The origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict can be traced back to ancient times. Both sides lay claim to the land known historically as Palestine, which includes the holy city of Jerusalem. From about 1200 BC, the Jewish population managed to carve out a small kingdom among the many peoples of the region, which included the Canaanites, the Phoenicians, and the Philistines (from which the name "Palestine" was derived). In 721 BC, the entire region was conquered and ruled by the Assyrians, the first in a long line of foreign overlords that also included the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. Around AD 638, Arab Muslims under Caliph Umar captured Palestine, and various Islamic dynasties ruled for the next several centuries. The next watershed for the region came in 1099, when Christian crusaders established the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Christians retained influence in the region until 1247, when they were expelled by the Muslim Mamluks of Egypt. The Mamluks were followed in 1517 by the Ottoman Empire, which ruled—sometimes in name only—for nearly 400 years.

In the 19th century, nationalism swept Europe. Desire for a national state also touched Arabs and Jews. The former wished to gain independence from the Ottoman Empire, while the latter longed for a state of their own that would protect them from the persecution they had suffered during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most notably in Russia. Zionism, or the effort to reestablish a Jewish state in Palestine, attracted a great many Jews—both religious and nonreligious—and a number of them went to Palestine as immigrants. At the end of World War I, Great Britain secured a League of Nations mandate over Palestine. Arab fears concerning significant Jewish immigration to Palestine and land purchases there contributed to the Arab Riots of 1920 and the Arab Revolt of 1936–1939. The British found it impossible to secure agreement between the Arabs and Jews in the region and announced plans for the partition of Palestine, but neither side found this solution acceptable. Following World War II, the situation in Palestine remained unstable, prompting London to turn the future of Palestine over to the United Nations (UN). On November 29, 1947, The UN General Assembly voted to partition the British mandate into Jewish and Arab states. The Arabs of Palestine, supported by the Arab League, adamantly opposed the partition. The first of four major wars began less than a year later, with the expiration of Britain's mandate and Israel's declaration of independence.

To learn more about the modern Arab-Israeli conflict and its historic roots, explore ABC-CLIO's comprehensive five-volume The Encyclopedia of the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Political, Social, and Military History, edited by Dr. Spencer C. Tucker and Dr. Priscilla Mary Roberts. The encyclopedia offers detailed essays on the Arab-Israeli Wars, more than 750 reference entries, and an extensive chronology. In addition, more than 500 photographs, illustrations, and maps and numerous documents provide valuable insight into the people, places, and events of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Get an advance look at ABC-CLIO's new podcast series by viewing video clips of Dr. Tucker discussing important topics covered in The Encyclopedia of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, including oil's role in the conflict and two of the key woman leaders who have helped shape events in the Middle East.

Spencer C. Tucker, PhD Dr. Tucker graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and was a Fulbright scholar in France. He was an army captain and intelligence analyst in the Pentagon during the Vietnam War, then taught for thirty years at Texas Christian University before returning to his alma mater for six years as the holder of the John Biggs Chair of Military History. He retired from teaching in 2003. He is now Senior Fellow of Military History at ABC-CLIO. Dr. Tucker has written or edited more than 25 books, including ABC-CLIO's award-winning The Encyclopedia of World War I, The Encyclopedia of World War II and Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War.

Priscilla Mary Roberts, PhD Priscilla Mary Roberts, PhD, is a lecturer in history and Honorary Director of the Centre of American Studies at the University of Hong Kong. She spent 2003 as a visiting Fulbright scholar at the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. She was editor of the documents volume of ABC-CLIO's award-winning The Encyclopedia of World War I, The Encyclopedia of World War II and The Encyclopedia of the Cold War.