Arab-Israeli Conflict
By: EHab Said
Wars against Israel
- Israel's presence among predominantly-Arab states caused somewhat of an unrest
- Since Israel was allied with the U.S., many Arab nations decided to ally with the Soviets since they were against Israel entirely
- Eventually, Israel managed to defeat Egypt and Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War
- Years later, the Arabs attacked Israel again during the Yom Kippur War, named after the holiday the attack occurred on
- Tension rose throughout the region and eventually prompted peace negotiations
Attaining Peace
- The third Egyptian president, Anwar el-Sadat, succeeded Gamal Abdel Nasser and while still responsible for the Yom Kippur attack, started negotiations with Israel
- The U.S. was used as a mediator for this peace process
- Sadat revoked the friendship treaty Egypt had made with the Soviet Union, and traveled to Israel to negotiate for peace
- His attempt succeeded, and Egypt and Israel successfully created a peace treaty which is still in effect today
Unrest in the Middle East
- While he helped Egypt attain peace with Israel, Sadat was growing increasingly unpopular in Egypt
- He was murdered in 1981 by a political opponent and succeeded by Hosni Mubarak
- Arab states along with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) left Egypt behind due to their treaty with Israel
- The PLO was created in 1964 under Yasser Arafat to promote the rights of Palestinians after the Six-Day War
- While never truly attaining peace, the PLO signed treaties with Israel to advance limited Palestinian rule in the West Bank
- Many hurdles still block the peace process today, causing it to remain stagnant as the conflicts rage on