History of the Conflict

A downloadable compilation of the most significant documents related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Between 1900 and 1918, the number of Jewish settlements in Palestine rose from 19 to 47. The population of Palestine at the time was about 700,000, of whom just over 10 percent was Jewish. After Herzl's early death in 1904, a Russian Jewish emigré …

A century on, the importance of the Balfour Declaration and the policies that accompanied it cannot be overstated. British rule of Palestine enabled massive Zionist immigration until the late 1930s. This laid the foundations for the …

Historical context of the Balfour Declaration and its impact on the region. From the Husayn-McMahon Correspondence to the Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Balfour Declaration, how these events shaped the future of Palestine and the Middle East. …

The prevailing belief in the Western world, suggesting that Arab leaders were unwilling to engage in negotiations to resolve their conflict with Israel after the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948, does not align with historical facts. …

The unfolding of the Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the 1948-1949 war to UN resolution 242.

The declaration of the State of Israel on 15 May 1948 meant disaster for the Palestinians. In the previous months, a detailed campaign of ethnic cleansing had already been set into motion – Plan Dalet – which was meant to drastically modify in …

The Jordanian rulers annexed the West Bank for a period of two years. As Transjordan now encompassed both the East and the West Bank, together with the annexation the name Transjordan was transformed into the (Hashemite Arab) Kingdom of Jordan.

The unfolding and the effect of the Suez Crisis in 1956 and the June War in 1967

Two years after the Arab defeat in the June War, Palestinian resistance organizations succeeded in taking over control of the PLO from within.

The June War of 1967, which lasted for six days, is an example of an escalation of the situation; an escalation which various Arab rulers, not the Palestinians, were held responsible. Israel seized the opportunity to start a war which ended in a …

This article explores the complexities of UNSC-Resolution 242, which played a crucial role in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. It observers the nuances of language and international standards of the time. The resolution spoke of the Palestinians …

The unfolding of the Arab-Palestinian-Israeli conflict from the October War of 1973 to the Oslo Accords.

History of the first intifada (1987-1993), which marked a significant new wave of protest within Palestinian society, led by a new generation of activists. It represented a strong outburst of protest from the heart of Palestinian society. It also …

After the expulsion of Iraq from Kuwait on 30 October 1991, the United States convened the Conference of Madrid in Spain with the object of effecting a settlement between the Arab states and Israel. Bilateral negotiations followed the plenary …

New clashes broke out between Israel and the Palestinians at the end of the 1990s as a result of an interplay of factors. Israel's policy of intensified control after 1993 increasingly curbed Palestinian freedom of movement.

In the Declaration of Principles of 13 September 1993 (Oslo-I), the State of Israel and the PLO recognized 'their mutual legitimate and political rights', promising to 'strive to live in peaceful coexistence', and to 'achieve a just, lasting, and …

The unfolding of the Arab-Palestinian-Israeli conflict after the Oslo Accords.

The history of the Second Intifada began with Ariel Sharon's provocative visit to the Haram al-Sharif, which triggered the outbreak of the Second Intifada. This article explores the events surrounding this visit, the Palestinian reaction, and …

The blame game is likely to continue as long as there is no prospect for a solution. In his UN speech, Abbas had a thinly veiled warning for the Israelis: failure to reach a two-state solution would inevitably lead to what some have called the …