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Timeline (from mideastweb.org)
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Nov 2, 1917 |
British issued
the Balfour
Declaration, viewed by Jews and Arabs as promising a “National Home”
for the Jews in Palestine. |
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1936-1939 |
Arab Revolt led
by Haj Amin Al-Husseini. Over 5,000 Arabs were killed according to some
sources, mostly by British. Several hundred Jews were killed by Arabs.
Husseini fled to Iraq and then to Nazi Germany. |
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May 15, 1948 |
Israel War of
Independence (1948 War). Declaration of Israel as the Jewish State;
British leave Palestine; Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi
Arabia declared war on Israel. Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian invasion
began. |
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April 3, 1949
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Armistice -
Israel and Arab states agree to armistice. Israel gained about 50% more
territory than was originally allotted to it by the
UN Partition Plan.
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Oct. 29, 1956 |
Suez Campaign.
In retaliation for a series of escalating border raids as well as the
closure of the straits of Tiran and Suez canal to Israeli shipping, and
to prevent Egyptian use of newly acquired Soviet arms in a war, Israel
invades the Sinai peninsula and occupies it for several months, with
French and British collaboration. |
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May, 1964 |
PLO
(Palestine Liberation Organization) founded with the aim of
destroying Israel. The
Palestinian National Charter (1968) officially called for
liquidation of Israel. |
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May, 1967 |
Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser closes the straits of Tiran to
Israeli shipping and dismisses UN peacekeeping force. Negotiations with
US to reopen the Straits of Tiran fail. |
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June 5-11,1967 |
6-day war.
Israel destroys the Egyptian air force on the ground, conquers and
occupies Sinai and Gaza, then conquers the West Bank from Jordan, and
Golan Heights from Syria. UN
resolution 242 called for Israeli withdrawal, establishment of
peace. |
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Oct. 6, 1973 |
Yom Kippur War
(October War). In a surprise attack on the Jewish day of atonement,
Egypt retook the Suez canal and a narrow zone on the other side. Syria
reconquered the Golan Heights. Following massive US and Soviet
resupplying of the sides, Israel succeeded in pushing back the Syrians
and threatening Damascus.
Ariel Sharon
crossed
the Suez Canal and cut off the Egyptian Third Army. |
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March 26, 1979 |
Peace treaty
signed between Egypt and Israel. |
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June 7, 1981 |
Israel destroys
Iraqi nuclear reactor in daring raid. |
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Oct. 6, 1981 |
Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat is assassinated while on the reviewing stand of a
victory parade. |
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June 6,
1982 |
Massive Israeli invasion of Lebanon to fight PLO. |
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Sept. 13, 1993 |
Oslo Declaration of
Principles - Israel and PLO agree to mutual recognition. |
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Sept 28, 1995 |
Oslo Interim Agreement
signed. Palestinian Authority to be established. |
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Nov. 4, 1995 |
Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin assassinated by right-wing Israeli fanatic
Yigal Amir. Rabin is replaced by Shimon Peres |
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June, 1996 |
Right-Wing Likud leader Benjamin Nethanyahu elected Prime Minister in
Israel, replacing Shimon Peres. |
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Sept, 1996 |
"Al-Aksa tunnel riots - Arab sources spread the false rumor that a gate
opened in an underground tunnel tourist attraction by the Israeli
government, endangered the foundations of the Al-Aqsa mosque. This
caused several days of rioting and numerous casualties. |
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Jan 18, 1997 |
Israel and
Palestinians reach agreement on Israeli redeployment in the West-Bank
city of Hebron |
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Oct. 1998 |
Wye River Plantation talks
result in an agreement for Israeli redeployment and release of
political prisoners and renewed Palestinian commitment to correct its
violations of the Oslo accords including excess police force, illegal
arms and incitement in public media and education. |
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May 17, 1999 |
Israel elects
Labor party leader and Former General Ehud Barak as Prime Minister in a
landslide. Barak promises rapid progress toward peace. |
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March, 2000 |
Israeli-Syrian
peace negotiations fail when Hafez Assad rejects an Israeli offer
relayed by US President Clinton in Geneva. |
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Sept. 28, 2000 |
Palestinians
initiated riots after Israeli opposition leader
Ariel Sharon
visited the Temple Mount, which is also the location of the Haram as
Sharif holy to Muslims. |
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Sept. 11, 2001 |
Terror attacks
on World Trade Center in NYC and the Pentagon carried out by fanatic
Islamic Al-Qaida
group headed by
Osama Bin Laden
initiate US war on terror. Israel and Palestinians agree to a cease
fire, but it is not implemented. |
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Feb 6, 2001 |
Right-wing Likud
leader Ariel Sharon
elected Prime Minister in Israel replacing Ehud Barak and promising
"peace and security." |
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March-April 2002 |
Israel conducts operation Defensive Wall in the West Bank, following a
large number of Palestinian suicide attacks on civilian targets.
Saudi peace
initiative adopted at Beirut summit. |
| Jan 28, 2003 |
Elections in Israel give
wide margin (40 seats) to right wing Likud party, returning PM
Ariel Sharon for
another term. |
| March 19,2003 |
US begins invasion of Iraq
by a strike against a building where Saddam Hussein and other leaders
are meeting. Baghdad falls, April 9. |
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July 9, 2004 |
International court of Justice (ICJ) rules that the Israeli security
barrier violates international law and must be torn down. |
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Nov 11, 2004 |
Palestinian
Authority President
Yasser Arafat dies. |
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Jan 9, 2005 |
Mahmoud Abbas elected President of the Palestinian National Authority. |
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Jan 10, 2005 |
Ariel Sharon forms unity government with Labor and United Torah Judaism
parties in Israel. |
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