By the end of World War I, Britain had promised control of Palestine to both Arabs and Jews. Each of these peoples claimed a longstanding right to the same piece of land, and violence was inevitable. This presentation examines how and why this magical land has become a virtual war zone.

• 585 BC--Israelites exiled to Babylon (modern Iraq).
• 540 BC--Persian King Cyrus conquers Babylon; Israelites allowed to return to Palestine.
• 150 BC-- Israelites once again rule Palestine.
• 63 BC--Romans (under Pompey) conquer Palestine.
• 70 AD--Jews revolt against Rome; Jerusalem captured & destroyed.
• 135 AD--Romans again crush Jewish revolt; Jews dispersed throughout the known world.
• 1095--Pope Urban II calls for the Holy Land to be freed from Muslims. Crusades begin.
• 1270--The Eighth & last Crusade.
• 1299--Ottomans conquer Palestine. Ottoman Empire (ca.1288-1924)
• 1798--Napoleon invades Egypt.
• 1869--French complete canal across isthmus of Suez.
• 1883--British occupy Nile valley and crush Arab rebellions.
• 1897--Theodore Herzl organizes First Zionist Congress in Paris.
• 1914-1917-- World War I.
• 1916-- Sykey-Picot Agreement secretly signed.
• 1917--Treaty of Versailles; Palestine divided between Britain & France. Balfour Declaration.
• 1919-- America's King-Crane Commission opposes Jewish state in Palestine.
• 1939-1945-- World War II; European Jewry is destroyed.
  
• 1948-- Israel declares statehood (May 14th).
• 1956--Suez Canal crisis (October).
• 1964-- Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) formed.
  
• 1967-- Six Days War (June). UN Resolution 242 (November).
  
• 1973--Arab-Israeli War.