Pre 1948
Which empire ruled Palestine for hundreds of years before being defeated in World War I?
The Ottoman Empire
On May 14, 1948, who officially read Israel's Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv?
David Ben-Gurion
What was the name of the famous Israeli spy who lived a dangerous double life in Syria, successfully infiltrating the highest levels of the Syrian government to pass critical intelligence back to Israel before the Six-Day War?
Eli Cohen
What major piece of territory did Israel completely return to Egypt as part of their agreement
The Sinai Peninsula
WHAT does the Arabic word "Intifada" literally mean?And what did this word represent to the Palestinians?
It literally means "shaking off. It represented their desire to push back against a situation they believed was unfair and to regain control over their daily lives after years of living under military control.
What was the most famous/controversial Irgun attack?
The King David Hotel bombing (1946)
Five neighboring Arab countries invaded Israel the morning after its independence was declared. Can you name at least three of these five invading countries?
Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon
What was Israel’s first major action in the Six-Day War?
Bombing Egypt’s air force
WHO were the two national leaders that signed the 1979 peace agreement?
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.
WHO actually led and organized the First Intifada when it began, and WHY was this movement so completely different from the previous Arab-Israeli conflicts?
Ordinary, everyday people. Unlike previous conflicts, this was not a traditional war started or fought by official governments or heavily equipped foreign armies. Instead, it was a societal movement driven by the community itself,
Why was Hashomer considered symbolic, even though it had a small number of members?
because it represented the concept of Jewish self-defense and helped create the image of the "New Jew"
While Israelis celebrate May 14th as Independence Day (Yom HaAtzmaut), Palestinian Arabs mark a solemn day of remembrance surrounding the events of the 1948 war. What is the Arabic name for this day, what does it translate to in English, and what specific household object serves as its primary physical symbol?
It is called The Nakba (or Nakba Day), which translates to "The Catastrophe" in English. Its primary physical symbol is an Old Key.
What happened to Jerusalem in 1948, and why reaching the Western Wall in 1967 was such an emotional milestone?
Following the 1949 Armistice Agreements, Jerusalem was divided down the middle by the Green Line. Jordan took control of East Jerusalem and the Old City, completely banning Jews from entering. The paratroopers breaking through the gates and weeping at the Wall on June 7, 1967, was an intensely emotional spiritual and national reunion.
What specific fear did the Israeli people have about giving back the Sinai Peninsula?
The Israeli public feared that giving up the territory would leave Israel completely vulnerable to a future invasion.
WHAT major international diplomatic breakthrough did the First Intifada eventually lead to in the early 1990s?
It led to peace negotiations in Norway, which resulted in the Oslo Accords.
What was the Balfour Declaration in 1917?
A British statement supporting the creation of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine.
Following the end of the active fighting in 1949, Israel signed Armistice Agreements with its neighbors that established temporary ceasefire lines. What is the specific, color-based name given to this geographic border, and why was it given that name?
It is called the "Green Line". It got its name because diplomat negotiators physically drew the armistice boundaries on their maps using a green ink pencil or pen.
Why were the Egyptian troops so successful during the initial attack on Yom Kippur War?
Because they caught Israel completely by surprise since the attack was launched on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year when the country was fasting and praying. Furthermore, Israel's leaders did not expect an attack at that time because it was also during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Is this peace agreement still holds today?
Despite the tragic assassination of Sadat and decades of intense regional tension, the peace agreement still holds today. It remains one of the most stable and long-lasting diplomatic treaties in the modern Middle East, successfully preventing another major war between Egypt and Israel for nearly fifty years.
WHO the two leaders and groups were that signed this historic Oslo Accords, WHAT the THREE major breakthrough was?
The agreement was signed by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat . 1) For the first time, the two sides officially recognized each other's right to exist. 2) They agreed to a plan where Israel would withdraw its military from parts of the Gaza Strip and West Bank cities, and 3) the Palestinians would gain limited self-rule under a brand-new government called the Palestinian Authority.