TIMELINE OF

PALESTINE'S HISTORY

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.

1799

1936

1942

1915

1908

1935

1937

1939

1946

1916

1919

1929

1922

1917

1933

1938

1882

1897

1896

1885

1907

NAPOLEON OFFERS PALESTINE AS A HOMELAND TO JEWS

RISHON LE ZION, A MAJOR ZIONIST SETTLEMENT, IS ESTABLISHED IN PALESTINE

THE FIRST ZIONIST CONGRESS IS HELD IN SWITZERLAND. THE FIRST ZIONIST ORGANISATION IS FOUNDED

PALESTINIAN WRITER NAJIB NASSAR PUBLISHES AL-KARMEL NEWSPAPER, OPPOSING ZIONIST COLONISATION

SYKES-PICOT SECRET AGREEMENT IS SIGNED, DIVIDING THE MIDDLE EAST BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND BRITISH

WASHINGTON'S KING-CRANE COMMISSION IS CONDUCTED ON THE FUTURE OF PALESTINE

AL-BURAQ UPRISING TAKES PLACE, THE FIRST MASS PROTESTS AGAINST INCREASED JEWISH IMMIGRATION TO PALESTINE

IZZ AD-DIN AL-QASSAM, A REVOLUTIONARY LEADER IN PALESTINE, IS KILLED BY BRITISH FORCES

PEEL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE PARTITION OF PALESTINE AND TRANSFER OF PALESTINIANS FROM LAND ALLOCATED TO A JEWISH STATE

BRITAIN SMASHES THE THREE YEAR-LONG ARAB REVOLT

IRGUN BOMBS THE KING DAVID HOTEL IN JERUSALEM, KILLING 91 PEOPLE

THE TERM “ZIONISM” IS FIRST COINED

THEODOR HERZL PUBLISHES DER JUDENSTAAT, CALLING FOR THE CREATION OF A JEWISH STATE

ZIONIST LEADER CHAIM WEIZMANN VISITS PALESTINE FOR THE FIRST TIME

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

BALFOUR DECLARATION IS CREATED. BRITAIN PROMISES A "JEWISH NATIONAL HOME" ON ARAB LAND

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS APPROVES THE BRITISH MANDATE FOR PALESTINE AND ITS PURPOSE OF HELPING ESTABLISH A JEWISH HOMELAND

MASS PROTESTS AGAINST JEWISH IMMIGRATION TO PALESTINE

SIX-MONTH LONG GENERAL STRIKE TAKES PLACE IN PALESTINE, TO PROTEST JEWISH IMMIGRATION

ARMED ZIONIST GROUP, IRGUN, LAUNCHES A SERIES OF ATTACKS AGAINST PALESTINIANS.

ZIONIST CONFERENCE IS HELD AT THE BILTMORE HOTEL IN NEW YORK CITY, SOLIDIFYING US-ZIONIST RELATIONS

1947 - 1949

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

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

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

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSES RESOLUTION 194, AFFIRMING THE RIGHT OF RETURN OF PALESTINIAN REFUGEES

UN ESTABLISHES UNRWA, AN AGENCY FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES

THE STATE OF ISRAEL IS CREATED, SPARKING REGIONAL CONFLICT. THE US AND SOVIET UNION RECOGNISE ISRAEL IMMEDIATELY

ZIONIST FORCES ATTACK THE VILLAGE OF QISARYA NEAR HAIFA, AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF ETHNIC CLEANSING

ARMED ZIONIST GROUP, HAGANAH, BOMBS THE SEMIRAMIS HOTEL IN JERUSALEM . MORE THAN 20 PEOPLE ARE KILLED

STERN GANG AND IRGUN FORCES MASSACRE PALESTINIANS IN THE VILLAGE OF DAYR YASSIN, NEAR JERUSALEM

STERN GANG ASSASSINATES FOLKE BERNADOTTE, A SWEDISH DIPLOMAT AND THE UN-APPOINTED MEDIATOR IN PALESTINE

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.

1950

1964

1967

1956

1966

JORDAN ASSUMES ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OF THE WEST BANK

THE PALESTINIAN LIBERATION ORGANISATION IS FORMED IN CAIRO

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

ISRAEL MASSACRES PALESTINIANS IN THE VILLAGES OF QALQILYA, KUFR QASSEM AND KHAN YOUNIS

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

1968 - 1992

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.

1970

1978

1987

1991

1974

1973

1976

1982

1988

1992

ISRAEL ATTACKS PALESTINIAN FIGHTERS DURING "BLACK SEPTEMBER" IN JORDAN

THE ARAB LEAGUE RECOGNISES THE PLO AS THE SOLE, LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE BODY OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

EGYPT AND ISRAEL SIGN THE CAMP DAVID ACCORDS

ISRAEL INVADES LEBANON

THE FIRST INTIFADA IS LAUNCHED IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

THE MADRID PEACE CONFERENCE ENDS WITHOUT A BREAKTHROUGH

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

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

UN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

THE PLO ACCEPTS UN RESOLUTIONS 242 AND 338, RECOGNISING THE STATE OF ISRAEL

MORE MULTILATERAL TALKS TAKE PLACE, BUT THE PALESTINIANS ARE NO CLOSER TO STATEHOOD

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 AGREEMENT THAT REQUIRES ISRAELI FORCES TO PARTIALLY WITHDRAW FROM HEBRON

THE PLO AND ISRAEL RENEW FINAL STATUS NEGOTIATIONS AT THE CAMP DAVID II SUMMIT

YASSER ARAFAT DIES

WAR BREAKS OUT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH IN LEBANON

ISRAEL ATTACKS THE GAZA STRIP IN WHAT IT CALLS “OPERATION CAST LEAD”

ISRAEL LAUNCHES THE BIGGEST ASSAULT ON GAZA SINCE 1967, “OPERATION PROTECTIVE EDGE”

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)

ISRAEL REOCCUPIES PALESTINIAN CITIES IN THE WEST BANK IN THE WAKE OF THE SECOND INTIFADA

ISRAEL CONDUCTS ITS "DISENGAGEMENT" FROM GAZA

PEACE ACTIVISTS ON TWO BOATS DROP ANCHOR IN GAZA, BREAKING THE ISRAELI BLOCKADE

ISRAEL ATTACKS GAZA ONCE MORE, IN WHAT IT CALLS “OPERATION PILLAR OF DEFENSE”

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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PALESTINE REMIX