Middle East

• 1923: Britain given the mandate (administrative control) over Palestine
• 1923-39: Jewish population of Palestine increases by around 300,000
• 1936-39: The Arab Revolt: Palestinian Arabs rose up against British rule
• 1933-45: Hitler and the Nazis carried out the persecution and then genocide of European Jews during the Shoah (Holocaust)
• 1939-45: The Second World War: Britain reliant on Arab oil and was therefore willing to limit Jewish migration to Palestine
• 1946: Irgun blew up the King David Hotel in Jerusalem
• 1947: British turned to the UN to find a solution
• 1947: UNSCOP presented the Partition Plan
• 1947: The Partition Plan was accepted in Resolution 181
• 1947: Civil War erupted
• 1948: Haganah followed 'Plan D' and committed the Deir Yassin Massacre. Mass migration of Palestinian Arabs from their homes
• 1948: David Ben Gurion proclaimed the state of Israel and the British mandate came to an end. After the last British soldiers left, Israel was immediately attacked by Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon and Iraq
• 1948: David Ben Gurion created the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces), a formidable and very well-equipped armed forces
• 1948-49: The Arab-Israeli War was fought in three phases. Israel won the war, making use of two UN-backed truces to strengthen and launch surprise attacks
• 1949: The USA provided a $100 million grant to Israel. Israel was an important ally for the USA in the Middle East at a time when international influence was a huge part of the Cold War
• 1950: The Law of Return was passed, prompting an increase in Jewish migration to Israel. 120,000 Jews also migrated from Iraq having been forced out.
• 1952: A reparations agreement was reached between West Germany and Israel. West Germany would pay $845 billion over 14 years
• 1960s: The USA granted a further $200 million grant to Israel. The Middle East was becoming an increasingly important part of the Cold War
• 1959: The founding of Fatah by Yasser Arafat, a Palestinian organisation set up to fight for the rights and freedoms of the Palestinian population
• 1964: Abdul Nasser (President of Egypt) organised the Cairo Conference. This confirmed that the Arab states would work together against Israel for Palestine. The conference led to the Headwater Diversion Plan and the setting up of the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organisation).
• 1965-67: Fatah came to increasing prominence after a failed terrorist plot and over 100 raids of Israel
• 1967: Israel conducted airstrikes against Syrian canals to disrupt the Headwater Diversion Plan. A dogfight took place between Syrian and Israeli jets.
• 1966: The Samu Incident (Jordanian police station demolished by Israel) raised tensions as fighting broke out between Jordan and Israel. King Hussein of Jordan criticised Nasser for not acting against Israel
• 1967: After receiving false information from the USSR, Nasser ordered the UN to leave Sinai and closed the Tiran Straits. Israel looked increasingly Isolated. Egypt and Jordan signed a defence pact.
• 1967: The Six Day War began when Israel attacked Jordan, Syria and Egypt and occupied significant areas of land (Golan Heights, Gaza, Sinai, West Bank, East Jerusalem). Some view this as a justified pre-emptive strike. Others feel that Israel used the closure of the Tiran Straits as an excuse to attack
• 1967: The Arab States meet at the Khartoum Conference and agree on a new, harder line against Israel. The Three 'Nos' (No Peace, No Recognition, No Negotiation with Israel)
• 1967: Resolution 242 was approved by the UN. It supported 'Land for Peace' i.e. Israel would gradually return the land it occupied during the Six Day War in exchange for long-term peace. This was rejected by the Arab States.
• 1967-70: Israel and Egypt began a 'war of attrition' over the Suez Canal. Egypt refused to allow Israel access to the canal and Israel refused to permit the clearance of blockages created during the Six Day War. A ceasefire was reached in 1970
• 1967-73: Israel's occupation of territory, particularly East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai and the Golan Heights, intensified anger and hostility
• 1967-73: As the number of Palestinians living in or fleeing from Israeli occupation increased, an increasing number joined groups like Fatah and the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine). Arafat moved Fatah's base to Karameh in Jordan. Arafat became the chairman of the PLO
• 1970: President Nasser was replaced by Anwar Sadat. He set about trying to fix Egypt's economy by reducing military spending and opening the Suez Canal
• 1970-72: Despite attempts to negotiate with Israel and the USA, President Sadat was unable to negotiate either the return of Sinai or the opening of the Suez Canal. Meanwhile, Israel built the Bar Lev Line to protect itself from an attack by Egypt
• 1970: King Hussein of Jordan saw Arafat as a threat, particularly after Israeli attacks on Karameh. During 'Black September', he expelled the PLO and used the Jordanian Army to kill over 2,000 Palestinian fighters
• 1972: The Black September terrorist group killed 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. This increased international sympathy for Israel.
• 6 Oct 1973: The Yom Kippur War began when Egypt & Syria launched an attack against Israel on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur
• 15 Oct 1973: Despite early Egyptian advances, Israel begun to turn the tide of the war with superior, US-supplied weapons
• 25 Oct 1973: The Yom Kippur war ended. Israel had shown its military strength and gained more land. However, Sadat also gained popularity in Egypt for his tough stance
• 6 - 25 Oct 1973: The Arab states withheld oil from the USA to deter it from supporting Israel. The 'Oil Weapon' motivated the USA to work towards peace in the Middle East
• 1974: Henry Kissinger, USA Secretary of State, used 'shuttle diplomacy' to help negotiate the re-opening of the Suez Canal and to create DMZs (demilitarised zones) between Israel & Egypt and Israel & Syria
• 1974: The Arab League recognised the PLO (led by Arafat) as the only representative of Palestine. The PLO was based in Lebanon following the Black September event in 1970. Arafat made a speech at the United Nations and received a standing ovation.