Regional History

Timeline

1860                      First Lebanese Civil War between Maronites and Druze

1882                     First large-scale immigration of Jewish settlers to Palestine

1896                      Theodor Herzl proposes the idea of the Jewish State

1916                      The Sykes-Picot Agreement gives Britain control over

Palestine, France control over Lebanon and Syria

1917                      The British Balfour Declaration endorses the idea of "a

national home" in Palestine for the Jewish people

1920                      France creates the state of Greater Lebanon

1936                      Arabs attack Jewish settlements and British army units in

Palestine

1943                      Christian and Muslim factions of Lebanon establish

independence from France through formation of

an inclusive, balanced government

1947                      U.N. votes to partition Palestine and internationalize

Jerusalem

1948                      British withdrawal from Palestine; Jewish State

established; Jordan occupies West Bank; Egypt

occupies Gaza Strip

1956                      Israel, Britain, and France invade Egypt, occupy

Sinai peninsula, withdraw under pressure from U.S.

1958                      Lebanese Civil war breaks out, U.S. sends

15,000 troops to Beirut

1964                      PLO is established in Cairo

1967                      Israel strikes against Egypt, Syria, Jordan; Israel occupies

the Sinai peninsula, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, and the

West Bank

1969                      Arafat elected chairman of the PLO

1970                      King Hussein defeats PLO guerillas in Jordan

1973                      Egypt and Syria attack Israel in occupied Sinai peninsula

and Golan Heights

1974                      The Arab Summit conference determines the PLO to be

"sole and legitimate representative" of the Palestinians

1975                      Civil War erupts in Lebanon

1976                      Arab League sponsors cease-fire and Syrian

peacekeeping forces in Lebanon

1977                      Sadat addresses Knesset, wins back Sinai

1979                      Egyptian-Isreali peace treaty signed

1982                      Syrian government massacres thousands during Muslim

Rebellion in Hama; Israel invades Lebanon; Christian

Militia leader/president-elect Bashir Gemayel is

Assassinated in Beirut; Phalangists massacre hundreds of

Palestinians in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps

Surrounded by Israeli forces

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