What marked the beginning of the arab-israeli conflict? arab leaders attempted to make jerusalem the capital of a pan-arab state. israel defended itself from attack and then took palestinian land. palestine took control of land set aside for the nation of israel. israel and egypt both claimed the right to control the suez canal?

Israel defended itself from attack and then took Palestinian land

Perhaps we could go back further than that to the Zionist movement, a Jewish nationalism movement that caused the migration of many Jews from Europe to the Palestine region.   But in 1948, when the British pulled out from governing the region under the old League of Nations mandate, Israel declared its independence.  Neighboring Arab nations attacked, but Israel won the war.  Over 700,000 Palestinians fled their homes and land and have not been able to regain that territory.