Middle East Flashcards
State the series of events that lead up to the creation of Israel
May 1947 - The UN set up a special committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) to investigate possible solutions to the problem.
September 1947 - UNSCOP reported back. By a majority decision it recommended a partition plan between Arab and jewish states.
November 1947 - the partition plan is passed by the UN. With the US and USSR putting pressure on other states to vote in favour.
December 1947 - Britain announced it would pull out of Palestine on the 15th May 1948. Palestine erupted into civil war.
14th May 1948 - David Ben-Gurian proclaimed the foundation of the state of Israel. All Arab states immediately denounced it. Palestine did not declare the foundation of their state.
What were the Arab’s weaknesses in the Arab-Israeli war 1948-49?
The Arab states did not commit their full armies.
Transjordan was the only country with an effective army
Each country had its own war goals
What were the Israeli strengths in the Arab-Israeli War 1948-49?
Israel had a larger army. it started with 35,000 men but increased it to 108,000 men.
Israel had much more experienced fighters.
During the first cease fire Israel was able to organise its army and buy weapons from Czechoslovakia.
Israeli tactics were much more effective.
What was Al-Nabka and what does it mean?
“The Great Catastrophe”. When 700,000 palestians fled or were expelled from Israel during the Arab-Israeli war.
What was “Plan D” and when did it take place.
- The plan by the Haganah to control areas around Israel’s borders to secure Israel’s security.
What were the three reasons Israel did not let the Arabs back in?
The palestians left voluntarily
The Israeli government denied Palestians the right to return as they claimed this would propose an existential threat to Israel.
There was already an influx of jewish refugees from Arab countries after 1948
When and how did General Nasser rise to power?
In 1952 he led a coup to force King Farouk out of power.
How did Nasser gain popularity in the Arab World?
Nasser planned to redistribute the land to the peasants and build schools and hospitals. He also planned to dam the River Nile in order to control the Nile’s annual floods.
What was the sequence of events that lead to the Suez crisis?
February 1955 - Operation Black Arrow kills 38 Egyptians
Nasser makes a secret 300 million dollar arms deal with Czechoslovakia.
In August 1955 A Fedayeen raid killed 11 Israelis. The IDF reprisal attack of gaza kill 72 Egyptians.
Nasser made the arms deal public and imposed a blockade on the straits of Tiran.
In November 1955 an IDF attack on Gaza killed 50 Egyptians.
A week later Nasser nationalised the suez canal.
In secret Ben-Gurian and Moshe Dayan met with British and French ministers in France in the 22nd October 1956.
They planned to have Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France would later invade Egypt from the other side if the canal, pretending to keep the peace.
What decisions were made at the 1964 Cairo Conference?
The headwater diversion plan, the plan to divert two of the three sources of the Jordan river from going towards Israeli settlements in the Negev Desert.
The PLO was set up.
How did tensions rise between Israel and Syria before the Six Day War?
On 1st January 1965 Fatah led a raid to destroy the canal that took fresh water to farms in the Negev desert. The raid failed but the raid gained huge publicity.
Syria provided support to Fatah raids on Israel. Over 100 raids were launched from Syria between 1965-67. These raids would have not been possible without Syria.
In 1966 a new Syrian government seized power and increased support for Fatah.
On the 7th April some Syrian gunners based in the Golan Heights fired at an Israeli tractor in the DMZ. Israel sent planes to attack the gun positions, so Syria sent in their own planes. In the dogfight that followed Syria lost 6 of its jets.
How did tensions rise between Israel and Jordan before the Six Day War?
On 11th November 1966 an Israeli patrol drove over a mine on the Jordan border. On the 13th November Israel sent 600 troops into Jordan. They target the small settlement of Soma were they destroyed peoples homes. By coincidence 100 Jordanian soldiers came across what was happening, and in the following battle 15 Jordanian soldiers, one Israeli and 3 villagers were killed.
King Hussein of Jordan publicly called for war.
How did tensions between Israel and Egypt rise beofre the Six Day War?
On 13th May 1967 the USSR told Nasser that Israel was massing troops on the Syrian border. On 18th May UN peacekeepers left Egypt and moved his troops to the Israel border. On May 19th Nasser demanded that Israel let the Palestians return. On 30th May Nasser signed a defence treaty with Jordan.
