The Arab-Israeli conflict has a complex history, beginning with the United Nations General Assembly's 1947 resolution to partition the land now known as Israel into Jewish and Arab states. Despite facing invasions from neighbouring Arab states after declaring independence in 1948, Israel survived and expanded its territories after the Six-Day War in 1967. The Khartoum Resolutions by Arab states led to further conflict, including the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In 1978, the Camp David Accords established peace between Egypt and Israel. Despite Israel's attempts to negotiate peace with Palestinians, conflicts persist, particularly with Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007. Israel, a diverse nation with 21% Arab citizens, has developed the Iron Dome air-defense system to protect against rocket attacks.
“Hamas, a terrorist group backed by Iran, recently launched a brutal attack on Israeli civilians. As lies and misinformation spread across the Internet and the media, it’s critical that you know the truth about Israel and the Middle East conflict.
So, how much do you know about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?” (Source: PragerU)
(1.) In 1947, the ___________ Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the partitioning of the land that is now Israel between Arabs and Jews?
****In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the partitioning of the land that is now Israel into two separate states: one Jewish and one Arab. However, Resolution 181 did not declare statehood, as all UN General Assembly resolutions are non-binding recommendations that carry no force of law. Instead, Resolution 181, as former Israeli ambassador to the UN Dore Gold stated, “provided international legitimacy for the Jewish claim to statehood.”
(2.) In what year was Israel declared an independent state?
David Ben-Gurion, who later became Israel's first Prime Minister, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, _______.
(3.) Immediately after Israel was declared a free state from Britain in 1948, the armies of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon invaded Israel and began this war: Just one day after Israel was declared a free state, the armies of all the neighbouring Arab states—Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt—attacked Israel hoping to destroy it in the First Arab-Israeli War of 1948. But, to the world’s surprise, the little Jewish state __________.
(4.) In 1967, the dictator of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, announced his plan, “to destroy Israel” and began mobilising Egyptian troops and other Arab countries to once again invade the Jewish nation. This led to a war, often referred as: Israel acted to bring the Six _____ War in 1967 to a quick solution. Prior to the war, guerrilla groups had stepped up their attacks on Israel and Egyptian forces heightened tensions by massing troops on Israel’s border in a show of support for Syria. By the end of the war, Israel had defeated the Egyptian, Syrian, and Jordanian forces and gained the territories of the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights.
(5.) After losing the 1967 Six Day War against Israel, the heads of state of eight Arab countries joined forces in Khartoum, Sudan and passed the Khartoum Resolutions. The Khartoum Resolutions clarified that Arab states intended to act according to the “three NOs.” Which of the following was included in the three “NOs?”
The Khartoum Resolutions clarified that Arab states intended to act according to the “three NOs”: no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, and no ____________ with Israel. As a result, the cease fire that followed Israel’s victory in the Six Day War was short-lived. On October 6, 1973, Israel was again attacked by Egypt and Syria on the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur. The Yom Kippur War lasted until October 26, 1973.
(6.) In 1978, Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in exchange for a peace treaty? In 1978, President Jimmy Carter brought together Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to sign a peace treaty known as the Camp _________ Accords. The negotiations occurred at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, USA and helped establish the normalisation of relations between Egypt and Israel.
(7.) During the 2000 Camp David Summit brokered by President Bill Clinton, Israel sought a peace deal with the Palestinians, offering the Palestinians control over this territory?
During the 2000 Camp David Summit, Israel, under the leadership of Prime Minister Ehud Barak, offered several significant concessions in an attempt to reach a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinian Authority. Israel’s offer included giving the Palestinians 97% of the West Bank and full control of the Gaza Strip. This offer, however, was ultimately ___________ by the Palestinians.
(8.) Which terrorist organization has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007?
In 2006, Hamas emerged victorious in elections held in the Gaza Strip—they have maintained governance over the region since the Battle of Gaza in 2007. Hamas is a militant antisemitic organization with the stated goal of the destruction of Israel.
Article 13 of the Hamas charter states:
"[Peace] initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement... Those conferences are no more than a means to appoint the infidels as arbitrators in the lands of Islam... There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. Initiatives, proposals, and international conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility."