Arab-Israeli Conflict : The Essential Reference Guide

The Arab-Israeli conflict remains one of the most contentious in modern history, one with repercussions that reach far beyond the Middle East. This volume describes and explains the most important countries, people, events, and organizations that play or have played a part in the conflict. Chronological coverage begins with the Israeli War of Independence in 1948 and extends to the present day. A one-stop reference, the guide offers a comprehensive overview essay, as well as perspective essays by leading scholars who explore such widely debated issues as the United States' support for Israel and historic rights to Palestine. Important primary source documents, such as the UN Resolution on the Partition of Palestine and the Camp David Accords, are included and put into context. Further insight into drivers of war and peace in the Middle East are provided through biographies of major political leaders like Menachem Begin, Golda Meir, Yasser Arafat, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Anwar Sadat. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Overview of the Arab-Israeli Conflict 12 Causes of the Arab-Israeli Conflict 30 Consequences of the Arab-Israeli Conflict 32 REFERENCE ENTRIES 36 Abbas, Mahmoud 36 Al Jazeera 38 Al Qaeda 41 Algeria 46 Arab League 49 Arab Spring 52 Arab-Jewish Communal War 56 Arafat, Yasser 61 Begin, Menachem 66 Ben-Gurion, David 69 Camp David Accords 72 Egypt 76 European Union and the Arab-Israeli Conflict 87 Fayyad, Salam 94 Gaza Strip 96 Hamas 102 Hezbollah 107 Intifada, First 112 Intifada, Second 115 Iran 119 Iraq 124 Israel 129 Israeli War of Independence, Overview 139 Jordan 146 Kuwait 152 Lebanon 156 Libya 162 Meir, Golda 166 Morocco 168 Nasser, Gamal Abdel 172 Oslo Accords 176 Palestine Liberation Organization 180 Palestinian Authority 186 Persian Gulf War 192 Rabin, Yitzhak 196 Sadat, Anwar 200 Saudi Arabia 202 Sharon, Ariel 207 Six-Day War 210 Soviet Union and Russia, Middle East Policy 218 Suez Crisis 228 Syria 235 Tunisia 242 United Kingdom, Middle East Policy 246 United Nations, Role of 255 United States, Middle East Policy 265 Yemen 274 Yom Kippur War 277 Zionism 288 PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS 294 Balfour Declaration, 1917 294 United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181, Future Government of Palestine [Excerpt], November 29, 1947 294 The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, May 14, 1948 299 U.S. Recognition of Israel, May 14, 1948 301 Arab League Statement, May 15, 1948 302 Palestine Liberation Organization, Draft Constitution [Excerpt], 1963 305 United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, November 22, 1967 307 United Nations Security Council Resolution 338, October 22, 1973 308 Framework for Peace in the Middle East, September 17, 1978 308 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty, March 26, 1979 312 Yasser Arafat, Declaration on Terrorism [Excerpt], November 7, 1985 314 Program of Hezbollah [Excerpt], February 16, 1986 315 Communiqué of the Intifada, January 8, 1988 317 Hamas Charter, Defining the Hamas Movement [Excerpt], August 18, 1988 319 James A. Baker, Five-Point Peace Plan, October 10, 1989 321 Oslo Declaration of Principles [Excerpt], September 13, 1993 321 Yitzhak Rabin’s Last Speech, Peace Rally, Kings of Israel Square, Tel Aviv, November 4, 1995 324 Wye River Memorandum [Excerpt], October 23, 1998 325 Quartet Joint Statement, July 16, 2002 327 Road Map to Peace, April 30, 2003 329 Mahmoud Abbas, Inaugural Speech as President of the Palestinian Authority [Excerpt], January 15, 2005 335 Ariel Sharon, Speech at the United Nations Assembly [Excerpt], September 15, 2005 336 President Barack Obama, Address at Cairo University, June 4, 2009 338 Palestinian National Authority, “Palestine: Ending the Occupation, Establishing the State,” Program of the Thirteenth Government, August 23, 2009 340 APPENDIX: HISTORICAL DILEMMAS IN THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT 344 A Right to Palestine 346 U.S. Support of Israel 352 Military Maneuvers 356 Chronology 360 Selected Bibliography 388 List of Contributors 398 About the Editor 400 Index 402 Truly an essential reference for today's world, this detailed introduction to the origins, events, and impact of the adversarial relationship between Arabs and Israelis illuminates the complexities and the consequences of this long-lasting conflict.The Arab-Israeli conflict remains one of the most contentious in modern history, one with repercussions that reach far beyond the Middle East. This volume describes and explains the most important countries, people, events, and organizations that play or have played a part in the conflict. Chronological coverage begins with the Israeli War of Independence in 1948 and extends through the 2010s. A one-stop reference, the guide offers a comprehensive overview essay, as well as perspective essays by leading scholars who explore such widely debated issues as the United States'support for Israel and historic rights to Palestine.Important primary source documents, such as the UN Resolution on the Partition of Palestine and the Camp David Accords, are included and put into context. Further insight into drivers of war and peace in the Middle East are provided through biographies of major political leaders like Menachem Begin, Golda Meir, Yasser Arafat, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Anwar Sadat. Truly an essential reference for today's world, this detailed introduction to the origins, events, and impact of the adversarial relationship between Arabs and Israelis illuminates the complexities and the consequences of this long-lasting conflict. * Provides a comprehensive overview of one of the most complex conflicts in modern times, clarifying its causes and consequences * Inspires critical thinking through perspective essays on topics related to the conflict that generate wide-spread debate * Takes into account events such as the impact of the Arab Spring and the ongoing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear capabilities * Offers valuable insights into the backgrounds and philosophies of the leaders on both sides who have helped defined the Arab-Israeli conflict