1967-1986: Ongoing Conflicts

Adapted from Arab World Studies Notebook, edited by Audrey Shabbas (Washington, DC: Middle East Policy Council), p. 374.

1973:  The October War
Between 1967 and 1973, Egypt and Syria (and Jordan) sought diplomatic redress to regain their territory held under Israeli occupation, but Israel rejected all peace offers. In October of 1973, frustrated by Israel's obstinance, Egypt and Syria attacked Israeli forces in the occupied territories. Egypt crossed to the east side of the Suez Canal while at the same the Syrians advanced in the Jawlan. Israel was completely taken by surprise. Initially, Egypt and Syria were able to neutralize the Israeli forces; however, with assistance from the U.S., which began airlifting arms to the Israelis, the conflict began to shift to Israel's advantage.  This led to the Arab oil embargo against the countries that supported Israel. Despite the turning of the tides, this campaign was not viewed as a defeat because Egypt and Syria had shown their ability to execute a well-planned military operation and their sustained commitment to their cause. This garnered them not only words of support but also financial and military assistance from other Arab countries and the Soviet Union.

1978: The Camp David Accord: Egyptian-Israeli Peace
Although Egypt had taken back the Suez Canal, the Sinai remained virtually occupied, and repeated attempts at negotiated settlements had been rejected by Israel. Finally, in September 1978, Egypt, Israel and the U.S. concluded the “Camp David Accord for Peace in the Middle East,” and Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty, with the U.S. as a witness.

According to the terms of the treaty, Israel withdrew its forces from the occupied Egyptian land, and the two countries exchanged ambassadors and started the process of normalization of relations. Although the treaty brought an end to the conflict between Egypt and Israel, the crucial problem between the Palestinians and the Israelis, as well as problems between Syria and Israel, remained unresolved. Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank of the Jordan [River] escalated at an alarming rate.

1982: Invasion of Lebanon
According to an agreement concluded on November 3, 1969 between the Lebanese government and the Palestine Liberation Organization [PLO] in Cairo, Egypt, the Palestinians in Lebanon were allowed to manage their own affairs, carry arms and use south Lebanon to conduct guerilla action against Israel. Taking advantage of this agreement, the PLO established its headquarters in Lebanon and maintained several thousand armed men, both militia and regular army, in southern Lebanon. This Palestinian armed presence in south Lebanon, although presenting no serious military threat to Israel, was perceived by the Israelis as a source of harassment to the settlements in the northern part of Israel. In order to remove this threat and to destroy the infrastructure of the PLO, Israel invaded Lebanon on June 5, 1982. The Palestinian forces in southern Lebanon were overwhelmed and Beirut, the Lebanese capital, was besieged for 79 days. On August 30, 1982, the siege of Beirut ended and, after a pledge from the United States that U.S. Marines there would protect women and children left behind, the men of the PLO evacuated Beirut. The U.S. never implemented its pledge and the Palestinians who stayed behind in the Camps were savaged by hostile Lebanese militias.

The outcome of this invasion was more than an estimated 40,000 Palestinians and Lebanese dead, with another 20,000 maimed, most of them civilians; more than 50,000 were made homeless, and more than 5,000 Palestinians were taken prisoner. The occupation of southern Lebanon by Israel turned most of the population into militant enemies of Israel.

1982: Sabra and Shatila
On the morning of 15 September 1982, the Israeli army moved into and occupied West Beirut, one day after Bashir Jemayel, Phalangist leader and president-elect of Lebanon, was assassinated. The Israeli forces did not enter the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila; rather they encircled them and sealed them off with troops and tanks. Phalange Party militiamen were allowed to enter the camps and began killing civilians while the Israeli army's forces looked on. The massacre lasted between the hours of 6:00 p.m. on 16 September and 8:00 a.m. on 18 September 1982. Women, children, and the elderly were murdered by gunshots, knives, and axes. Many were raped and tortured. By 23 September, the International Committee of the Red Cross counted 2,750 victims killed. This does not include those buried in mass graves, those who were buried under the ruins of houses, and those who were taken alive and never returned. On 16 December 1982 the United Nations General Assembly condemned the massacre and declared it to be an act of genocide. Israel established a Commission of Inquiry presided over by Supreme Court Chief Justice Kahan to investigate the events at Sabra and Shatila. The Kahan Report found Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon indirectly responsible for the massacre since he had knowledge of it and failed to prevent or terminate it. Sharon was forced to resign as defense minister.

To continue to learn about modern Palestine, proceed to 1987-1992: The Intifada