Introduction

The first Arab-Israeli war ended in 1949 with a series of armistice agreements between Israel and its Arab neighbours. It did not, however, resolve the issues at the heart of the conflict.

In fact, it added further problems. Moreover, the inconclusive outcome set in motion dynamics which would lead to further wars such as Israel's search for recognition and security which propelled it to adopt an aggressive defence policy grounded in retaliation, pre-emption and expan­sion of its strategic depth. The Palestinians, too, saw violence as the only option. Dispossessed and betrayed by Israel, the Arab states and the international com­munity, they embarked upon the road of armed struggle, guerrilla warfare and terrorism in their quest for statehood. And last but not least, the repeated defeats, territorial losses and humiliation experienced by the Arab states triggered instab­ility and crises of legitimacy in the Arab world as well as a determined struggle for political equality, strategic parity and an honourable solution to the conflict. While the four Arab-Israeli wars discussed in this chapter — the 1956 Suez-Sinai campaign, the 1967 June War, the 1973 October War and the 1982 Lebanon War - each have different triggers, the broad parameters are the same and are thus key to understanding the overall dynamics of the conflict as well as the peace process.

see Chapter 20

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