1959

Secret foundation of “Palestinian Liberation

Committee,” soon renamed “Fatah” (meaning

“conquest,” a reverse acronym of “Harakat Al-Tahrir Al-Watani Al-Filastini” - “the Movement for the

National Liberation of Palestine”) by Yasser Arafat and others

1964

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) founded

with aim of destroying Israel

1965

Left-wing political party “Ha-olam Hazeh - Koah

Hadash” founded

Uri Avnery elected to Israeli Parliament (the Knesset) to represent the recently founded party. Remains in parlia-mentfor two legislative periods until 1973

1967

June: Six Day War. Israeli Army conquers Sinai

Peninsula, Gaza Strip, Jordanian-controlled areas

West of Jordan River (West Bank), and Golan

Heights, after Egyptian government forces expel UN

observers from Israeli-Egyptian border and block

Israeli shipping through Red Sea

22 November: UN Security Resolution 242 calls for

Israeli withdrawal and peace settlement

1973

6 October: Start of “Yom Kippur War” (October

War). Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat launches

surprise attack on Israeli Army along Suez Canal on

Jewish Day of Atonement, and Syria attacks Golan

Heights. Israeli Army initially under threat but finally gains upper hand. Though a military defeat for Sadat,

the war is a political success, paving the way for the

first negotiations with Israel

1974

First secret contacts between Uri Avnery and official

representatives of the PLO in London

1975

Israeli Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace founded

1977

19 November: Surprise visit to Israel by Egyptian

President Anwar al-Sadat, opens new stage in rela-

tions between Israel and its neighbor. Sadat receives

Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 together with Israeli Prime

Minister Menachem Begin

1979

26 March: Egypt and Israel sign a peace treaty

382