel GenWeb - Jewish Genealogy Resources
* History of Israel - the biblical account.
* History of Israel and Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict
* Timeline of Israeli and Palestinian History from Earliest Times
* Full Profile of Israel Ynetnews Lexicon

* Extensive political historical and detailed maps of Israel and Palestine
* A history of Zionism and the creation of Israel
* A photo gallery of the history of Zionism and the creation of Israel
* First Photos of the Holy Land
* A timeline of Zionism and Israeli history
* Labor Zionism and Socialist Zionism
* Zionism: Historical Source Documents and texts
* "Zionism" — from the Jewish Virtual Library
* "Centenary of Zionism" from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
* The Jewish Agency for Israel — The Department for Zionist Education
* The UNISPAL web site contains the full texts of hundreds of official documents, including those of the League of Nations and the United Nations, the British government, the Israeli government, the Palestinian authority, and many others.
* Economic History of Israel from EH.NET's Encyclopedia
* Israel History Timeline

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Categories: Articles needing additional references from February 2007 | Accuracy disputes | NPOV disputes from June 2007 | Articles needing more viewpoints | History of Israel | National histories | Zionism
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PLEASE READ THIS ARTICLE CLOSELY AND THEN EXPLAIN HOW THE USA GAVE ISRAEL TO THE JEWS. I'D BE VERY INTERESTED IN HOW YOU ARRIVE AT YOUR CONCLUSION THAT THE USA WAS RESPONSIBLE.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I hope you know that the UN split Palestine and Israel, into two separate states. I also do not know why you think the US gave the jews the homeland, when it was Britain who proposed the creation of a jewish state with the zionist movement. Thank you for generalizing Israeli foreign policy by saying that it enjoys terrorizing Palestinians when in fact the Arab states attacked Israel after the UN resolution took place (thus going against the UN). Israel won the war of independence but was still not recognized by the arab nations as an independent nation.

Yes US sent economic aid to Israel over the years and still does, which I think should stop.

Answer 4

Think! What interest could US have in the mid-east? US wants to be top dog and wants the upper hand when it comes to relations with other nations. Europe is fine but it way too far. Mid east there is no one but Israel to support the US. That is the reason why it is fighting Irag to have its soldiers there too because God fobid there is a war then US could prevent a war in at the enemy's nation rather than here at America. America is no fool. America and UK, because they fight the helpless nations and then they donate food in the nations yet they do not allow other naition (third world countries) to have power.
And what the above person said too. But the above person note forgets to mention that the pilgrimage of Mecca for the Muslims is Abraham's too. Abraham built that place when it first started way back. But where does it say to kill your own people? There are some Jews in Palestine too but mainly they live in an area where no one attacks. (Like here, there is Harlem, NY.) Coincidence?? I think not.

Answer 5

Be that as it may; America overall has been a Christianity base nation for centuries. Christians and Jews are centrally tied by their believe in God the Almighty; both beholding to the Old Testament. The Jews with the Torra and the Christian with the first five books in The Old (Torra) and New Testament. Both believe that God designated Israel as a promise to Father Abraham and that although God drove the Jews out of Israel a couple of times; He always promise to bring them back to the land of their fathers. In addition; scriptures in Daniel, Isaiah, Revelations illustrates Gods intention in that particular region of the Middle East; and Biblical End Time Prophecies.

Answer 6

Wow, I have never seen a question on Yahoo with more inaccuracies. You need to educate yourself.
1 The US did not make Israel. The Israels did with their own hard labor.
2 The US did not supply Israel with weapons in their war of independence. It was specifically against the law. Most of their weapons were either homemade or smuggled in from Europe.
3 The Palastinians were not removed from Israel. The Arab governments told the Palastiians to move so that they could invade and when they lost their co-religionists simply abandoned them.
4 Israel was never the "Holy Land" for the people of Iraq.
5 The majority of Israel's citizens are Sephardic jews i.e. they came from arabic lands after Israel was formed. This is an interesting fact that is seldom discussed. Israel absorbed hundreds of thousands of Jews from Iraq, Iran, Morrocco, Sudan, Egypt and Yemen in 1948 and 1949, while the arab countries refused to allow any Palastinians to move out of their camps.Read "On the Wing' s of Eagles"
Your comments demonstrate your ignorance.

Answer 7

Track 1 - (May I call you "Half-Track"?)...there is so much bias in your statement!
Why not just come out and say that you - like your Islamic terrorist counterparts - wish for the total annihilation of all Jews?
Who knows, perhaps...maybe you are also one of those people that claim the Holocaust never happened.

Anyway - it is so convenient for you to label Jews as terrorists, as you ignore the fact that those same Jews were protecting themselves from people who, to this day. continue to try and destroy them...no matter where they live or what they do.

Of course, I wouldn't expect someone with your bias to acknowledge the fact that the Jews don't strap on bombs and kill innocent people.
That would render your argument moot, now wouldn't it?

As difficult as this sounds, the fact is once the State of Israel was established, a barren desert began to blossom with wonderful results: people (both Arab and Jews) began to prosper, there were landmark discoveries made in medicine, science, technology and agriculture.

My dear Half-Track (or, maybe "Off-Track"?), who do you think was responsible for that?
The poor, pitiful Palestinians?
Hardly!

Let me help you out, Off-Track...please go to the link and learn.
I know you'll find it difficult to read anything that might challenge your biased opinion, but perhaps you might want to find some balance in your life instead of just being blatantly anti-Jewish.

Answer 8

If a generation is around 40 years, it has been almost 2 generations in that country. It is better for the Pals to accept the hand they were dealt and move on. The idea of a homeland was in part to give them a place to go to in case of future pogroms or genocides in other countries. The Israel question has been resolved, unfortunately some people have not realized it.

Why did the US support the creation of Israel out of the remants of the Ottoman empire? Because there was no longer an Ottoman empire and the US thought it was a good idea for Jews world wide.

Answer 9

Read the Bible. It's the oldest book of history ever. Israel is the rightful nation to occupy Israel. God's law supersedes man's and that includes the UN. It's one reason why America is such a wonderful country. We have God's favor. at least for now. Until we put in someone into office who refuses to acknowledge this truth.

Answer 10

im ok with giving texas to the jews then letting the palestinians go back to they're homeland

the people that live in texas can be put in camps in mexico, we have no room for them in the US

sounds like the perfect solution

thank you!

Answer 11

First of all I am not sure where you got your info. from since it did not become a state until 1948. Secondly, the Jews have never been GIVEN anything. They have earned it!!! Thirdly, that was the land that Jews moved to in order to get out of the way of the holocaust - it was a safe zone. Need I say more?!!No rules were broken to make this happen since it should have been this way all along.