Arab-Israeli Relations

Department of Political Science

P.S. 270 Politics and Society in the Middle East

ISRAEL, THE ARABS AND

THE EAST MEDITERRANEAN CONFLICTS

1. INTRODUCTION:

A. The Ottoman Empire in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries

B. Western ambitions of expansion in the 19^th and 20^th centuries

C, treatment of the Jews in the Ottoman Empire and in Europe (east and west)

2. ZIONISM:

A. Persecution of the Jews

B. The Basil Conference and Judenstaat

C. The Balfour Declaration

D. End of WW I, the Versailles Treaty and the Covenant of the League of Nations

E. The Mandate System and British Rule of Palestine

F. The Rise of Hitler, Exodus from Germany, and the Arab Revolt

G. British and American Efforts to Break the Arab/Jewish Impasse

H. WW II and the Need to Reach an Accommodation

I. The United Nations Accepts the Challenge --- Partition

J. Creating the Jewish State

3. ARAB NATIONALISM to 1949:

A. Need for Independence from the Ottomans

B. The Hussein-MacMahon Correspondence and Arab War Efforts During WW I

C. Partition of the Ottoman Empire, a Trail of Broken Promises

D. Jewish Settlements and Arabs’ Feeling of Being Betrayed

E. Arab Response to Influx of Jewish Immigrants

F. Whose Land? When Does History Start? And, Whose Story is it Anyway?

H. Arab Resistance: A Three Way Struggle

I. Rejection of United Nations’ Partition Resolution

J. Palestinian Refugees

4. ISRAEL; THE HOMELAND OF THE JEWS

A. Nation Building Efforts

a. The IDF

b. Hebrew as a Unifying Language

c. The Kibbutz and the Mushaav

B. Building the Economy

a. Arab Economic Boycott

b. Need for Foreign Economic Assistance

i. German War Reparations

ii. European Economic Assistance

iii. American Economic Assistance

c. National and Natural Resources and Resource Building

d. Adjustments to Economic Pressures and the Stability of the Israeli Currency

e. Economic Stability and Political Stability

C. Israel: the garrison state

a. Building up the IDF – Universal Conscription

b. Defense Budget and Economic Development

D. Israel’s Many Wars

a. War to Create the State – 1948

b. Suez War – 1956

c, June 1967 War

d. War of Attrition – 1969-71

e. October War, 1973

f. Invasion of Lebanon – 1982

E. Opening Toward the Arabs – Steps Toward Peace

a. Sadat’s Visit to Jerusalem – 1977

b. Camp David Agreement – 1978

c. Peace Treaty with Egypt – 1979

d. Aborted Peace Treaty with Lebanon – 1982

e. Madrid Conference – 1992-93

f. Oslo Accord with the PLO – 1993

g. Peace Treaty With Jordan – 1994

h. Negotiations with the PLO – 1994 to Present

F. Israeli Political Structure

a. Multi-party State

b. Unicameral Legislature

c. Elections – Winners and Losers
    1999 elections

d. Arabs in Israel

i. Israeli Arabs

ii. Palestinians Under Occupation

iii. Sources of Inexpensive Labor

G. Social Stratification
        Falasha Jews of Etheopia
        European and North American Jews
        Russian and East European Jews
        Israeli Arabs

Religion plays a big role in Middle Eastern Politics
View of the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem

5. PALESTINIAN AND ARAB NATIONALISM

israel-map-past_1.gif (13358 bytes) israel-map-past_2.gif (9591 bytes) israel-map-past_3.gif (18630 bytes)

A. Palestinian Refugees – an Arab Cause Celebre

B. Palestinian Issue and Arab Sense of Insecurity

C. Organizing to Resist – The Arab States

i. Alliance Efforts

ii. Unification of Military Forces

iii. Efforts to Forge Arab Unity

iv. Summit Conferences

D. Organizing to Resist – The Palestinians

i. National Liberation Movement – Unity or Disunity

ii. Emergence of the PLO

iii. Frustration with Constant Defeat – Military Resistance

iv. The PLO’s Stand in Beirut and the Road to Recognition

v. Islamic Movements of Resistance

vi. The Palestinian Issue and the Iran-Iraq War

1. Bringing Egypt Back to the Arab Fold

2. The Amman Summit Conference –1987

3. The Intifadah

vii. Recognition of Israel’s Right to Exist

viii. Palestinian National Authority

E. The Road to Peace
Documents Related to Peaceful conclusion

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