• 1948 War of Independence / Nahkba• 1956 Suez/Sinai War• 1964-66 Syrian Border and Air Battles• 1965-66 West Bank Raids

• 1967 Six Day War / Naksa• 1968-70 War of Attrition (Egypt)• 1973 Yom Kippur/Ramadan War• 1978 Israeli Invasion of Lebanon and re-occurring conflict to the

present• 1987-93 First Intifada• 2000-7 Al-Aqsa/Second Intifada• 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War (Lebabon)• 2007 Air Strike on Syria• 2008 Gaza War

1922 British Mandate

Jews 7.4% (56,000)

Arabs 92.6% (700,000)

1947 Jewish State Palestinian

Jews 60% 2%

Arabs 40% 98%

1948 Jewish State Today WB Gaza

Jews 85% (600,000) 6 mil 200,000 0

Arabs 15% (150,000) 1.5 mil 2.5 mil 1.3 mil

700,000 Palestinian refugees (80% from Israel)

Figures as high as 7 million total refugees today (WB/Gaza 3.7 million)

Land Allocation: Basic DataLand Allocation: Basic Data

* 20.2% of Israel's citizens are Arabs.* 20.2% of Israel's citizens are Arabs.* There are more than 1000 Jewish settlements in * There are more than 1000 Jewish settlements in

Israel, and 107 Arab settlements. Since 1948 no Israel, and 107 Arab settlements. Since 1948 no Arab settlement was established (as a result of Arab settlement was established (as a result of an Arab initiative). 800 new Jewish settlements an Arab initiative). 800 new Jewish settlements were established.were established.

* The State of Israel owns 19.5 million dunam of * The State of Israel owns 19.5 million dunam of lands. 93% out of the state-owned land is lands. 93% out of the state-owned land is administered by the Israel Land Administration administered by the Israel Land Administration (ILA).(ILA).

* 3.5% of the land is private land owned by Jews, * 3.5% of the land is private land owned by Jews, 3.5% of the land is privately owned by Arabs.3.5% of the land is privately owned by Arabs.

Israel / PalestineThe Tale of Two Histories

Jewish History• Worldwide Anti-Semitism• Zionism: Israel as special place in

Jewish “national” history• Return and renewal of land• War of Independence

– Arabs left/ran away/voluntary– Jews are miraculously victorious– Jerusalem still under Muslim rule

• War of 1967• Terrorists• Jewish State

Palestinian History• Jews and Arabs live in relative

peace under Ottoman rule• No real national identity; pan-

Arabism• Threatened by new Jewish

kibbutzim and immigration• The Nahkba – Catastrophe

– Arabs were systematically expelled from the land

– Jews as colonialists

• War of 1967 – The Naksa: another catastrophe; lose Jerusalem

• Freedom Fighters/Martyrs• Apartheid State

Separation Wall• Necessary for

security (since built 97% of all terrorist attacks have ceased)

Or• Further encroachment

of Israel into Palestine and barrier to peace

Settlements:

A Roadblock to Peace?

Palestinian Propaganda???

Issues at Stake

Jews• Security – Terrorism; Islamic

Fundamentalism; full cooperation

• Demography• Limited right of return• Jewish State• Jerusalem as capital – non-

negotiable • Negotiation of settlements and

borders• Water

Palestinians• Equal rights as Arab-Israeli

citizens• Full right of Return (UN 194)• Compensation• One-State Solution? Two-

State Solution (UN 242)?• Apology/Recognition by Israel

for their part in refugee situation

• East Jerusalem as capital• Return to 1967 borders and

dismantling of all settlements• Water