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| Israel |
Palestine |
Population: 5,400,000
Land Area:
Capital: Jerusalem/Tel Aviv
People: Jewish 81%, Arab 18%
Religion: Hebrew, Muslim, Christian |
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| View details of West
Bank: |
| http://www.gush-shalom.org/media/barak_eng.swf |
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After more than 50 years of war, terrorism,
peace negotiation and human suffering, Israel and Palestine are as
far from a peaceful settlement as ever. The entire Middle Eastern
region remains a cauldron waiting to reach the boiling point, a potent
mixture of religious fundamentalism, (Jewish and Islamic), mixed with
oil and munitions. America’s new war on terrorism must eventually
come to this area, either to help resolve this conflict, or in pursuit
of terrorist groups. |
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| MIDDLE EAST INSTABILITY |
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| As relations deteriorate with
Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia, fears are growing of a renewed arms race, amid
reports that Iran is developing nuclear capability and medium range missiles,
capable of striking targets within Israel. Israel claims that Syria is developing
chemical warheads to further their goal of regaining the strategic Golan
Heights. The U.S. is believes that Iraq is again developing weapons of mass
destruction. Meanwhile, Israel has developed closer relations with Turkey,
such as joint Israeli-Turkish-US military exercises and cooperative economic
and construction projects, including development of long-range missiles.
Beyond the obvious threat seen by Arab states, the missile project poses
a serious threat to Turkish neighbor Greece, and even Russia. The death
of King Hussein of Jordan poses uncertainty, as his successor tries to appease
its Arab constituents, while maintaining relations with a contentious Israel.
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| Israel’s unyielding positions
clash with the growing influence of Islamic fundamentalism throughout the
region and fuel animosities toward, what Arabs view as an expansionist and
threatening Jewish State. The US finds it increasingly difficult to support
Israel, without exacerbating relations with Arab states. |
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| Internally, Israeli hardliners
under Ariel Sharon have consolidated power and are waging virtual war against
Palestinians, with the acknowledged goal of driving Yassar Arafat from power
and in retaliation for continuing terrorist attacks on Israelis. Meanwhile,
contrary to UN resolutions, Israel continues building settlements in the
occupied territories and Arab terrorists continue attacks against Israeli
civilians. |
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| History |
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| The ancient city of Jerusalem
is a religious center of Judaism, Islam and Christianity and the surrounding
region of Palestine reflects this religious diversity. In the late 1800’s,
a Zionist movement began, seeking the creation of a Jewish homeland and
state in Palestine, at that time part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. At
the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire was divided into independent
states and colonial jurisdictions. Palestine was placed under control of
Britain, which issued the Balfour Declaration, promising a Jewish homeland
and vowing protection of rights for non-Jewish peoples in Palestine. |
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| While Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and
Jordan gained independence; Britain retained control of Palestine. The Zionist
movement encouraged the migration of Jews to Israel, altering the demographics
of Palestine, which had been about 90% Arab. As Britain attempted to control
the Jewish migration, Jewish activists supported illegal immigration and
the "Irgun" emerged as a guerrilla force, opposed to British rule.
Jewish settlers purchased land from wealthy Arab landowners, expelled Arab
peasants and established communal colonies (Kibbutzim), protected by armed
militias. |
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| The Holocaust of World War II
united the Jewish Diaspora and focused international attention on the plight
of persecuted Jews. In 1947, reacting to increasing anti-British terrorist
attacks by Irgun, Britain sought intervention by the United Nations, and
devised a partition plan, establishing independent Arab and Jewish territories,
under UN administration. Led by Menachem Begin, the Irgun quickly launched
a campaign to consolidate areas under Jewish control, while Arab states
threatened invasion. In 1948, the British withdrew and Ben Gurion proclaimed
the independent state of Israel, provoking an invasion by Arab armies. The
war lasted until 1949 and left Israel in control of 40% more land than agreed
under the UN plan and forced the relocation of thousands of Palestinians.
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| Subsequently, Arab states refused
to recognize the state of Israel, or its claims to Palestine. In 1956, after
Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, Israel invaded the Sinai, but later withdrew
under pressure from the US and USSR. Official US government support for
Israel developed in the 1960’s, after Egypt aligned itself with Russia. |
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| In 1967, Israel launched the
Six-Day War, with a preemptive invasion of the Sinai Peninsula, Palestine,
and the Syrian Golan Heights. UN Resolution 242 called for Israeli withdrawal
from the newly occupied territories, but Israel refused, citing the need
to maintain a security zone to protect itself from Arab invasion. In 1977,
under the Camp David Agreement, Israel finally withdrew from the Sinai,
but continues to occupy other territories. |
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| The Palestinian Liberation Organization
(PLO), led by Yassar Arafat, continued attacks against Israeli interests
and citizens. After the PLO was expelled from Jordan, they resumed operations
from bases in Lebanon. In 1982, reacting to continuing attacks from Palestinian
guerrillas, Israel forces invaded Lebanon, which had been engulfed in civil
war. The PLO was subsequently forced to leave Lebanon. |
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| Palestinians launched the first
intifada, a mass insurrection in 1987. This spontaneous outburst brought
the Palestinian cause to world attention. Previously, the situation had
been seen as a violent, anti-Semitic reaction by regional Arabs states to
the existence of a Jewish state. The intifada demonstrated the plight of
the Palestinian people, resulted from the Israeli occupation and rule. |
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| In 1989, Arafat’s PLO accepted
previous UN resolutions and recognized the state of Israel, a prerequisite
to eventually establishing an independent Palestinian state. This action
was not universally accepted within the Arab world and hostilities by militant
Arab groups continued. Some observers have questioned whether Arafat actually
speaks for the Palestinian people, or whether the PLO serves as a proxy
for the interests of other Arab countries in exchange for their substantial
financial support. |
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| With the collapse of the USSR
in 1989, immigration of more than 1.0 million Soviet Jews to Israel accelerated,
prompting construction of new settlements in the disputed Israeli occupied
territories on the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. This issue
remains at the heart of present day disputes. As Israel solidifies its control
of the occupied territories, Arabs view this as permanent annexation and
prospects of a negotiated settlement diminish. |
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| After continued Israeli crackdowns
against Palestinian guerrillas, Israel and the PLO agreed to a phased plan
for Palestinian autonomy in Jericho, Gaza and eventually the West Bank.
New Jewish settlers in the West Bank reacted with anger and Israeli "Kach"
extremists attacked Palestinians in Hebron. Subsequently, Israel clamped
down on Kach extremists and agreed to the release of Palestinian extremist
prisoners. |
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| In 1994, Israeli troops withdrew
from Gaza, after Yitzak Rabin and Yassar Arafat agreed to grant autonomy
to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Jericho. Relations between Israel
and neighboring Arab states improved significantly, while internally, conservative
factions increased their influence. Prime Minister Rabin was assassination
in 1995 by a right-wing extremist. |
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| Conservative Benjamin Netanyahu
(Likud Party) was elected Prime Minister in 1996 and retreated from the
period of relative reconciliation under Rabin’s leadership. Israel
adopted a renewed hard-line stance, refusing to withdraw from occupied territories,
accelerating construction of settlements in the West Bank and forcefully
retaliating for any terrorist attacks. |
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| In 1994, Israeli troops withdrew
from Gaza, afterYitzak Rabin and Yassar Arafat agreed to grant autonomy
to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Jericho. Relations between Israel
and neighboring Arab states improved significantly, while internally, anti-Rabin
factions increased their influence, leading to Rabin's assassinated in 1995
by a right-wing extremist. |
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After Netanyahu dissolved Parliament
in 1999, Ehud Barak was elected Prime Minister and in May 2000 finally
withdrew Israeli forces from Lebanon. |
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| THE NEW INTIFADA |
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| On September 28, 2000, ignoring
US pleas, former Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon visited a religious
site at Temple Mount in Jerusalem, accompanied by about 1000 Israeli Defense
Forces troops. This provoked protests by stone-throwing Palestinians. This
uprising has become known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada responded with excessive
force and using live ammunition killed 14 Palestinians over the next several
days. Mobs of Israeli Jews attacked Arab homes, businesses and mosques near
Nazareth. Israeli forces were slow to respond and then when they finally
arrived, reportedly opened fired on Arab citizens, killing several. |
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| Amnesty International reports
that over 300 Palestinians were killed, 10,000 wounded and 2000 arrested
during 2000. Ehud Barak resigned from office in December, forcing new elections. |
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| Right-winger Ariel Sharon was
elected Prime Minister in February 2001, vowing to continue a hardline policy
of forceful retaliation. Sharon’s election sent a powerful symbolic
message to Palestinains. In 1982, Sharon had been in charge of Israeli forces
surrounding the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps when the Phalangist militia
launched a three-day long massacre of hundreds of defenseless Palestinian
women and children, while Sharon’s Israeli troops stood by, thus sanctioning
the massacre. During 2001, Palestinian terrorists launched serial suicide
bombings against Israelis, while Israelis continued to level Palestinian
homes and expand Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. |
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| In April 2001, the Sharm el-Sheikh
Fact-Finding Committee published a report, prepared under the direction
of former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, who had also orchestrated the Good
Friday peace Agreement in Northern Ireland. The Mitchell Plan outlines the
grievances and steps for a new peace process, however given the collapse
of all dialogue and Sharon’s attempt to force Arafat from power, the
report is unfortunately just gathering dust. |
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| Issues & Aspirations |
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| ISRAEL
– First and foremost Israel wants to ensure its survival and
national security. As an island of Jewish democracy, surrounded by hostile
Islamic Arab states this is no small challenge and there are major internal
differences about how to maintain security. Many Israeli immigrants from
eastern Europe and the former USSR know and care little about human rights
or democracy. These newcomers often settle in the occupied territories and
take low-level jobs once held by Palestinians. Politically, they are often
hardline conservatives, who approach the Palestinian question with a ‘them
or us" mentality. In its most extreme version, some would welcome ethnic
cleansing of the Palestinians. Unceasing Palestinian terrorist attacks provide
the motive and justification for draconian counter-terrorist policies and
collective punishment. |
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| Many Israelis doubt that Arabs
will ever accept their presence and allow Israeli to live in peace. Israel
argues that Arafat’s PLO makes no serious effort to stop the terrorism
that threatens Israeli security and that it actually facilitates the activity
of terrorist groups. |
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Beyond security, Israel has other
motives, namely land and resource (water) acquisition to support its
rapid growth. Despite their agreement to halt the construction of
new settlements, construction continues, bulldozing olive and fruit
orchards, while expanding Jewish settlements. Allegedly, Israel is
prepared to eventually abandon these settlements and relocate residents
as part of a long-term peace plan. Palestinians are skeptical of such
claims and believe they’ll ultimately be driven from their lands
by either tanks or bulldozers. |
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| Israel wants full diplomatic
recognition by the Arab states and assurances that they will respect Israeli
sovereignty and security. |
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| PALESTINE
– Many Arabs doubt that Israel will ever allow an independent Palestinian
state, or withdraw from the occupied territories, or force the relocation
of hardline Jewish settlers. They view the situation as a war of attrition
waged by an enemy with far superior firepower and US support. Israel has
imposed extreme restrictions on Palestinians, denying citizenship, employment,
education, freedom of movement and assembly, or fair judicial process. |
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Palestinians argue that since the
Oslo Agreement in 1993, (halting settlement construction) the population
of Jewish settlers in the West Bank has doubled to 200,000, with another
170,000 in East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Finding it impossible
to believe that Israel ever plans to withdraw groups like Hamas, Hezbollah
and Islamic Jihad have little trouble recruiting. |
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| Israel describes the conflict
as "armed conflict short of war," which justifies their extreme
response. Israel does not automatically investigate deaths of Palestinians
killed by the Israeli Defense forces (IDF) and uses lethal force against
unarmed demonstrators. Palestinians also argue that Israel has an assassination
policy of extra-judicial executions of targeted individuals in violation
of international conventions. |
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| Imposition of curfews and travel
restrictions has damaged an already weak Palestinian economy, increasing
employment. To make matters worse, Israel has suspended payments of taxes
and custom fees to the Palestinian Authority (PA). Israel has also destroyed
tens of thousands of olive and fruit trees, imposing a permanent economic
hardship. |
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| The Palestinians want an independent
state, defined by the borders prior to the 1967 war and IDF withdrawal from
this area. This would presumably include a transfer of ownership to the
settlements erected in the occupied territories. |
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Excerpt from the Mitchell Report |
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The following is quoted from the Sharm-el-Sheikh
Fact-finding Committee Report, dated 23 May 2001: |
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During the half-century of its existence, Israel
has had the strong support of the United States. In international
forums, the U.S. has at times cast the only vote on Israel’s
behalf. Yet, even in such a close relationship there are some differences.
Prominent among those differences is the U.S. Government’s long-standing
opposition to the Government of Israel’s policies and practices
regarding settlements. As the then-Secretary of State, James A. Baker
commented, |
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"Every time I have gone to Israel in connection
with the peace process, on each of my four trips, I have been met
with the announcement of new settlement activity. This does violate
United States policy. It’s the first thing that Arabs —Arab
governments, the first thing that palestinians in the territories
—whose situation is really quite desperate – the first thing
they raise when we talk to them. I don’t think there is any bigger
obstacle to peace than settlement activity that continues not only
unabated but at an enhanced pace." |
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U.S. Secretary of State
James A. Baker, III
May 22, 1991 |
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| Read the entire Mitchell Plan: http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/mitchell.htm |
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| Related Resources: |
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| Across Borders Project
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| http://www.acrossborders.org
|
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| Al Aqsa Intifada |
| http://www.alaqsaintifada.org/
|
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| Al Awda. Palestinian
Right of Return Coalition |
| http://al-awda.org/ |
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| Al Haq Online |
| http://www.alhaq.org
|
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| Alternative Information
Center |
| http://www.alternativenews.org/ |
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| Applied Research Institute
Jerusalem |
| http://www.arij.org |
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| Arabic Media Internet
Network |
| http://www.amin.org |
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| Badil Resource Center
for Palestinian Residency Rights |
| http://www.badil.org |
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| Baraka - the Palestinian
NGO Network |
| http://www.baraka.org |
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| Cactus 48 |
| http://www.cactus48.com |
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| Center for Palestine
Research and Studies, Nablus |
| http:www.cprs-palestine.org/banner.html |
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| Center for Policy Analysis
on Palestine |
| http://www.Palestinecenter.org/ |
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| Council for Palestinian
Restitution and Repatriation |
| http://rightofreturn.org/home.shtml |
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| CyberPalestine |
| http://www.cyberpalestine.org |
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| Derechos Human Rights |
| http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/mena/pal/ |
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| Dheisheh Refugee Camp,
Bethlehem |
| http://www.dheisheh.acrossborders.org/arabic/index.html |
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| Electronic Intifada |
| http://electronicIntifada.net/ |
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| Eye to Eye |
| http://www.scfuk.org.uk/eyetoeye |
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| FAFO Refugee Working
Group |
| http://www.fafo.no/IsesWeb/Engelsk/Mainpage.htm |
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| Hamas - The Islamic Resistance
Movement |
| http://www.palestine-info.net/hamas/mainframe.htm |
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| Hanthala Palestine |
| http://hanthala.virtualave.net |
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| Hebron Home Page |
| http://www.hebron.com |
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| Hizbollah |
| http://www.hizbollah.org/ |
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| Holy Land Christian Ecumenical
Foundation |
| http://www.hcef.org/index.cfm
|
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| Indict Sharon |
| http://indictsharon.net/ |
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| Institute for Palestine
Studies |
| http://www.ipsjps.org |
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| Israel/Palestine Center
for Research and Information |
| http://www.ipcri.org |
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| Jerusalem Forum |
| http://www.jerusalemites.org |
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| Jerusalem Media and Communication
Center |
| http://www.jmcc.org |
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| The Kahane Movement |
| http://www.kahane.org/ |
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| MERIA Middle East Review
of International Affairs |
| http://www.biu.ac.il/SOC/besa/meria/index.html |
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| Miftah _ Palestinian
Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy |
| http://www.miftah.org |
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| Nakba |
| http"//www.alnakba.org |
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| Negotiation Affairs Department,
Palestinian |
| http://www.nad-plo.org/ |
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| Liberation Organization |
| http://www.nad-plo.org/ |
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| NGO Network on the Question
of Palestine |
| http://www.un.org/Depts/dpa/ngo/ |
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| Palestine and the World
Wide Web |
| http://www.birzeit.edu/web |
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| Palestine Chronicle |
| http://www.palestinechronicle.com |
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| Palestine Information
Center |
| http://www.alquds.org/palestine/index.html |
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| Palestine Media Watch |
| http://www.pmwatch.org/pmw/index.asp |
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| Palestine Refugee Research
Net |
| http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/mepp/prrn/prfront.html |
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| Palestine Remembered |
| http://www.allthatremains.com |
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| Palestinian Academic
Network |
| http://www.planet.edu |
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| Palestinian Academic
Society for the Study of International Affairs |
| http://www.passia.org |
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| Palestinian Human Rights
Monitoring Group |
| http://www.phrmg.org/ |
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| Palestinian Independent
Commission for Citizens' Rights |
| http://www.piccr.org/ |
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| Palestinian Information
Center |
| http://www.palestine-info.net/index_e.htm |
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| Palestinian National
Authority |
| http://www.pna.net |
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| Palestinian Refugee Research
Net |
| http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/MEPP/PRRN/prfront.html |
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| Palestinian Rights Program |
| http://www.palestinian-rights.org/index1.html |
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| Palestinian Society for
the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment |
| http://www.lawsociety.org/ |
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| Physicians for Human
Rights |
| http://www.phrusa.org/research/forensics/israel/Israel_force.html |
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| Ramallah Online |
| http://www.ramallahonline.com |
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| SHAML - Palestinian Diaspora
and Refugee Centre |
| http://www.shaml.org |
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| The Case Against Ariel
Sharon |
| http://www.mallat.com/articles/thecaseagainstarielsharon.htm |
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| UN Information System
on the Question of Palestine |
| http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF?OpenDatabase |
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| United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) |
| http://www.unhcr.ch/world/mide/palestin.htm |
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| UNSCO - United Nations
Office of the Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories |
| http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/MEPP/unsco/unfront.html |
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| UNRWA - United Nations
Relief and Works Agency |
| http://www.un.org/unrwa |
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| US Committee for Refugees |
| http://refugees.org/world/countryindex/gazastrip_wbank.htm |
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| Women's Affairs Technical
Committee Palestine |
| http://www.pal-watc.org/ |
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| Addtional Information: |
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| US State Dept. Background
Notes (Contents) |
| http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/ |
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| U. S. State Department
Background Notes |
| http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/3581.htm |
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| U.S. State Dept. 2001
Human Rights Report - Israel |
| http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2001/nea/8262.htm |
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| U.S. State Dept. Human
Rights Report - Occ. Terr. |
| http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/nea/794.htm |
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| Human Rights Watch Report |
| http://www.hrw.org/wr2k2/mena5.html |
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| Amnesty International
Report - Israel |
| http://web.amnesty.org/web/ar2001.nsf/webmepcountries/ISRAEL+AND+OCCUPIED+TERRITORIES?OpenDocumentAI-Israel |
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| Amnesty International
Report - Palestine |
| http://web.amnesty.org/web/ar2001.nsf/webmepcountries/PALESTINIAN+AUTHORITY?OpenDocumentAI-Palestine |
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| World Bank Economic Data
Summary |
| http://www.worldbank.org/cgi-bin/sendoff.cgi?page=%2Fdata%2Fcountrydata%2Faag%2Fisr_aag.pdf |
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| The Mitchell Plan: An
Outline for Peace |
| http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/michell.htm |
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