TIMELINE
Our timeline spans more than two centuries to explain the dramatic chain of events that led to the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. Further explore pivotal years in depth through our films.
SELECT A SPECIFIC ERA:
1799 – 1946
The British Mandate for Palestine, from 1917 to 1948, laid the real groundwork for a Jewish state in Palestine to become a reality.
NAPOLEON OFFERS PALESTINE AS A HOMELAND TO JEWS
RISHON LE ZION, A MAJOR ZIONIST SETTLEMENT, IS ESTABLISHED IN PALESTINE
THE TERM “ZIONISM” IS FIRST COINED
THEODOR HERZL PUBLISHES DER JUDENSTAAT, CALLING FOR THE CREATION OF A JEWISH STATE
THE FIRST ZIONIST CONGRESS IS HELD IN SWITZERLAND. THE FIRST ZIONIST ORGANISATION IS FOUNDED
ZIONIST LEADER CHAIM WEIZMANN VISITS PALESTINE FOR THE FIRST TIME
PALESTINIAN WRITER NAJIB NASSAR PUBLISHES AL-KARMEL NEWSPAPER, OPPOSING ZIONIST COLONISATION
ZIONIST BRITISH CABINET MEMBER HERBERT SAMUEL WRITES THE FUTURE OF PALESTINE, A SECRET MEMORANDUM CALLING ON HIS CABINET COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT ZIONIST SETTLEMENT IN PALESTINE
SYKES-PICOT SECRET AGREEMENT IS SIGNED, DIVIDING THE MIDDLE EAST BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND BRITISH
BALFOUR DECLARATION IS CREATED. BRITAIN PROMISES A "JEWISH NATIONAL HOME" ON ARAB LAND
WASHINGTON'S KING-CRANE COMMISSION IS CONDUCTED ON THE FUTURE OF PALESTINE
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS APPROVES THE BRITISH MANDATE FOR PALESTINE AND ITS PURPOSE OF HELPING ESTABLISH A JEWISH HOMELAND
AL-BURAQ UPRISING TAKES PLACE, THE FIRST MASS PROTESTS AGAINST INCREASED JEWISH IMMIGRATION TO PALESTINE
MASS PROTESTS AGAINST JEWISH IMMIGRATION TO PALESTINE
IZZ AD-DIN AL-QASSAM, A REVOLUTIONARY LEADER IN PALESTINE, IS KILLED BY BRITISH FORCES
SIX-MONTH LONG GENERAL STRIKE TAKES PLACE IN PALESTINE, TO PROTEST JEWISH IMMIGRATION
PEEL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE PARTITION OF PALESTINE AND TRANSFER OF PALESTINIANS FROM LAND ALLOCATED TO A JEWISH STATE
ARMED ZIONIST GROUP, IRGUN, LAUNCHES A SERIES OF ATTACKS AGAINST PALESTINIANS.
BRITAIN SMASHES THE THREE YEAR-LONG ARAB REVOLT
ZIONIST CONFERENCE IS HELD AT THE BILTMORE HOTEL IN NEW YORK CITY, SOLIDIFYING US-ZIONIST RELATIONS
IRGUN BOMBS THE KING DAVID HOTEL IN JERUSALEM, KILLING 91 PEOPLE
1799
1936
1942
1915
1908
1935
1937
1939
1946
1916
1919
1929
1922
1917
1933
1938
1882
1897
1896
1885
1907
Over 80 percent of Palestinians in what became Israel were expelled and approximately 80 percent of Palestinian land was seized by Zionists.
1947
1948
1949
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OCTOBER
FEBRUARY
AUGUST
MAY
NOVEMBER
MARCH
SEPTEMBER
JUNE
DECEMBER
JANUARY
JULY
APRIL
OCTOBER
FEBRUARY
AUGUST
MAY
NOVEMBER
MARCH
SEPTEMBER
JUNE
DECEMBER
UN ADOPTS RESOLUTION 181, A PARTITION PLAN FOR PALESTINE. PALESTINIANS REJECT IT
ARMED ZIONIST GROUP, HAGANAH, BOMBS THE SEMIRAMIS HOTEL IN JERUSALEM . MORE THAN 20 PEOPLE ARE KILLED
ZIONIST FORCES ATTACK THE VILLAGE OF QISARYA NEAR HAIFA, AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF ETHNIC CLEANSING
STERN GANG AND IRGUN FORCES MASSACRE PALESTINIANS IN THE VILLAGE OF DAYR YASSIN, NEAR JERUSALEM
THE STATE OF ISRAEL IS CREATED, SPARKING REGIONAL CONFLICT. THE US AND SOVIET UNION RECOGNISE ISRAEL IMMEDIATELY
STERN GANG ASSASSINATES FOLKE BERNADOTTE, A SWEDISH DIPLOMAT AND THE UN-APPOINTED MEDIATOR IN PALESTINE
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSES RESOLUTION 194, AFFIRMING THE RIGHT OF RETURN OF PALESTINIAN REFUGEES
UN ESTABLISHES UNRWA, AN AGENCY FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES
ARMISTICE AGREEMENTS ARE SIGNED BETWEEN ISRAEL AND ITS NEIGHBOURING ARAB COUNTRIES: LEBANON, SYRIA, JORDAN AND EGYPT
1950 - 1967
After the tumultuous events of 1948, 150,000 Palestinians remained in Israel and were eventually granted citizenship. However, they were subjected to military rule until 1966. After the conquest of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967, Israel began its military control over Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
JORDAN ASSUMES ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OF THE WEST BANK
ISRAEL MASSACRES PALESTINIANS IN THE VILLAGES OF QALQILYA, KUFR QASSEM AND KHAN YOUNIS
THE PALESTINIAN LIBERATION ORGANISATION IS FORMED IN CAIRO
ISRAEL MASSACRES PALESTINIANS IN THE VILLAGE OF AS-SAMU’
THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL PASSES RESOLUTION 242 CALLING ON ISRAEL TO WITHDRAW FROM TERRITORIES IT OCCUPIED IN 1967
ISRAEL OCCUPIES THE REST OF HISTORIC PALESTINE, INCLUDING THE GAZA STRIP AND THE WEST BANK, AS WELL AS THE SYRIAN GOLAN HEIGHTS AND THE EGYPTIAN SINAI
1950
1964
1967
1956
1966
Following Israel's occupation of the rest of historic Palestine, it began building settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In these colonies, Jewish settlers are allowed to carry weapons under the protection of the Israeli army. In 1987, after 20 years of brutal military occupation, the First Intifada began in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
ISRAEL ATTACKS PALESTINIAN FIGHTERS DURING "BLACK SEPTEMBER" IN JORDAN
THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL PASSES RESOLUTION 338 FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER WAR, CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE AND, ONCE AGAIN, FOR ISRAEL TO WITHDRAW FROM TERRITORIES IT OCCUPIED IN 1967
THE ARAB LEAGUE RECOGNISES THE PLO AS THE SOLE, LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE BODY OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
ISRAEL CONFISCATES THOUSANDS OF HECTARES OF LAND FROM PALESTINIAN CITIZENS. MASS PROTESTS ORGANISED IN RESPONSE WERE BRUTALLY PUT DOWN; NOW "LAND DAY" IS COMMEMORATED EVERY YEAR
EGYPT AND ISRAEL SIGN THE CAMP DAVID ACCORDS
ISRAEL INVADES LEBANON
UN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
THE FIRST INTIFADA IS LAUNCHED IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
THE PLO ACCEPTS UN RESOLUTIONS 242 AND 338, RECOGNISING THE STATE OF ISRAEL
THE MADRID PEACE CONFERENCE ENDS WITHOUT A BREAKTHROUGH
MORE MULTILATERAL TALKS TAKE PLACE, BUT THE PALESTINIANS ARE NO CLOSER TO STATEHOOD
1970
1978
1987
1991
1974
1973
1976
1982
1988
1992
1993 - 2014
The secret negotiations between the PLO and Israel that concluded in 1993 heralded a new chapter of modern Palestinian history. For some, the Oslo Accords raised hopes for peace. For others, it dashed them entirely.
THE PLO AND ISRAEL SIGN THE DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES ON INTERIM SELF-GOVERNMENT ARRANGEMENTS (OSLO I)
THE PLO AND ISRAEL SIGN AN INTERIM AGREEMENT GRANTING THE PALESTINIANS SOME AUTONOMY IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE WEST BANK AND GAZA STRIP (OSLO II)
THE PLO AND ISRAEL SIGN AN AGREEMENT THAT REQUIRES ISRAELI FORCES TO PARTIALLY WITHDRAW FROM HEBRON
THE PLO AND ISRAEL RENEW FINAL STATUS NEGOTIATIONS AT THE CAMP DAVID II SUMMIT
ISRAEL REOCCUPIES PALESTINIAN CITIES IN THE WEST BANK IN THE WAKE OF THE SECOND INTIFADA
YASSER ARAFAT DIES
ISRAEL CONDUCTS ITS "DISENGAGEMENT" FROM GAZA
WAR BREAKS OUT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON
PEACE ACTIVISTS ON TWO BOATS DROP ANCHOR IN GAZA, BREAKING THE ISRAELI BLOCKADE
ISRAEL ATTACKS THE GAZA STRIP IN WHAT IT CALLS “OPERATION CAST LEAD”
ISRAEL ATTACKS GAZA ONCE MORE, IN WHAT IT CALLS “OPERATION PILLAR OF DEFENSE”
ISRAEL LAUNCHES THE BIGGEST ASSAULT ON GAZA SINCE 1967, “OPERATION PROTECTIVE EDGE”
ISRAEL HOLDS EARLY ELECTIONS FOR THE 20TH KENESSET. THE LIKUD PARTY, LED BY BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, WINS AGAIN.
1993
1995
2000
2004
2006
2014
1997
2005
2008
2012
2015
2002
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