Ottoman Rule
1453: Ottomans take over Constantinople.
1516-1918: Palestine under Ottoman rule.
1740: French-Ottoman treaty granting France the right to protect Roman Catholics in the
empire.
1744: Russian-Ottoman treaty granting Russia the right to protect Eastern Orthodox residents
of Istanbul; greater Orthodox presence in Palestine.
1831-1840: Egyptian occupation of Syria
Balkan Wars: 1912-1913
World War 1
1914 October – Ottoman Turkey joins the Central powers during WW1
1917- Entry of U.S into the war
1917 November – Bolshevik takeover of Russia
1917 November- Balfour Declaration
1917 December – Takeover by the British General Allenby of the city of Jerusalem
Interwar Years
1920- Arab protests against the preference for Jewish immigrants under the British Mandate
begin
1922- Winston Churchill’s White Paper (Basically reassured the Arabs that the Jewish
population was not taking over)
1929- Demonstration by a Jewish political group in Jerusalem expanded (Betar Movement).
Arabs murdered 67 Jews in Hebron
1930s- Black hand (Palestinian) (anti-Zionist and anti-British) militant group formed
1936-1939- Arab Revolt in Palestine- thought of as the beginning of the conflict
First Phase (1936)- attacks against the Higher Arab Committee
Second Phase (1937-39)-->It failed.
World War 2
1942 May: Biltmore Programme by American Zionists.
Post World War 2
1947 May: UN established UNSCOP
1947 November: Britain withdrew from the Palestine and handed over the mandate to the UN.
- The first General Assembly vote was taken and passed.
Arab-Israeli Wars
- The Arab nations initiated four wars against Israel:
• 1948 War of Independence
• 1956 Sinai War
• 1967 Six Day War
• 1973 Yom Kippur War
Israel won each one and after each war, it withdrew from most of the areas it captured. This
shows Israel’s willingness to reach peace even while fighting for its existence.