I. Preface:
The Middle East has been the focus of the world since ancient times. The region's rich oil resources, the birthplace of the three world's religions, and the rich history of both Arab and Jewish peoples make it a meeting point for global political, economic and religious forces. However, these complex historical and cultural contexts also make the Middle East a theatre of ongoing conflict.
In the mid-20th century, Israel established a Jewish state on the land, triggering five large-scale wars with neighboring Arab countries. These wars have not only changed the political landscape in the Middle East, but also affected the security and interests of the international community.
In the 60s and 70s of the 20th century, there were five large-scale wars in the Middle East, which we call the Middle East Five Wars. These wars are mainly fought between Arab countries and Israel, involving geopolitical, territorial disputes, religious and ethnic dimensions.
The following is a brief description of the causes, processes and outcomes of the five Middle East wars in an attempt to give us a better understanding of the causes and consequences Chinese:
Background of the five wars in the Middle East:
The Rise of Zionism and Arab Nationalism: In Palestine, Zionism and Arab nationalism began to rise in the early 20th century, and the two created confrontations in the region.
British Mandate: After World War I, the British occupied Palestine and became the British Mandate. Britain's commitment to support the establishment of a national home for Jews in Palestine while recognizing the national rights of Arabs was difficult to reconcile, leading to constant conflict and violence between Jews and Arabs.
UN Resolution: On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, recommending the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, and making Jerusalem an international city. This plan was accepted by the Jews, but rejected by the Arabs.
War breaks out: Civil war ensues between Jews and Arabs. On 14 May 1948, the British ended the Mandate of Palestine and withdrew from the area. The next morning, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and other Arab countries declared war against Israel and sent troops into Palestine, and the first Middle East war broke out.
Three and five wars in the Middle East
1. The First Middle East War
Date: May 16, 1948 to April 12, 1949
Main belligerents: League of Arab States (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen) VS Israel
Cause: Israel declares independence and establishes a state, and neighboring Arab countries do not recognize its existence and try to defeat Israel.
Passed: Arab countries launch an offensive with the intention of destroying Israel. Through determined resistance and the help of foreign aid, the Israeli army successfully resisted the Arab attacks and occupied some new territories.
Result: Israel narrowly won. In 1949, Israel signed armistices with Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and Israel expanded its territory and established a number of Jewish settlements in the Joint International Competition Area.
2. Second Middle East War (also known as the Suez Canal War)
Date: October 31, 1956 to March 1957
Main belligerents: Egypt VS Israel, Great Britain, France
Cause: Egyptian President Nasser announced the closure of the Suez Canal and nationalized it, sparking discontent in Israel, Britain and France.
By: Israel, in cooperation with Britain and France, raids Egypt. However, due to pressure from the United States and the Soviet Union, the countries involved in the conflict were forced to retreat, and Israel also agreed to withdraw from the occupied Egyptian territories.
Result: Israel wins. Israel was granted navigation rights through the Strait of Tiran. Egypt accepted U.N. peacekeepers on the Suez Canal, and Israel received some diplomatic and security guarantees after the war.
3. Third Middle East War (1967) :(also known as the Six-Day War)
Date: June 5, 1967 to June 10, 1967
Main belligerents: Ethiopia, Syria, Jordan VS Israel
Cause: Arab countries intensified hostilities against Israel, including the blockade of Israeli ports and the escalation of border conflicts.
Passed: Israel launched a surprise attack and succeeded in occupying Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank and the Golan Heights in six days.
The result: Israel won a crushing victory. Israel's expansion of its territory and its de facto control over the territories occupied by Egypt, Jordan and Syria have given Israel greater security threats and territorial disputes.
4. The Fourth Middle East War (also known as the October War, Ramadan War or Yom Kippur War)
Date: October 6, 1973 to October 24, 1973
Main belligerents: Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan VS Israel
Cause: Egypt and Syria launched a surprise offensive against Israel in the hope of reclaiming their lost territory.
Passed: Egypt and Syria achieved some early victories in the war, but Israel successfully fought back in the ensuing battles and penetrated further into Egyptian and Syrian territory.
The result: Israel won a crushing victory. A series of ceasefire agreements brought hostilities to a halt, the pre-war borders were restored, and a 1979 peace agreement was signed between Israel and Egypt.
5. Fifth Middle East War (Israeli invasion of Lebanon)
Date: June 4, 1982 to August 1982
Main belligerents: Palestine Liberation Organization, Syria, etc. VS Israel
Cause: Israel is attacked by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and Israel launches a strike.
By: Israel invaded Lebanon and overthrew the Beirut government, further engaging in the conflict with Lebanon.
Result: Israel wins. In this war, the PLO suffered more than 3,000 casualties, destroyed more than 100 tanks, 500 artillery pieces, and occupied more than 400 secret warehouses. The Syrian army suffered more than 1,000 casualties, more than 400 tanks and 58 aircraft. Although Israel had withdrawn most of Lebanese territory, the war had caused great suffering to many people and Israel had been strongly condemned by the international community for the conflict.
Summing up the five wars, the reason for the failure of the Arab countries is nothing more than the lack of strategic planning, like a scattered sand, each with its own goals, each with its own plan, and the strength of the two sides is relatively different, the Israeli soldiers are determined to fight, in the context of the two countries and these reasons, the Arab countries have "won" the title of the five scumbags of war.
Fourth, "if you die, you will fight, and if you surround the land, you will plot", Israel successfully established the state
The Jews succeeded in establishing the Jewish state after five extremely bitter wars with the Arabs, continuous immigration and expansion to establish their rule over Israel and the West Bank and the Golan Heights.
The ability of the Israelis to survive and become stronger in the Middle East, which is an enemy on all sides, depends not only on the hard work of the Israelis, but also on the implementation of a very correct grand strategy and wise diplomacy.
"Death is war, siege is conspiracy" The Israelis interpreted well in five Middle East wars.
V. The current situation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Middle East
In October 2023, armed clashes between Palestine and Israel continued, with rounds of clashes between the two sides already taking place, resulting in numerous casualties and property damage.
According to reports, on October 7, 2023, local time, Palestinian militants fired rockets at cities in southern Israel, and the Israeli army launched multiple rounds of air strikes on the Gaza Strip. The conflict has claimed a large number of Israeli casualties, with Palestinian health authorities in the Gaza Strip saying Israeli army attacks on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 413 people and injured 2,300. Statistics released by Israel's medical authorities show that more than 2,200 Israelis have been injured in the clashes.
At the same time, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said on the 8th that after the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) launched a large-scale attack on Israel, the Israeli security cabinet approved on the evening of the 7th to allow the Netanyahu government to "carry out military operations that may lead to war", which means that Israel decided to officially declare war on Hamas, and Hamas's future is worrying.
In addition, the U.S. carrier strike group will move closer to Israel in response to attacks by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
Sixthly, the challenges of future peace and development in the Middle East
Decades have passed since the history of five wars in the Middle East, yet conflicts and contradictions in this land still exist. Despite the continuous progress of the peace process, territorial disputes, religious and ethnic contradictions continue to hinder stability and development in the Middle East.
In this context, the development of the Middle East region still faces many challenges. How to resolve the contradictions and conflicts between the Arab and Jewish peoples, how to protect the rights and interests of the Palestinians and how to achieve regional peace and stability are all major issues facing the Middle East at present.
Overall, the Middle East is a complex, volatile and dangerous region, but also a place of opportunity and challenges. Long-term stability and development in the region can be achieved only through peaceful negotiations, mutual understanding and cooperation.