The 1949 ceasefire left Jerusalem divided by barbed wire with the Old City and the holy places under Jordanian control while western Jerusalem became Israel's capital.
These lines, also known as the pre-1967 lines, are what President Obama referred to in his speech on May 19 as the basis for negotiations to create a Palestinian state.
The 1949 lines created a contiguous Jewish state but it was very vulnerable. At one point, just north of Tel Aviv, Israel was only nine miles across. These lines also left Arab forces controlling the high ground of the Golan Heights and the Judean Hills, which dominate the coastal plain where most Israelis live. This is one reason why Israeli leaders regard the pre-1967 lines as impossible to defend and have demanded border adjustments and land swaps as part of any peace agreement.
In 1967, Arab armies massed again in a new attempt to destroy Israel. As a result of that war, Israel reunited Jerusalem, allowing people of all religions access to their holy sites for the first time in 18 years. It also captured the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In 2005, Israel gave up all of Gaza and parts of the West Bank to the Palestinians in hopes of paving the way for a Palestinian state. Gaza was taken over by Iran-backed Hamas, which now uses the area as a launching pad to fire rockets, missiles and mortars at Israel – including 328 this year alone.
