Causes of Conflict

1. The conflict is between Israel and Arab. The conflict started when in 1948 prime minister David Ben Gurion greeted the birth of Israel in 1948. To the Arabs living in Palestine the creation was an illegal outrage. Other Problems grew in the region and led to a Cold War in the Middle East. The region commanded vital oil resources, as well as strategic waterways such as the Bosporus, the Suez Canal and the Persian Gulf. The United States sent aid to stop a communist the threat to Turkey in 1947 and backed the anti communist shah of Iran. In the Arab-Israeli conflict, the United States helped Israel, while the Soviet Union aided the Arabs. The United States armed their allies with expensive new weapons. In 1956, 1967, and 1973 Israel and Arab faced off again. Israel was a center of guerrilla warfare and terrorist activity. In 1967 Israel forces wanted to gain more land. They won the Golan Heights from Syria, East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan, and the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula from Egypt. In 1973 Arabs attacked Israel but failed to regain the occupied lands. Israel refused to give up the territories until Arab nations recognized Israel’s right to exist. 

In 1948, 1972, and the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) waged guerrilla war against Israelis at home and abroad. They did bombing, airplane hijackings, and the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Olympics in 1972. In 1987 young Palestinians openly defied Israeli soldiers, throwing rocks and disobeying curfews. This led to Israel cracking down and they were accused of human rights violations. Some Israelis wanted to give up the occupied territories in exchange for pieces when others became even more determined to keep the lands they won. In 1979, 1991, and 1994 peace agreements were made and territory was returned. For the first time in 1993 direct talks were held between Israel and the PLO. Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin signed a historic agreement that gave Palestinians in Gaza the West Bank city of Jericho. The agreement left some Palestinians dissatisfied and no piece is not met in these two countries. Today conflict is still high in these two countries.