1974 - 2000
EGYPT
Following the Camp David Accords of the late 1970s, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in March, 1979. Under its terms, the Sinai Peninsula returned to Egyptian hands, and the Gaza Strip remained under Israeli control, to be included in a future Palestinian state. The agreement also provided for the free passage of Israeli ships through the Suez Canal and recognition of the Strait of Tiran and the Gulf of Aqaba as international waterways.
JORDAN
In October 1994, Israel and Jordan signed a peace agreement, which stipulated mutual cooperation, an end of hostilities, the fixing of the Israel-Jordan border, and a resolution of other issues. The conflict between them had cost roughly 18.3 billion dollars. Its signing is also closely linked with the efforts to create peace between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) representing the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). It was signed at the southern border crossing of Arabah on October 26, 1994 and made Jordan only the second Arab country (after Egypt) to normalize relations with Israel.
IRAQ
Israel and Iraq have been implacable foes since 1948. Iraq sent its troops to participate in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and later backed Egypt and Syria in the Six Day War in 1967 and in the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In June 1981, Israel attacked and destroyed newly built Iraqi nuclear facilities in Operation Opera. During the Gulf War in 1991, Iraq fired 39 Scud missiles into Israel, in the hopes of uniting the Arab world against the coalition which sought to liberate Kuwait. At the behest of the United States, Israel did not respond to this attack in order to prevent a greater outbreak of war.
LEBANON
In 1970, following an extended civil war, King Hussein expelled the Palestine Liberation Organization from Jordan.
September 1970 is known as the Black September in Arab history and sometimes is
referred to as the "era of regrettable events". It was a month when Hashemite
King Hussein of Jordan moved to quash the autonomy of Palestinian organisations
and restore his monarchy's rule over the country. The
violence resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people, the vast
majority Palestinians. Armed
conflict lasted until July 1971 with the expulsion of the PLO and thousands of
Palestinian fighters to Lebanon. The PLO resettled in Lebanon, from which it
staged raids into Israel. In 1981, Syria, allied with the PLO, positioned
missiles in Lebanon. In June 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon. Within two months the PLO
agreed to withdraw thence.
In March 1983, Israel and Lebanon signed a ceasefire agreement. However,
Syria pressured President Amin Gemayel into nullifying the truce in March 1984. By 1985, Israeli forces withdrew to a 15 km wide southern strip of Lebanon, following which the conflict continued on a lower scale, with relatively low casualties on both sides. In 1993 and 1996, Israel launched major operations against the Shiite militia of Hezbollah, which had become an emergent threat.
In 2000, as part of a greater plan for a peace agreement with Syria, Israel abandoned its occupation of
Southern Lebanon.
In 2006, as a response to a Hezbollah cross-border raid, Israel launched air
strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Southern Lebanon, starting the 2006 Lebanon War. The war lasted for 34 days, and
resulted in the creation of a buffer zone in Southern Lebanon and the deployment
of Lebanese troops south of the Litani river for the first time since the 1960s.
Hezbollah withdrew its fighters from the border areas, and Israel eventually
turned over its occupied areas in Lebanon to UN peacekeepers. Both sides
declared victory in the conflict
PALESTINIANS
The 1970s were marked by a large number of major, international terrorist
attacks, including the Lod Airport Massacre and the Munich Olympics Massacre in
1972, and the Entebbe Hostage Taking in 1976, with over 100
Jewish hostages of different nationalities kidnapped and held in Uganda.
In December 1987, the First Intifada began. The First Intifada was a
mass Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule in the Palestinian Territories.The
rebellion began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza
and the West Bank. Palestinian actions ranged from civil disobedience to
violence. In addition to general strikes, boycotts on Israeli products, graffiti
and barricades, Palestinian demonstrations that included stone-throwing by
youths against the Israel Defense Forces brought the Intifada international
attention. The Israeli army's heavy handed response to the demonstrations, with
live ammunition, beatings and mass arrests, brought international condemnation.
The PLO, which until then had never been recognised as the leaders of the
Palestinian people by Israel, was invited to peace negotiations the following
year, after it recognized Israel and renounced terrorism.
In mid-1993, Israeli and Palestinian representatives engaged in peace talks
in Oslo, Norway. As a result, in September 1993, Israel and the PLO signed the
Oslo Accords, known as the Declaration of
Principles or Oslo I; in side letters, Israel recognized the PLO as the
legitimate representative of the Palestinian people while the PLO recognized the
right of the state of Israel to exist and renounced terrorism, violence and its
desire for the destruction of Israel.
The Oslo II agreement was signed in 1995 and detailed the division of the
West Bank into Areas A, B, and C. Area A was land under full
Palestinian civilian control. In Area A, Palestinians were also responsible for
internal security. The Oslo agreements remain important documents in
Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Following the Camp David Accords of the late 1970s, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in March, 1979. Under its terms, the Sinai Peninsula returned to Egyptian hands, and the Gaza Strip remained under Israeli control, to be included in a future Palestinian state. The agreement also provided for the free passage of Israeli ships through the Suez Canal and recognition of the Strait of Tiran and the Gulf of Aqaba as international waterways.
JORDAN
In October 1994, Israel and Jordan signed a peace agreement, which stipulated mutual cooperation, an end of hostilities, the fixing of the Israel-Jordan border, and a resolution of other issues. The conflict between them had cost roughly 18.3 billion dollars. Its signing is also closely linked with the efforts to create peace between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) representing the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). It was signed at the southern border crossing of Arabah on October 26, 1994 and made Jordan only the second Arab country (after Egypt) to normalize relations with Israel.
IRAQ
Israel and Iraq have been implacable foes since 1948. Iraq sent its troops to participate in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and later backed Egypt and Syria in the Six Day War in 1967 and in the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In June 1981, Israel attacked and destroyed newly built Iraqi nuclear facilities in Operation Opera. During the Gulf War in 1991, Iraq fired 39 Scud missiles into Israel, in the hopes of uniting the Arab world against the coalition which sought to liberate Kuwait. At the behest of the United States, Israel did not respond to this attack in order to prevent a greater outbreak of war.
LEBANON
In 1970, following an extended civil war, King Hussein expelled the Palestine Liberation Organization from Jordan.
September 1970 is known as the Black September in Arab history and sometimes is
referred to as the "era of regrettable events". It was a month when Hashemite
King Hussein of Jordan moved to quash the autonomy of Palestinian organisations
and restore his monarchy's rule over the country. The
violence resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people, the vast
majority Palestinians. Armed
conflict lasted until July 1971 with the expulsion of the PLO and thousands of
Palestinian fighters to Lebanon. The PLO resettled in Lebanon, from which it
staged raids into Israel. In 1981, Syria, allied with the PLO, positioned
missiles in Lebanon. In June 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon. Within two months the PLO
agreed to withdraw thence.
In March 1983, Israel and Lebanon signed a ceasefire agreement. However,
Syria pressured President Amin Gemayel into nullifying the truce in March 1984. By 1985, Israeli forces withdrew to a 15 km wide southern strip of Lebanon, following which the conflict continued on a lower scale, with relatively low casualties on both sides. In 1993 and 1996, Israel launched major operations against the Shiite militia of Hezbollah, which had become an emergent threat.
In 2000, as part of a greater plan for a peace agreement with Syria, Israel abandoned its occupation of
Southern Lebanon.
In 2006, as a response to a Hezbollah cross-border raid, Israel launched air
strikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Southern Lebanon, starting the 2006 Lebanon War. The war lasted for 34 days, and
resulted in the creation of a buffer zone in Southern Lebanon and the deployment
of Lebanese troops south of the Litani river for the first time since the 1960s.
Hezbollah withdrew its fighters from the border areas, and Israel eventually
turned over its occupied areas in Lebanon to UN peacekeepers. Both sides
declared victory in the conflict
PALESTINIANS
The 1970s were marked by a large number of major, international terrorist
attacks, including the Lod Airport Massacre and the Munich Olympics Massacre in
1972, and the Entebbe Hostage Taking in 1976, with over 100
Jewish hostages of different nationalities kidnapped and held in Uganda.
In December 1987, the First Intifada began. The First Intifada was a
mass Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule in the Palestinian Territories.The
rebellion began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza
and the West Bank. Palestinian actions ranged from civil disobedience to
violence. In addition to general strikes, boycotts on Israeli products, graffiti
and barricades, Palestinian demonstrations that included stone-throwing by
youths against the Israel Defense Forces brought the Intifada international
attention. The Israeli army's heavy handed response to the demonstrations, with
live ammunition, beatings and mass arrests, brought international condemnation.
The PLO, which until then had never been recognised as the leaders of the
Palestinian people by Israel, was invited to peace negotiations the following
year, after it recognized Israel and renounced terrorism.
In mid-1993, Israeli and Palestinian representatives engaged in peace talks
in Oslo, Norway. As a result, in September 1993, Israel and the PLO signed the
Oslo Accords, known as the Declaration of
Principles or Oslo I; in side letters, Israel recognized the PLO as the
legitimate representative of the Palestinian people while the PLO recognized the
right of the state of Israel to exist and renounced terrorism, violence and its
desire for the destruction of Israel.
The Oslo II agreement was signed in 1995 and detailed the division of the
West Bank into Areas A, B, and C. Area A was land under full
Palestinian civilian control. In Area A, Palestinians were also responsible for
internal security. The Oslo agreements remain important documents in
Israeli-Palestinian relations.