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Note that clicking these links will open a new browser window for the offsite location. Need More Information?
| Overview/Two Perspectives |
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| University of Michigan This is a great site prepared by a university professor as a guide for high school history teachers. He has a wonderful (and extensive) overview of the conflict starting with World War I. His site includes a Timeline of key events in the conflict |
| Palestinian Government A History of Jerusalem. Prepared by the Palestinian Ministry of Information. |
| Israeli Government History: The State of Israel. Prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. World Zionist Organization Frame one of "A History of Zionism". Proceed through the display for a good history of the Zionist movement. |
| Chronological Primary Source Documents |
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Official Correspondence Very good collection of documents, letters and telegrams between Arab and British officials regarding Arab independence. Section I: Lord John Russell's refusal to favor independence of the Caliph (1860). First stirring of Arab Secret Societies (1865-1880). Section II: Arab Secret Societies. From the Young Turk Revolution to 1912. French Comments. Syrian delegation to Lord Kitchener, 1912. Section III: Arab Syrian Congress in Paris and Franco-Syrian Committee in Paris, June, 1913. Section IV: Lord Kitchener's conversation with Emir Abdullah, February 1914, and its aftermath. (A) Lord Kitchener's account and views of Sir Louis Mallet. (B) Emir Abdullah s account of his conversation with Lord Kitchener, transmitted with notes by Mr. G. Antonius. Section V: Aziz Bey and the Arab Movement, 1914. Great sources if you're looking for evidence of early Arab nationalism. |
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McMahon-Hussein Letters 1915-1916. Decide for yourself if the British official (McMahon) implied an autonomous homeland for Arabs to Hussein (Sharif of Mecca). Index: 1915-07-14: Letter from Hussein to McMahon confirming Arab willingness to fight alongside the British in exchange for autonomy. 1915-08-30: Letter from McMahon to Hussein accepting Arab support while refusing to outline boundaries. 1915-09-09: Letter from Hussein to McMahon taking McMahon to task for his ambiguity on key points. 1915-11-05: Letter from Hussein to McMahon acknowledging territorial concessions, as well as a British military presence in the new Arab territories after the war. Note last paragraph where he comments on McMahon's promise that Government officials "will not interfere with internal affairs". 1915-12-14: Letter from McMahon to Hussein making diplomatic statements regarding French interests in Beirut, etc. 1916-01-01: Letter from Hussein to McMahon warning that Arab peoples would not allow the French to own and occupy any land in Beirut and the coasts once the war concludes. 1916-01-25: Letter from McMahon to Hussein promising to consider the question of Baghdad and reaffirming British/French solidarity without addressing the question of Beirut. Keep in mind when you read the introduction that this is a pro-Palestinian site, however, the historical merit of the letters themselves is evident. |
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Sykes Picot Agreement 1916. This secret treaty between the British and French divided the Middle East between the two countries, Britain: Iraq, Palestine, and Jordan. France: Lebanon, Syria, and much of southern Turkey. (Consider how this contradicts implications of McMahon/Hussein letters.) Another location: Sykes Picot Agreement. |
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Balfour Declaration 1917. Letter from Lord Balfour outlining British willingness to support the creation of a homeland for Jewish people in the Holy Land. |
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Treaty at Lausanne 1918. Abolished Capitulations and recognized Turkey -without- the Arab provinces. |
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27 Articles of T.E. Lawrence. 1917. Englishman who led Arab tribesman against the Turkish with Hussein writes of working with Arab tribesman successfully against Turks. Shows general bias of the day as well as giving light to lifestyle and politics of nomadic Arab tribes. |
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T.E. Lawrence's report on Mesopotamia 1920. He reports on mismanagement and the execution of innocent Arabs by the British officials. |
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British White Paper 1922. Early evidence of trouble in Palestine, Winston Churchill makes statements regarding Arab rights and the Balfour Declaration. |
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British White Paper 1937. Central Conference of American Rabbis, guide for progressive elements of Jewry. |
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British White Paper 1939. British Government attempts to quell unrest by limiting Jewish immigration. |
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UN Partition Plan 1947. This non-binding resolution which calls for two independent states was accepted by Israelis, rejected by Palestinians. |
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Massacre at Deir Yasin 1948. Red Cross Report on the Massacre at Deir Yasin by the radical Irgun. |
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UN Report 1948. Excerpts from the report of the UN Mediator, Bernadotte. |
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UN Resolution 181 1948. On the Partition of Palestine. |
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Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel. 1948. Proclaimed when the British Mandate finally ended, on May 14. |
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Khartoum Resolutions 1967. (Note that the introduction was prepared by the Israeli ministry of Foreign Affairs, but the text of the Resolutions is primary source material.) |
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The Palestinian National Charter. 1967. Outlines basic grievances, refuses to recognize the State of Israel, etc. |
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UN Security Council Resolution 242. 1967. Response to the Six-Day War. Outlines strategy for negotiating peace. |
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UN Security Council Resolution 338 1973. Response to the Yom Kippur War. Calls for a cease fire. |
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UN Security Council Resolution 425. 1978. Response to Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Calls for removal of IDF troops from Lebanon. |
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Memorandum of Understanding between Israel and the U.S. 1981. Agreement to share air space, run military exercises together, etc. |
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Golan Heights Law. 1981. Extends Israeli jurisdiction over the Golan Heights area. |
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Palestinian Declaration of Independence. 1988. Note the difference in tone, compared to 1967 Charter. |
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Israel's Peace Initiative. 1989. Does not recognize the P.L.O. or allow for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Does offer free elections for Palestinian Arabs, transition to self-rule. |
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Invitation to Madrid Peace Conference 1991. Break-up of the Soviet Union precipitated the joint American/Soviet invitation to Arab and Israeli leaders. Palestinians are included as part of Jordanian-Palestinian Delegation. Reference made to self-rule. |
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Letters from Arafat to Rabin, and Rabin to Arafat. 1993. Arafat recognizes Israel, renounces portions of the Palestinian National Charter (1967); Rabin recognizes P.L.O. as the representative of the Palestinian people. |
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Declaration of Principles of Interim State Government. 1993. Outlines arrangements for transition to self-rule. Portions of this document also available at alternate site: Part I and Part II. |
| Agreement on the Gaza Strip and Jericho Area. 1994. Arrangements between P.L.O. and Israel. |
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Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 1995. Includes maps of safe passage zones, release of Palestinian prisoners, etc. |
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Protocol 1997. Concerning redeployment at Hebron. Includes maps. |
| Other Voices |
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| Beyond what governments claim, what leaders promise, what citizens wish-- is reality. The actual day to day life continues in spite of the conflict. What of the people? The students, the religious leaders, the villagers and children? Their experiences are sometimes shaped by events entirely outside their control. Here are some sites which give you a more personal look at events which charge forward, sweeping real people along with them. |
| You absolutely must visit this site. Nigel Parry, a young Scottish journalist lives and works in Ramallah, among Palestinians. He describes life in the occupied territories with wry humor and a sense for what it really means to be a part of a conflict decades old. He treats violence and inhumanity with the same deprecation, whether the Palestinian Authority or the Israeli Defense Force is guilty. His site definitely features the plight of the underdog, the Palestinian in an occupied territory. The photos which accompany his diary bring the conflict to a much more personal level. Look into the faces of those who live with uncertainty. |
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Chaim Goldberg Another must see, this virtual tour of Goldberg's work eloquently captures the sorrows and the joys of Jewish life. Mr. Goldberg was born in 1917 and experienced the horrors of World War II. The first image you will see is called "To The Unknown". Explore the rest of the site and experience his marvelous works |
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For information about women, families, social conditions during the conflicts, try a search of the United Nations Documents Archive for information on Palestine, Israel or any facet of the conflict. Sample of documents you might find: 1995 report on the precarious position of Palestinian Women and recommendations. Report on Water Availability in Occupied Palestinian Territory. Several years worth of Annual Reports from "The Committee on the Exercise of Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People" |
| This is actually from the overview site at the University of Michigan featured above, however, this links directly to Teacher's Lesson 3. This whole section is good, but scroll down to near the end of the document. "The Bak'aa Refugee Camp in Jordan" is a riveting account of an American's tours of Palestinian Refugee camps. |
| Here is an account of Elihu King, written about his participation in the 1948 War for Israeli Independence, his political beleifs, and his life after Independence. |
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You can also search the records of Amnesty International. A sampling of reports available include: 1995 Report of Abuses by Israeli forces. 1995 Report of Abuses by Palestinian authorities. 1996 Reports on Human Rights Abuses by the Palestinian Authority. (includes report on Torture of prisoners). 1996 Reports on Israeli Torture of Prisoners. 1996 Reports on Human Rights Abuses by Israeli Forces. |
| Statistics buffs will find the numbers here and here. |
| A last touch, some Pictures of Jerusalem. |
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