Name: ______Class: ______
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Web Quest
Directions: Follow the links below to answer the corresponding questions. You may use other sources for further clarification. Be specific and use examples and quotes from the sources given. You may type your answers below in Microsoft Word or on lined piece of paper, numbering the questions accordingly.
Geography:
1. Go to “One Land, Two Peoples.” What U.S. state is about the same size as Israel?
Maryland
2. Go to Guardian: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict – A History Interactive
a. Who controlled Palestine/Israel from the sixteenth century until the World War I?
The Ottoman Empire controlled Palestine/Israel from the 16th century until the WWI.
b. What was the Balfour Declaration and what did it promise?
The Balfour Declaration was issued in 1917 by the foreign secretary, Lord Balfour, it promised the Jews a homeland in Palestine.
c. Why were many European Jews immigrating to Palestine/Israel around the period of World War II?
Many European Jews immigrating to Palestine/Israel around the period of WWII due to the persecution of European Jews by the Nazis and subsequent Holocaust.
d. What was the Arab reaction to the increase in Jewish immigrants from Europe?
The Arabs wanted to limit the numbers of Jewish immigrants from Europe and there were clashes between the Jewish immigrants and Palestinians.
e. What was the 1947 United Nation Plan and who was to get what out of it?
The UN suggested two states, one Arab, and one Jewish.
***Which nations played roles in the 1956 Suez Canal Crisis - What was the crisis about and how was it resolved? Ch 17.3
Egypt, Britain, France and Israel played roles in the 1956 Suez Canal Crisis.
f. What happened during the Six Day War and what was the result?
Israel launched a preemptive strike against the Arab troops along its border. Israel seized the Sinai from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria, the West Bank and the Old City of Jerusalem from Jordan.
g. What happened during the Yom Kippur War and what was the result? Ch 17.3
Syria and Egypt launched a surprise attack on Israeli-held lands to coincide with the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. After initial losses, the Israelis regained nearly all of the territory they occupied during the Six Day War.
h. Since the Yom Kippur War, what has Israel done to acquire more land? Use examples mentioned in interactive.
Israel formally annexed the Golan Heights. Also Israel invaded Lebanon as far north as Beirut in response to a terrorist attack.
***OPEC( Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) – Describe the reasons for the embargo placed on countries such as the US in the 1970s Ch 17.4
During the Yom Kippur War, Israel was not fulling prepared and needed military support from other countries, such as the U.S. With U.S support, Israeli forces pushed back the Egyptian and Syrian armies, the OPEC declared to refuse to sell oil to countries supporting Israel.
****The 1978 Camp David Accords marked the beginning of a new relationship in the Middle East. Which countries were involved and who orchestrated this level of cooperation? What were the Camp David Accords? 17.4
The Camp David Accords were the agreements that Egypt recognized Israel and Israel returned te Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. The U.S president Jimmy Carter orchestrated this level of cooperation
I. Describe the Oslo Accords and its goals and results.
The Oslo Acoords provided for mutual recognition between the PLO and the state of Israel and limited Palestinian self rule in the West Bank and Gaza. The results were Jordan signed a peace deal with Israel, Israel withdrew from Lebanon.
3. Go to Project. “Palestinian Arab Refugees.” About how many Palestinian refugees left during the fighting between 1947-48?
700,000 Palestinian Arabs became refugees.
a. Why did they leave their homes?
Many Palestinians have claimed that most were expelled in accordance with a Zionist plan to rid the country of its non-Jewish inhabitants. Another document indicated that at least 75 percent of the refugees left due to Zionist or Israeli military actions, psychological campaigns aimed at frightening Arabs into leaving, and direct expulsions. Only about 5 percent left on orders from Arab authorities.
4.Go to “United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (Refugee Camp Map).” Looking at the map (click to zoom in). List the total amount of refugees (camps and not in camps): a. Jordan 1,979,580 b. Lebanon 455,000 c. Syria 486,946
d. West Bank 727,471 e. Giza 1,167,572
5. Go to Two Peoples, Divided. Click on the “Show Legend” button in the top right corner. Question: What do the areas marked in BLUE represent and what problems might their locations cause given the hostility between the Palestinians and the Israelis (Remember: The West Bank is supposedly Palestinian controlled)?
The areas marked in BLUE represent the Israeli settlements. There would be conflicts since there are Israel settlements near the Palestinian towns.
Israeli Perspective:
1. Go to Pro-Israel.org – The Friends of Israel Portal (Watch the Flash video and answer the questions below).
a. How is Israel’s government different than the surrounding Arab and Iranian governments?
Israel is a democracy and Arab and Iranian governments have police regimes, theocracies and tyrannies.
b. For every Israeli, there are how many Arabs and Iranians?
There are 60 Arabs and Iranians.
c. For every dollar Israel spends on its military, the Arab/Iranian countries spend how much?
Arab/Iranian countries spend 5 dollars.
d. Does Israel have crude oil reserves (This means oil to make gasoline, etc.)?
Israel has no crude oil reserves.
2. Go to Jewish Virtual Library: Index of Myths: Refugees: “One million Palestinians were expelled by Israel from 1947-49.” Question: Why did Palestinian refugees flee according to this source?
Thousands of wealthy Arabs left in anticipation of a war, thousands more responded to Arab leaders’ calls to get out of the way of the advancing armies, a handful were expelled, but most simply fled to avoid being caught in the cross fire of a battle.
3. Go to the Jewish Virtual Library: Index of Myths: Settlements “Israel has no right to be in the West Bank. Israeli settlements are illegal.” Question: Why are Israeli settlements legal according to this source?
Jews have lived in Judea and Samaria—the West Bank—since ancient times.
Palestinian Perspective:
1. Go to Palestine Monitor: Israeli Settlements. Question: What does this source have to say about Israeli treatment of the Palestine people? How are people reacting?
The Israeli treatment of the Palestine people has been dubbed racist by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, and denies Palestinians the basic human right of leading a dignified family life under one roof.People protested outside of the Israeli government in with an empty chair next to her symbolizing the absence of the groom, with people chanting and brandishing signs remonstrating the injustice of the law with slogans like “Israel is in our bedroom” and “In sickness and in health till Israel do us apart.”
2. Go to If Americans Knew: Home Demolitions. Question: Why does the Israeli government demolish some Palestinian homes?
Because of military needs, demolitions of houses built without a permit, and those who intended to punish the relatives and neighbors of Palestinians who carried out or are suspected of involvement in attacks against Israeli civilians or soldiers.
Using the Internet as a Resource:
1. Find THREE more facts/information favoring the Israeli side of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (In parenthesis, put the site you found the fact):
a. Facts/Information #1: Arabic is one of the official languages of the State of Israel
(http://www.pro-israel.org/)
b. Facts/Information #2 One third of Arab households in Israel get government support as their main source of income
(http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3110267,00.html)
c. Facts/Information #3
Democratic Israel seeks peaceful coexistence while Arabs and Iranians seek to eliminate Israel
H(ttp://www.middle-east-info.org/gateway/supportisrael/index.htm)
2. Find THREE more facts/information favoring the Palestinian side of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (In parenthesis, put the site you found the fact):
a. Facts/Information #1 Israel has settlements on Palestinian land, but Palestine has no settlements on Israeli land
(http://www.ifamericansknew.org/stats/settlements.html)
b. Facts/Information #2 Israelis are being held prisoner by Palestinians,but 4656 Palestinians are currently imprisoned by Israel.
(http://www.ifamericansknew.org/stats/prisoners.html)
c. Facts/Information #3 The U.S provides Israel 8.5 million dollars in military aid each day and provides Palestine none.
(http://www.ifamericansknew.org/stats/usaid.html)