The Middle East: Chapter 4 [Diplomacy, Peace Then Wider War, 1973 - 1983] Flashcards
1
Q
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OIL CRISIS
A
- OPEC members had used ‘oil weapon’ to end Yom Kippur War
- oil prices in US had tripled [$3 to $12]
- oil restrictions continued post-war
- 1974: inflation and unemployment meant world in economic crisis
2
Q
US INVOLVEMENT
A
- because of oil crisis’ detrimental effect on economy and superpower confrontation war had almost caused, USA wanted peace between Arabs and Israel
- also hoped Egypt and Syria would then support them and not USSR in Cold War
3
Q
KISSINGER’S ‘SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY’ [1974]
A
- flew for 2 months between Israel, Egypt and Syria negotiating for peace
- Israel compliant to pull troops because dependent on US aid
- Egypt willing because Suez needed to be reopened [worth $220 million per year]
- Syria = harder: Assad didn’t want to lose face or Golan Heights
- BUT Syria and Egypt refused Israel’s right to exist and Yitzhak Rabin didn’t remove IDF from Sinai or Golan
- Jan 1947: Egypt and Israel moved back from Suez and UN peacekeepers introduced and DMZ established
- work on Suez reopened and both nations agreed to talking not fighting
- March 1974: OPEC began selling oil to USA again
- DMZ established in Golan with peacekeepers
4
Q
THE REOPENING OF THE SUEZ [5 JUNE 1975]
A
- full of sunken ships, blocked by Israeli causeway and banks covered with ammunition and minefields
- 96 Egyptian men died clearing 686,000 mines for 3 months
- Egyptian, American, British and French navies cleared 10,000 shells, 100 boats and 10 shipwrecks from Suez]
- 600 dignitaries attended Opening Ceremony in Port Said
5
Q
ARAFAT’S SPEECH TO THE UN [NOV 1974]
A
- Middle Eastern dispute left all vulnerable to Palestinian terrorism
- international pressure to solve problem increased
- UN became involved
- Oct 1974: PLO leader Arafat recognized as only Palestinian representative by Arab League
- Nov: invited to UN much to USA and Israel’s dismay
- speech recieved standing ovation and PLO given UN observer status
6
Q
SADAT AND BEGIN EXCHANGE VISITS [1977]
A
- peace needed for Sinai back, for solution to Palestinian issue and because wars too costly
- Egyptian economy already in shambles [1977 Cairo food riots]
- US President Jimmy Carter offered US aid if peace with Israel achieved
- Nov 1977: Sadat told Egyptian National Assembly he was prepared to go to ends of Earth and to Knesset to find peace
- Begin needed peace so IDF could focus on Lebanese PLO threat
- Sadat to Israel to speak to Knesset
- first Arab leader to visit Israel or propose peace deal
- Arabs saw him as traitor
- Begin visited Egypt but didn’t mention Palestinians their land or their self-governance in his speech
- talks slowed and Carter stepped in
7
Q
CAMP DAVID ACCORDS [1978]
A
- Begin and Sadat accepted Carter’s invite to Camp David both needing US aid
- private and neither party could leave [helicopter access only]
1. FRAMEWORK FOR AN EGYPTIAN-ISRAELI PEACE - Israel to leave Sinai in 3 years
- Israeli use of Canal and Straits allowed
- Egypt to receive $1 billion annually for 10 years from USA
- Israel to receive $3 billion loan from USA to cover expenses of dismantling bases in Sinai
2. FRAMEWORK FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST - Israel accepted Palestinian’s legitimate rights
- West Bank and Gazan Palestinians could elect council to govern themselves for 5 years
- Israeli troops to gradually withdraw from above areas
- after 5 years, Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Palestine to make final decisions about how areas to be governed
- agreement reached in 13 days
- BUT 2nd agreement = very vague
- ‘legitimate rights’ not specified
- Palestinians living in refugee camps outside Gaza and West Bank not mentioned
- Jerusalem and Golan not mentioned
- Palestinians never consulted
- 1978: Begin and Sadat awarded Nobel Peace Price
- UN was unconsulted so rejected framework
- Palestinians = furious
- Carter seen as naive
- Sadat seen as naive
- Egypt thrown from Arab League
8
Q
TREATY OF WASHINGTON [MARCH 1979]
A
- signed by Begin and Sadat
- both recognized states right to live in peace
- Israel agreed to Sinai withdrawal
- Israeli straits and Canal use allowed
- condemned by Arabs and Palestinians
9
Q
SIGNIFICANCE OF PLO ACTIVITIES IN LEBANON
A
- PLO provided schools, clinics, roads and Palestinian Youth Groups for 300,000 refugees in Lebanon
- gov believed PLO = corrupt and arrogant
- HQ in Beirut
- military recruitment and training bases in refugee camps
- South Lebanon = ‘Fatahland’
- continued Israeli attacks and pulled harsh Israeli reprisals
- 1970: Christians = angered and set up 10,000 Phalange militants
- Muslims and Druze joined PLO in response
- 1975: Civil War with 70,000 deaths and destruction of Beirut
- neighbours became involved: Israel supplied weapons to Christians and Syrians invaded
- 1976: PLO control in South and 40,000 Syrian troops in power up North
10
Q
RAIDS AND REPRISALS
A
- Arafat’s UN speech disbelieved by Israeli’s and refused by PLO rejectionists who wanted full Israeli destruction
11
Q
COASTAL ROAD MASSACRE [11 MARCH 1978]
A
- 13 PLO militants [all Fatah members] arrived by boat north of Tel Aviv
- hijacked bus and shot at passing cars driving to Tel Aviv
- wanted to take tourists hostage [for return of Palestinian prisoners] and destroy Israel
- stopped by Israeli police block and shooted out killed 9 PLO and 38 Israelis and injured many
12
Q
OPERATION LITANI [15 MARCH 1978]
A
- 26,000 Israeli troops invaded Lebanon to take control of South, destroy PLO bases and establish buffer zone
- 1,100 Palestinians and Lebanese killed [mostly civilian because Arafat had ordered PLO to move North]
13
Q
GROWING TENSIONS [1979 - 1981]
A
- UN called for ceasefire and sent peacekeepers [attacked by Palestinian rejectionists]
- Israelis let Lebanese Christians patrol borders but PLO attacks didn’t cease
- USSR gave PLO weapons
- IDF raids on PLO answered with rocket attacks on Kibbutzes and towns in Galilee
- 1981: practically at war
- 1981: UN ceasefire bought some peace but Israel used time to plan Lebanese invasion
14
Q
ISRAEL’S INVASION OF LEBANON [6 JUNE 1982]
A
- 2 June: 3 PLO hating Palestinians attempted to assassinate Israeli ambassador in London
- ‘Operation Peace for Galilee’ launched
- 70,000 troops, tanks and jets invaded aiming to destroy PLO bases and establish 45 km buffer zone
- Israel went further north: 12,000 killed
- Beirut soon surrounded and Israel wanted PLO eviction from Lebanon and installment of Christian Phalange Bachir Gemayel as leader
- PLO trapped and so occupied civilian areas
- Israel undeterred and bombarded Beirut, cut off water, electricity and food
- killed 20,000
- August 1982: multinational American, French and British force supervised evacuation of 11,500 fighters from Beirut
- most went to Tunisia where Arafat set up new PLO HQ
15
Q
SABRA AND SHATILA [1982]
A
- Sharon not satisfied claiming 2000 fighters still remained
- 2 weeks after evacuation: Israel surrounded Sabra and Shatila camps
- prevented anyone leaving and allowed Phalange Militants to find remaining PLO fighters
- 2 days: 3,500 civilians tortured [then killed]
