Picasso, Crying WomanWhen the same bad thing keeps happening over and over to the same person, at some point you have to assume they want it to happen or they wouldn't keep walking down the same destructive path. Any assitance you give them until they figure it out for themselves is just enabling the behavior that is causing the bad things to happen.
Let us Review:
Nov 2, 1917 - British issued the Balfour Declaration, viewed by Jews and Arabs as promising a “National Home” for the Jews in Palestine.
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.
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.
April 3, 1949 - 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.
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.
May, 1964 - PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) founded with the aim of destroying Israel. The Palestinian National Charter (1968) officially called for liquidation of Israel.
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.
June 5-10,1967 - 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.
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. In Sinai, the IDF crossed the Suez Canal and cut off the Egyptian Third Army.
March 26, 1979 - Peace treaty signed between Egypt and Israel.
June 7, 1981 - Israel destroys Iraqi nuclear reactor in daring raid.
Oct. 6, 1981 - Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is assassinated while on the reviewing stand of a victory parade.
June 6, 1982 - Massive Israeli invasion of Lebanon to fight PLO.
Sept. 13, 1993 - Oslo Declaration of Principles - Israel and PLO agree to mutual recognition.
Sept 28, 1995 - Oslo Interim Agreement signed. Palestinian Authority to be established.
Nov. 4, 1995 - Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin assassinated by right-wing Israeli fanatic Yigal Amir. Rabin is replaced by Shimon Peres
June, 1996 - Right-Wing Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu elected Prime Minister in Israel, replacing Shimon Peres.
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.
Jan 18, 1997 - Israel and Palestinians reach agreement on Israeli redeployment in the West-Bank city of Hebron
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.
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.
March, 2000 - Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations fail when Hafez Assad rejects an Israeli offer relayed by US President Clinton in Geneva.
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.
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.
Feb 6, 2001 - Right-wing Likud leader Ariel Sharon elected Prime Minister in Israel replacing Ehud Barak and promising "peace and security."
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.
July 9, 2004 - International court of Justice (ICJ) rules that the Israeli security barrier violates international law and must be torn down.
Nov 11, 2004 - Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat dies.
Jan 9, 2005 - Mahmoud Abbas elected President of the Palestinian National Authority.
Jan 10, 2005 - Ariel Sharon forms unity government with Labor and United Torah Judaism parties in Israel.
April 2005 - Ariel Sharon visits US President George Bush at his Texas ranch. Syrian Army leaves Lebanon, officially ending Syrian occupation.
May 26, 2005 - Mahmud Abbas visits US President George Bush at the White House, an important symbolic gesture signaling US backing for Abbas and Palestinian aspirations. Israel releases 400 Palestinian prisoners including some with blood on their hands. Britain confirms "low level" negotiations with Hamas.
June, 2005 - Violence flares in Gaza. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits Palestinian and Israeli leaders to ensure coordination of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israeli PM Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meet in Jerusalem June 21. Sharon announces that Palestinians have promised to coordinate regarding Gaza withdrawal. PM Abbas postpones Palestinian legislative elections in order to change the election law, amidst growing concern that Hamas will trounce Abbas's Fatah party in the elections. Lebanese elections give a decisive majority to the opposition to Syria, led by Saad Hariri, son of slain leader Rafiq Hariri.
Aug. 15, 2005 - Disengagement - Israeli evacuation of Gaza settlements and four West Bank settlements began on August 15 and was completed August 24.
July 2006 - More of the same ol' same ol'
9 comments:
Thanks for the chronology of events in the establishment of Israel and the dates of conflict in the middle-east. It always helps to have an historical record at hand.
There are more than enough sins to go around. How we get them all to say "Enough" is the tragedy of the situation. All sides are too willing to blame the other for the ongoing misery.
I think the word Enough has more meaning than we give it credit- You did a great job assembling and posting this Chronology. Thanks for doing that I will share with my son- he is 15 and I have been trying to explain the Middle East Mess- in a way that makes sense.
So So sad and so painful to watch..and read.
Enigma4ever,
There is a very famous song that is sung during Passover called Dayenu. The word means "Enough" and it is about at what point do you thank God for all the gifts and mercies.
You can read the whole commentary on Dayenu here. It is worth your time as the lesson of "Enough" works for both blessings and tragedies.
Sometimes I think Commenters go from blog to blog trying to stir something that just isn't. I was grateful that this blog so carefully gave a History of the region- the problems and the confrontations. Part of studying a crisis is also understanding the cultures, the religions, and the History. And about Enough, as a mother and a humane caring compassionate heartbroken human being sometimes it is time to say Enough, Enough lives lost, Enough children wounded and killed, enough Pain, Enough Suffering...enough...
on BOTH Sides...ALL sides ....and Anywhere that Blood and Tears are being shed...
and that Peace be Sought in this lifetime...
namaste.
( and Thank you so much Jamie for giving me more to read on the ENOUGH issue..it is relevant and the spiritual side of this matters...as it should...)
Thanks Jamie for letting me know Keith is on tonight ;-)
Liberal schmiberal sour (operative word). If you don't like the posts go somewhere else.
Thanks for the chronology. I'm pretty sure, however, it goes back before 1917.
Sue Woo,
You are right about the conflict of tribes within what we now refer to as the Middle East goes back a long way, but the modern conflict dates from the English mandate and the attempts to divide the area up after the First World War.
Several somewhat artificial countries came into being about that time that now are ripping to shreds in one form or another.
For everyone who hasn't read it, James Michner did a great job on research while writing a very entertaining novel with
The Source
It will give you a lot of detail about Israel as a jump off for more factual material on the other surrounding countries.
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