Conflict in the Middle East

The major conflict in the Middle East has been centered on the creation and establishment of the Jewish state of Israel. The conflict between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East has deep roots. Attempts to settle Jews in Palestine dates from the 1880s. The territory known as Israel and Palestine came under British rule and protectorate after the First World War and contradictory promises were made to Arabs and Jews during this period. The enormous sympathy (and guilt) felt by Western Europe after the Second World War led to support for an independent Israel. They were further pushed into granting statehood by Jewish militants -- Jewish underground forces, the Irgun and Stern Gang, massacre 254 Palestinians in the village of Deir Yassin near Jerusalem on April 9 1948. On May 14 British protectorate ended and the US recognized Israel. Palestinians also began to organize themselves and the United Nations recognizes the rights of Palestinians ejected by the Israeli army to return to their homes. This did not happen and the birth of the Israeli state coincides with the creation of Palestinian refugees there are as many as 3 million Arab refugees today. Israel continued to expand its borders in spite of Arab states such as Jordan and Egypt taking responsibility for the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Tensions continue through the 1950s and lead to open war between Arabs and Israelis in 1953 and again in 1956 at the time of the Suez conflict.

In 1957 Yasser Arafat, among others, founds the Palestine Liberation Movement, whose name becomes Fateh, which means opening. In 1964 this becomes the PLO. Egypt and other Arab states threatened Israel and an oil boycott and Israel launches a preemptive attack in June 1967 -- the Six Day War -- and captures East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan and the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Israel annexes East Jerusalem and begins construction of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. In November the United Nations Security Council adopts Resolution 242, which states that Israel must withdraw from the territories occupied during the Six Day War of 1967 in return for peace and secure borders.

Conflict continues throughout the region, drawing in different factions of Arabs and the Lebanon and Syria. Israel wins another war in 1973 (Yom Kippur). A UN ceasefire is agreed in 1974. The US broker a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel in 1978, but other Arab states do not accept it. The PLO accepts the idea of limited territory for its new goal as early as 1974 and makes explicit its acceptance of the Israeli state in 1988. Throughout this period Israel ignores UN resolutions. The US begins its attempt at a negotiated settlement from 1988 to 2000 other countries are also involved in peace negotiations and the most promising was the Oslo Accord of 1993. More recently the Camp David 2000 protocol looks to be succeeding but a new President in the White House (Bush) encourages Israeli militarists such as Sharon to walk away from a deal. Sharon is elected leader of Israel in 2001.

Throughout this whole period the US came to side more and more with Israel, providing them arms and economic aid but at the same time the US wants good relations with Arab states because of US dependency on oil. Some US commentators (such as Noam Chomsky, Guardian Weekly May 16-22 p.13) now believe that US involvement is part of the problem not the solution.