Palestine is a small part of the world that has played a significant role in the ancient and modern history of the Middle East. The history of Palestine is characterized by widespread political conflicts and violent occupation of land because of its importance to a few of the world's major religions, and because Palestine sits at the crossroads of important areas between Africa and Asia. Today, the Arab people who call this area their home are known as Palestinians, and the Palestinian people have a strong desire to create a free and independent country in this competitive world region.
What is Palestine?
The name Palestine is derived from the Greek word Philistia, which is derived from the descriptions of the ancient Greek writers about the area in the 12th century B.C. From the fall of the Ottoman Empire during World War I to 1918, Palestine often referred to the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. The Arab people who call this place home have been known as Palestinians since the early 20th century. Much of the land is now considered modern-day Israel.
Today, Palestine theoretically includes the West Bank (the area between modern-day Israel and Jordan) and the Gaza Strip (on the border between modern-day Israel and Egypt). However, managing the region is a complex and evolving process. There is no international agreement on borders, and many Palestinian territories have been occupied by Israel for years.
More than 135 member states of the United Nations view Palestine as an independent state, but Israel and other countries, including the United States, make no such difference.
In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed with the intention of establishing an Palestinian Arab state on land formerly ruled by the British Mandate, and which the PLO considered to be an Israeli state illegally.
Although the PLO was originally dedicated to the destruction of the State of Israel as a means of achieving its goal of Palestinian nationalism, through the Oslo Accords of 1993, the PLO accepted Israel's right to exist to change the official recognition of the PLO by Israel — a a sign of high water in Israeli-Palestinian relations.
In 1969, well-known Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat became chairman of the PLO and held the title until his death in 2004.
The Six Day War
The Six-Day War began during a period of tensions and tensions between Israel and its neighbors. In April 1967, clashes erupted after Israel and Syria fought off evil spirits and gunfire in which six Syrian warplanes were destroyed.
After the April air war, the Soviet Union wisely informed Egypt that Israel was sending troops to its northern border with Syria to prepare for a full offensive. The information was untrue, yet it prompted Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser to deploy troops on the Sinai Peninsula, where he ousted a United Nations peacekeeping force that had been patrolling Israel for more than a decade.
The Israeli Defense Forces then launched an air raid on Egypt on June 5, 1967. Both nations claimed to be defending themselves in the ensuing conflict, which ended on June 10 and again in Jordan and Syria, allied with Egypt. . The Six-Day War, as it was called, resulted in the great land gain of Israel.
By the end of the war, Israel had taken control of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula (a desert region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea) and the Golan Heights (the rocky outcrop between Syria and modern-day Israel.)
The outcome of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War will lead to further conflicts and armed conflicts between Israel and its neighbors for decades to come.
First Intifada and Oslo Agreements
In 1987, the First Intifada broke out, a bitter Palestinian anger over Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinian militant groups revolted, killing hundreds.
The next peace process, known as the Oslo Peace Accords, was initiated in the early 1990's in an effort to stem the tide of international violence.
The first Oslo Accords (Oslo I) formulated a timetable for the Middle East peace process and a Palestinian interim government plan for parts of Gaza and the West Bank. The agreement was signed in 1993 and was ratified by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Arafat returned to Gaza in 1994 after a 27-year exile. He led the newly formed Palestinian Authority.
In 1995, Oslo II laid the groundwork for the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of the West Bank and elsewhere. It also set the election schedule for the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Unfortunately, the Oslo Accords failed in its ultimate goal of bringing Israel and Palestine to a complete peace plan.
Second Intifada: Violence Continues
In September 2000, the Second Palestinian Intifada began. One of the causes of the violence was when Ariel Sharon, a right-wing Israeli, who was to become Israel's next prime minister, visited the Muslim shrine at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Many Palestinians saw this as an act of provocation, and they protested.
Then came riots, bombings, and other attacks, ending the peace process that had been promised.
This period of violence between Palestinians and Israelis lasted for almost five years. Yasser Arafat died in November 2004, and in August 2005, Israeli troops withdrew from Gaza.
Hamas
In 2006, Hamas, a Sunni Islamist terrorist group, won a Palestinian legal election.
That same year, a war broke out between Hamas and Fatah, the political party that controlled the PLO. In 2007, Hamas defeated Fatah in the Gaza war.
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