The First Lebanon War, also known as the 1982 Lebanon War, was a military conflict in 1982 between Israel and various Lebanese factions, mainly the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Israel's main objective was to remove PLO forces from southern Lebanon, which had been launching attacks against Israel.
Why It Matters:
The conflict evolved into a protracted and controversial involvement in Lebanon by Israel and the rise of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist group. Israel eventually withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000.
The First Intifada was a period of widespread Palestinian protests, civil disobedience, and acts of violence and terrorism against Israelis that began in December 1987 and continued into the early 1990s. The intifada was sparked by a combination of factors, including frustrations with the Israeli control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, economic hardships, and a lack of political progress toward a Palestinian state.
Why It Matters:
The First Intifada had a significant impact on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, leading to international attention, changes in the political landscape, and the eventual start of peace negotiations, notably the Madrid Peace Process and the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s. The First Intifada also led to the creation of Hamas.
The Madrid Conference was a pivotal diplomatic effort co-sponsored by the United States and the Soviet Union to address the Arab-Israeli conflict. It brought together representatives from Israel, Arab states, and the Palestinians to engage in both bilateral negotiations and multilateral discussions on regional issues.
Why It Matters:
The Madrid conference marked the first time they participated in peace talks with Israel, and it set the stage for subsequent peace efforts, including the Oslo Accords and the 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan.
The Oslo Accords we're a pair of transitional agreements signed by Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) that we're designed to establish a partnership for negotiating border disputes, creating Palestinian self-governance through the creation of the Palestinian Authority, and over time, the hope was this would lead to a peaceful solution to the conflict and a two-state solution.
Why It Matters:
While the talks resulted in two agreements (Oslo I in 1993, and Oslo II in 1995) the accords began to unravel amid increasing terror attacks and the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish extremist. This left the region in a continued state of hostility and distrust. After the breakdown in talks between Israelis and the PLO at Camp David in 2000, the Palestinians launched the Second Intifada.
1994, is an agreement between Jordan and Israel that recognizes each other's sovereignty, establishes their international boundary, and promotes security and economic cooperation.
Why It Matters:
The agreement saw Jordan become the second Arab country after Egypt to normalize relations with Israel. While there remains limited engagement between the peoples of both countries, the agreement has led to significant regional ties between Israel and Jordan, especially in economic, resource, and security cooperation.
On November 4, 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a longtime major political figure in Israeli politics and head of the left-wing Labor Party, was assassinated by an Israeli extremist, Yigal Amir, at a peace rally in Tel Aviv.
Why It Matters:
Rabin's death was a significant loss to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and it cast a long shadow over the process, raising questions about security and extremism within Israeli society. The assassination had lasting impacts on Israeli politics and society and remains a significant chapter in Israeli history, symbolizing the challenges of pursuing peace in the Middle East.
The Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada, was a period of intense conflict and Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule that began in late September 2000 and continued for several years. The intifada was characterized by widespread protests, demonstrations, suicide bombings, and armed confrontations between Israeli security forces and Palestinian terrorists.
Why It Matters:
The Second Intifada resulted in a high number of casualties on both sides, with close to 1,000 Israelis killed or injured by Palestinian terror attacks, including suicide bombings and bus bombings. It had a significant impact on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, leading to the construction of the West Bank barrier by Israel and influencing subsequent peace negotiations. It officially ended around 2005, but its consequences continue to shape the region's political landscape.
In 2005, Israel, overcoming huge political pushback domestically and the terror onslaught during the Second Intifada, withdrew from the Gaza Strip, dismantling its settlements and military installations in the name of peace.
Why It Matters:
After Israeli withdrawal in 2005, the coastal territory has been under the control of the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group, which violently ousted the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority in 2007
Conflict erupts between Israel and the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon following an ambush on Israeli soldiers along the border that killed three soldiers as we'll as led to two being taken hostage. The 50-day war ended with a ceasefire and a UN peacekeeping force deployed in southern Lebanon.
Why It Matters:
The conflict had several significant impacts, including revealing Hezbollah's potent military capabilities, questions over Israel's military planning and leadership, and significant humanitarian impacts on Lebanon. It also had wide regional impacts, particularly with Iranian and Syrian support for Hezbollah. It resulted in the adoption of UN Resolution 1701, which called for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the deployment of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. It also called for the disarming of Hezbollah, which has failed to happen. While no major conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah have occurred since tensions along the border are very high following the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.
In June, Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S., U.K., EU, and others, took control of the Gaza Strip following violent clashes with its rival Palestinian faction, Fatah.
Why It Matters:
This led to the division of the Palestinian territories, with Fatah controlling the West Bank and Hamas becoming the de facto ruler in Gaza. Hamas has used Iranian support to launch several significant attacks against Israel from its base in Gaza, including in 2008, 2009, 2014, 2021, and most recently on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists murdered over 1,400 Israelis, wounded over 3,200, taken over 200 hostages, and launched thousands of rockets.
In 2007, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, with the support of the U.S., launched the Annapolis Conference. The goal was to reach a peace agreement that would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Hamas called for all parties to boycott the conference.
Why It Matters:
Olmert said that he gave Abbas an unprecedented offer based on a return to the pre-1967 borders, including land swaps and a division of Jerusalem. But Olmert never received a final response from the Palestinians on the offer. A Palestinian negotiator subsequently acknowledged in the media that the Israeli plan would have given his side the equivalent of 100 percent of the disputed lands under discussion.
From December 27, 2008 to January 18, 2009, Israel launched a military operation in response to rocket attacks from Gaza. Israeli forces conducted airstrikes, artillery shelling, and a ground invasion in response to the rocket attacks.
Why It Matters:
This was the first major conflict between Israelis and Palestinians since the end of the Second Intifada in 2005. This also saw Israeli forces re-enter the Gaza Strip for the first time since its withdrawal in 2005 due to the terror threat posed by Hamas. The conflict resulted in significant casualties and destruction in Gaza, as well as international condemnation.
U.S. President Barack Obama attempted to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks shortly after taking office in 2009. At a speech at Cairo University that year, Obama reiterated his support for a two-state solution
Why It Matters:
As part of a good faith gesture, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implemented a settlement freeze, a key Palestinian demand, that lasted 10 months. While talks briefly restarted, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas aborted the talks.
From November 14 to November 21, 2012, Israel launched an operation to target terrorists and rocket launchers in Gaza, in response to increased rocket attacks from Gaza into nearby Israeli communities.
Why It Matters:
The operation resulted in a ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt and other international mediators, which ended the hostilities. While a ceasefire was brokered, this conflict reaffirmed the threat that Hamas posed to Israel, especially after the much larger 2009 conflict. In particular, Hamas firing of rockets into Israeli civilian areas led to more investment in Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system as we'll as bomb shelters and a civilian alert system in Israel. It also renewed international criticism of Israeli policies, including questions over disproportionate force by human rights groups.
In June 2014, three Israeli teenagers - Naftali Fraenkel, Gilad Shaer, and Eyal Yifrah - we're abducted and killed by Hamas terrorists while hitchhiking in the West Bank. Their murder by Hamas led to a widespread Israeli crackdown on Hamas terrorists in the West Bank as we'll as increasing tensions and rocket fire on Israel. This eventually escalated into Operation Protective Edge, which lasted from July 8 to August 26, 2014.
Why It Matters:
The operation aimed to uncover and neutralize a network of tunnels that extended from Gaza into Israeli territory as we'll as end Hamas rocket fire. These tunnels we're viewed as a significant security risk, potentially allowing terrorists to infiltrate and carry out attacks in Israel. Hamas also has held the bodies of two Israeli soldiers - Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul - leading to significant tension between Israel and Hamas. It was also the last time Israeli ground forces entered the Gaza Strip until the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled the Peace to Prosperity plan in January 2020. The plan presented a vision for a two-state solution but with certain parameters, including Israeli sovereignty over some settlements in the West Bank and land swaps. The plan also included an economic component, which was unveiled in June 2019 at a conference in Bahrain, that promised $50 billion in new investment for Palestinians.
Why It Matters:
The plan was largely rejected by the international community, although serious attention was given to the new opportunities forregional cooperation and investmentbuilt into the proposal. The Palestinians did not participate in the drafting of the plan and outright rejected it when it was released. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had boycotted the Trump administration following its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017.
2020: Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020, are a series of historic agreements that led to the normalization of diplomatic, economic, and cultural relations between Israel and Arab countries, including the UAE and Bahrain, and later the Joint Declaration with Morocco.
Why It Matters:
The Accords marked a departure from decades of Arab-Israeli conflict, opened up economic opportunities, fostered regional stability, and represented a symbol of changing dynamics in the Middle East. They also served as a model for potential future agreements between Israel and other Arab and Muslim-majority countries.
An 11-day war erupted between Israel and Hamas.Hamas terrorists used tensions in Jerusalem, specifically over the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the eviction dispute in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, as a pretext to launch rockets at Israeli civilian areas and ignite hostilities. It resulted in intense rocket fire from Gaza and Israeli airstrikes. A ceasefire was brokered by Egypt and other mediators on May 21, 2021, ending the hostilities.
Why It Matters:
Why It Matters:
Prior to October 7, 2023, this was the most recent direct conflict between Israel and Hamas until October 2023. The conflict also led to a major spike in antisemitism globallytargeting Jewish communities in the United Statesand Europe.
This three-day conflict resulted in over 1,000 rockets being fired at Israel by theIranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group and the targeted killing of PIJ commander Tayseer al-Jabari.
Why It Matters:
While the operation quickly ended in a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, it was significant in that Hamas, the de facto ruler of Gaza, did not take part in the hostilities. The conflict was a setback for the Iranian-backed terror group, but tensions between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad continued into 2023 in both Gaza and the West Bank
2023: Operation Shield and Arrow
Israel launched Operation Shield and Arrowto end the threat against Israel posed by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists after they fired over 100 rockets into Israel.
Why It Matters:
The violence stemming from Gaza was also linked to increasing terrorism in the West Bank,specifically from Hamasand Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Backed by Iran, these Palestinian terror groups have sought to export their operations to the West Bank, specifically in Jenin, in order to carry out additional terror attacks against Israel. As such, Israeli security forces had been conducting near-daily counterterrorism operations in the West Bank to quell the violence.
2023: October 7 Hamas Massacre
Hamas, the Iran-backed terror group controlling Gaza, launched an unprovoked and vicious surprise attack on over 20 Israeli communities.Using rockets, paragliders, boats, motorcycles, and other vehicles, and whatever other means they could, terrorists infiltrated Israel with one goalto murder and kidnap Israelis. Over 1,200 Israelis have been killed, thousands of rockets have been fired on Israel, and over 134 hostages are being held by Hamas.
Why It Matters:
This was the largest terrorist attack in Israeli history and the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. In order to protect itself, Israel is working to eliminate the threat that Hamas poses through an air, sea, and ground campaign against the terror groups operations.
Update
Everything You Need to Know About Rafah, Its Importance to Hamas, and Protecting Its Civilian Population
October 29, 2024
The southern Gaza city of Rafah sits strategically along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. In May, after months of deliberations and international concerns about the humanitarian impact, Israel launched a limited and phased operation to dismantle the remaining Hamas terror battalions in the city. At the time, some 1.4 million Palestinians resided in the city, with over a million Palestinians evacuating there since Israel launched its war to defend itself following the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023.
Here is what to know about the strategic importance of Rafah, Israel's operation, and the future of the Israel-Hamas war.
The Latest Updates:
Sinwar Killed:On October 17, 2024, Israeli officials announcedthe IDF killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar in Rafah. ReadAJC's statement.
Where it stands:In late June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel's operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah is nearing its conclusion, with the remaining four Hamas battalions there having been dismantled.
"The intense phase of the fighting against Hamas is about to end," he said. "It doesn't mean that the war is about to end, but the war in its intense phase is about to end in Rafah."
What Israel exposed:Dozens of Hamas tunnels have been found in Rafah and on the border between Gaza and Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor. Israeli forces uncovered two types of tunnels in the city. The first type was a smuggling tunnel from Gaza to Egypt and vice versa. These tunnels we're used to smuggle arms, parts for arms factories, other terror means, and also civilian items. The second type of tunnel that was uncovered was the kind that connects to other tunnels in various areas in Gaza, used for storing weapons, command centers for Hamas, and the movement of terrorists from one area to another.
The IDF announced it recovered the bodies of six hostages executed by Hamas from a tunnel beneath Rafah on Sunday, September 1. The hostagesIsraeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin,23; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Ori Danino, 25; Alex Lubanov, 32; Caramel Gat, 40; and Almog Sarusi, 27were murdered only days before the IDF closed in on their location.
What's next:Currently, key issues remain unresolved about the reopening of the Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border and securing the Philadelpi Corridor to prevent Hamas from using smuggling to rearm itself with rockets and weapons to attack and murder Israelis. Netanyahu has made the security of the border region a core issue in ceasefire talks. Senior Israeli and U.S. officials have been in negotiations with their counterparts in Egypt over border security arrangements.
What is the U.S. saying: Amid the Rafah operation, U.S. officials said that Israel had addressed many of the concerns the Biden administration has expressed.
On July 8, U.S. State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said that based on U.S. assessments, the Rafah operation saw a decrease in destruction and civilian casualties.
The casualty number has come down dramatically over the past few months, Miller said, adding that no level of civilian casualties is acceptable.
But the operation has just, in terms of the results, looked different than the operations in Gaza City and Khan Younis, he said.
Why did Israel launch its operation in Rafah?
To return the hostages kidnapped on 10/7, prevent Hamas from carrying out another 10/7-style massacre of Israelis, shut down the illegal weapons and people smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt, end the Iran-backed terror groups influence over Gaza, and put pressure on Hamas to agree to a deal that will release Israeli hostages.
Every country has a moral obligation to not only protect the safety and security of its citizens but to rescue those taken hostage. Many Israeli analysts believe that pressuring Hamas in Rafah could force the terror organization to get serious about negotiating with Israel and releasing its prisoners. In February, Israel carried out a successful and dramatic rescue operation in Rafah that freed two hostages, Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Luis Har, 70, who we're abducted from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7.
In addition, Rafah was the last remaining stronghold for Hamas military battalions and its leadership. Defeating Hamas remaining battalions in Gaza is needed to ensure that the Iran-backed terror group no longer has the ability to murder Israelis. Hamas, which calls for Israel's destruction in its charter, hasrepeatedly promised to carry out more 10/7-style massacres against Israel.Hamas could easily use Rafah as a base to reassert control over the entire Gaza Strip if the war we're to end prematurely.
A campaign in Rafah is also essential to eliminate Hamas and other terrorist groups' underground network of smuggling tunnels between Egypt and Gaza. Shortly afterHamas gained control of the Gaza Strip,throwing out the Palestinian Authority in a bloody coup in 2007, a tunnel industry began to thrive under the border between Gaza and Egypt. Hamas has operated most of these tunnels, collecting tolls and trafficking explosives, guns, rockets, and drones. Terrorists also have used the tunnels to go to and from Gaza in order to train in Iran and other countries.
Egypt has previously worked to destroy the tunnels, but smuggling remains a concern. Ridding the area of Hamas and destroying the tunnels once and for all is an Israeli security priority.
What steps did Israel take to protect civilians in Rafah?
While Israel goes to extraordinary lengths to keep Palestinian civilians out of harms way (more on that below), Hamas specifically puts Palestinian civilians in danger. For example, in Rafah, IDF spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that Hamas built everything in a civilian neighborhood among houses, among mosques, among the population in order to create its terror ecosystem. Time and again, Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields, purposely driving up the number of innocent Palestinians killed in the war while preserving the lives of the terrorist fighters.
Israel has implemented more measures to prevent civilian casualties in urban warfare than any other military in the history of war. This includes many measures the U.S. has (or has not) taken in wars and battles but also many measures no military in the world has ever taken, asserts John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, a research center dedicated to the study of war and warfare.Read more of Spencers expert analysis.
In Rafah, Israel again deployed extraordinary steps to ensure Gazans we're not in harms way in Rafah. For instance, before Israel's targeted operation in eastern Rafah neighborhoods, hundreds of thousands of leaflets, phone calls, text messages, and social media posts in Arabic we're disseminated to ensure the approximately 100,000 Palestinian civilians in these areas we're evacuated out of harms way to an expanded humanitarian zone in the al-Mawasi and Khan Younis areas of southern Gaza.
The IDF said that the expanded humanitarian zone includes field hospitals and tent camps for displaced Palestinians, while the IDF noted that there has been a surge of humanitarian aid going into Gaza.
What You Need to Know About Israel's Humanitarian Aid To Gaza
Previously, IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that moving the Palestinian civilians to designated areas, which would be done in coordination with international actors, was a key part of the IDFs preparations for any Rafah operation.
What have U.S. leaders said about Israel's efforts in Rafah?
In the months leading up to the Rafah operation, U.S. government officials expressed concern about a full-scale ground operation in Rafah, reiterating that there needs to be a credible plan to safeguard Palestinian civilians.
In a CNN interview on May 8, President Biden delineated his red line when it comes to Israel and Rafah, saying I made it clear that if they [the IDF] go into Rafahthey haven't gone in Rafah yetif they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem, referring to his decision last week to pause the delivery of a shipment of a specific type of munition to Israel. In the interview, President Biden clearly said that Israel's limited and targeted operations in Rafah to date have not crossed his red line. President Biden also added, Were going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently.
Bidens comments on possibly not supplying weapons set off a flurry of concern and criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and from AJC:
AJC CEO Ted Deutch said that Israel's ability to defeat Hamas - which has long called for Israel's destruction,which is enshrined in its charterandvowed to carry out additional October 7-like massacres-should not be impaired.
President Biden should not take steps that could impair Israel's ability to prevent Hamas from attacking it again and again as its leaders have promised, he said. The U.S. knows that defeating Hamas is critical to Israel's long-term security and to defeating the global threat posed by the Iranian regime and its proxies.
American Jewish Committee Appalled by ICCs Issuance of Arrest Warrants Against Israelis
November 21, 2024 New York, NY
American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, is appalled by the decision of theInternational Criminal Court (ICC)Pre-Trial Chamber to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. This reckless, irresponsible decision is a gross distortion of international law that harms the Courts credibility, completely undermines its core mandate, and emboldens enemies of democracy around the world.
Rather than acknowledging the reality that Israel's military actions in Gaza are solely focused on defeating the internationally recognized terror organization Hamas, securing the safe return of the 101 hostages still held by the terror group, and protecting Israelis from further attack, the Court embraced the false claims that Israel is acting with malicious intent toward Palestinians, restricting humanitarian aid as a tool of punishment, and deliberately attacking and harming civilians. Perversely, the Court even cited Israel's efforts to increase humanitarian aid entering Gaza in the spring of 2024 as evidence of ill intent, suggesting that prior restrictions had not been dictated by military necessity but intended to cause Palestinian civilians harm.
In an outrageous failure to exercise power responsibly, the Court also refused to address serious challenges to its authority to even consider this case.
The ICCs foundational purpose is to act only when the states with the primary responsibility to do so are unable or unwilling to exercise it. Yet Israel is a democracy with a robust and independent judiciary capable of actively considering the allegations. The State of Israel has repeatedly expressed its full commitment to investigate and address any alleged illegal acts committed by members of its military force. AJC has full confidence in Israel's independent judiciary.
Further, for years, numerous governments have consistently rejected the Courts claim of jurisdiction over Israelis and the Court has never conclusively ruled on this question. Countries including the United States, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Hungary raised objections to the Courts jurisdiction and on the principle of complementarity that international justice mechanisms should defer to national justice systems whenever appropriate in filings made as recently as this summer.
For the Court to decline to conclusively answer these serious questions and refuse to act on reasoned arguments and instead issue these warrants, including against a sitting Prime Minister, is an outrageous overreach.
This decision is a boon to Israel's enemies and the enemies of international law and justice. It castigates democratic Israel which has consistently affirmed its commitment to abide by its international obligations while fighting terrorists while rewarding regimes like Iran that fuel terrorism around the world and distort the law for their malign ends.
We call on all governments to immediately reject this erroneous decision and affirm that they will not enforce the warrants issued by the ICC in this case.
AJC Statement on Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Agreement
November 26, 2024 New York, NY
American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, welcomes todays announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, and hopes its enforcement can lead to enduring security for both the Israeli and Lebanese people.
As Israel has done time and time again, it has chosen to agree to a ceasefire at the risk of huge potential costs. To protect this peace, enforcement from the Lebanese army, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and U.S. Central Command will be paramount. As long as Hezbollah, funded by the Iranian regime to eradicate Israel, remains on its border, Israel and her people are under threat.
Much of this deal is based on the original tenets of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which has failed to be enforced since its adoption in 2006. While AJC welcomes the new enforcement mechanisms in this agreement, we will continue to advocate for a reassessment of UNIFILs mandate and operations.
As recently as last August, UNIFILs mandate was simply renewed without the necessary adjustments to address the threat posed by Hezbollah. Without meaningful reforms, UNIFIL will continue to fall short of its mandate. UNIFILs mandate must be changed from observe and report to security enforcement adapting to the current reality and threat Hezbollah poses to Israelis and the Lebanese people.
In a country that is languishing and facing economic collapse, Hezbollah has spent the last 40 years creating a state within a state and an army more powerful thanks to Iranian arms and funding, as we'll as income from criminal enterprises around the world than the legitimate Lebanese Armed Forces. While the durability of the ceasefire agreement remains to be seen, AJC is hopeful that it will create an opportunity for the Lebanese people to build a more stable, unified, and sovereign statefree from the Iranian regimes agenda to destroy Lebanons southern neighbor.
Our hearts are with the Israeli people who have been forced to flee from their homes in the north of the country and who will disproportionately face the risk of this agreement.
AJC is grateful for United States leadership in securing this agreement and welcomes American and French involvement in the inspection committee to ensure its success.