Palestinians and Israelis : A Short History of Conflict

'Necessary and accessible' Jon Snow, presenter of Channel 4 News 'A masterpiece of clarity, concision and balance' Professor Adam Sutcliffe, King's College London The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is one of the most bitter struggles of modern times, with consequences that are felt around the globe. In this comprehensive and stimulating overview, Michael Scott-Baumann succinctly describes its causes and charts its history from the late nineteenth century to the present day. Adopting a unique approach, each chapter starts with a lucid explanation of the politics and ends with personal testimony from the diaries, interviews and memoirs of Israelis and Palestinians whose lives have been marked by conflict. By presenting competing interpretations from both sides, Scott-Baumann examines the key flashpoints of the twentieth century including the early role of the British, the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, and the dramatic impact of the Six-Day War of 1967. The latter part of the book focuses on the nature of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, and resistance to it, a matter at the heart of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in recent decades. The result is an indispensable account for anyone seeking to understand the context behind today’s headlines, including analysis of why international efforts to restore peace have continually failed. Cover 1 Title 3 Copyright 4 Contents 5 Preface 7 Acknowledgements 9 Chronology 10 List of Figures 12 1 The Origins of the Conflict 13 Palestine Before the First World War 13 Zionism and Jewish Communities in Palestine 14 Arabs and Jews in Palestine – Neighbours or Enemies? 16 2 The First World War and the British Mandate 19 Palestine in the First World War 19 British Intervention During the War 20 The Balfour Declaration, 1917 21 The British Mandate for Palestine 22 The Development of the Jewish Community in Palestine 25 3 British Rule in Palestine, 1929–39 30 The Impact of British Rule on the Arabs in Palestine 30 The Development of Palestinian Nationalism in the 1930s 35 The Arab Revolt, 1936–39 37 4 UN Partition, Israel and War, 1945–49 43 The End of the British Mandate 43 The UN Partition Plan and Civil War, 1947–48 46 Contrasting Narratives of the Palestinian Exodus 49 The War of 1948–49 51 5 Palestinians and Israelis in the 1950s and 1960s 60 The Palestinian Diaspora 60 The Re-Emergence of Palestinian Nationalism 63 Jewish Immigration and the Economic Development of Israel 67 The Arab–Israeli Conflict in the 1950s and 1960s 69 The Aftermath of the Six-Day War 71 6 The Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian Territories 75 Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian Territories – The West Bank and Gaza 75 Settlement Building 77 7 Palestinian Resistance from 1967 to the First Intifada in 1987 83 Fatah and the PLO 83 Terrorism and the Palestinian Struggle 85 The PLO in Lebanon 88 The First Intifada, 1987–93 90 8 The Rise and Demise of the Oslo Peace Process, 1993–2000 96 The Road to Oslo 97 The Oslo Accords of 1993 and 1995 99 The West Bank and Gaza After Oslo 105 Camp David, 2000 109 9 From the Second Intifada to War in Gaza, 2000–08 112 The Second Intifada, 2000–05 112 The Israeli Evacuation of Gaza, 2005 119 The Rise of Hamas 121 10 Palestinians and Israelis in the Age of Netanyahu, 2009 to 2021 127 Netanyahu and Obama 127 War in Gaza, 2014 129 Arab Israelis and the Nation-State Law, 2018 130 President Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’, 2020 132 Daily Life in the Occupied Territories, 2021 134 Epilogue 141 Notes 144 Glossary of Key Terms 150 Glossary of Key People 152 Bibliography 153 Newly updated, this accessible history explores the origins and development of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Why has it proved so intractable, and what are the implications of escalating tensions for both the Middle East and the world? The ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians is one of the most bitter conflicts of modern times, with profound global consequences. In this comprehensive and stimulating overview, Middle East expert Michael Scott-Baumann charts its history from the late nineteenth century to the present day. Each chapter offers a lucid explanation of the politics and includes personal testimony of Israelis and Palestinians whose lives have been marked by conflict. By presenting competing interpretations from both sides, Scott-Baumann examines key flashpoints of the twentieth century, bringing this new edition up to date with a consideration of the war ignited by Hamas's surprise attacks on Israel in 2023. He delineates both the nature of Israeli control over the Palestinian territories and Palestinian resistance – going to the heart of recent clashes. The result is an indispensable account for anyone seeking to understand the context behind today's headlines, including analysis of why international efforts to restore peace have continually failed. Everything you need to know to understand the most bitter and consequential conflict of the modern world