by mr. colvin. introduction to the palestinian-israeli conflict geography israel palestine christian...
TRANSCRIPT
By Mr. Colvin
Introduction to the Palestinian-Israeli ConflictGeography
IsraelPalestineChristian
Ancient timelineUN Partition Plan
1967 War1973 War
Camp David AccordsRise of the PLOFirst IntifadahOslo Accords
Second IntifadahThe Issues
Links
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT: INTRODUCTION
The conflict between Israel and the
Palestinians is one that is:
Extremely dangerousLong-lastingComplicatedAnimated by
religious fervor
This conflict is destabilizing and could lead to a major world war. Many wars have already been fought
Israel possesses nuclear weapons and its enemies would like to develop such weapons to gain a military advantage
Many in the Middle East perceive the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as the most important issue which makes progress in other areas impossible. Unless peace is reached, the US is
perceived as biased, and it is difficult to get cooperation from other countries in the region
America has oil interests in the regionThe War on terrorism
The Iraq War Promote Democracy: Israel is a democratic, capitalistic state
US citizens have close ties to Israel and Arabs.
US INTERESTS: WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
THE GEOGRAPHY
Israel is at the crossroads between
Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Today, it is in the heart of the Arab Middle East
The area’s small size limits its capacity to be a homeland for all the
people who want to live there.
ISRAEL: LAND FOR JEWS
Israel is a modern, democratic nation created in 1948.
It was conceived as a homeland for Jews who had experienced
discrimination worldwide.Israel includes Jews and Arabs, who have rights of citizenship.
Israel was the historic homeland of the Jews first
promised by God to Abraham around 2000 BCE.
Israel was the site of several kingdoms and independent
states until the Romans finally exiled the Jews in 135 AD.During the Diaspora, Jews
remembered their homeland and dreamed of returning to it.
PALESTINE: HOMELAND FOR PALESTINIANS
Palestinians are the Arabic speaking people that live in Palestine.
Most Palestinians practice Islam which
came to Palestine around 638 AD, although
some are Christian.Jerusalem is one of the
most holy cities for Islam because Moslems
believe that Muhammad ascended to heaven here
THE HOLY LAND FOR CHRISTIANS
Israel and Palestine has been a major site for Christian pilgrimage
and crusadesJesus is said to have
been born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth.He is said to have been
crucified and resurrected in
Jerusalem
1947: UN PARTITION PLAN
In 1947, the UN proposed a partition plan for Palestine
which would create an Arab and an Israeli state.
Under the plan, Jews (who accounted for 33% of the
population) would receive 55% of the land.
This plan was rejected by the Arab states and 5 nations
attacked Israel when it declared independence according to the
UN plan on May 14, 1948.Israel won the 1948 Arab-Israeli
War and expanded its boundaries from the UN
partition plan.War created Jewish and
Palestinian refugeesEgypt took control of the Gaza Strip and Jordan annexed the
West Bank.
1967 WAR: THE SIX DAY WAR
Fearing attack by Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan, Israel
launched a preemptive strike
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza
Strip, Sinai Peninsula and the
Golan Heights.
1973 WAR
Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan attacked Israel to
regain lands lost in the 6 day war.
The Arab nations were initially successful as the
Israelis were celebrating Yom Kippur and had not
anticipated an attack.After several weeks, Israel
recovered its occupied lands and a cease fire was reached.Both Arabs and Jews gained confidence as a result of the
war
1978 CAMP DAVID ACCORDS
The first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab state
This historic agreement led to Israel returning the Sinai
Peninsula to Egypt in return for diplomatic relations
An agreement was signed for negotiating a settlement of the Palestinian claims, but this was
not successful.Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat
was assassinated in 1981 by the Egyptian Islamic Jihad
organization, pursuant to a religious decree by Sheik Omar
Abdel-Rahman, who was convicted of the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing
RISE OF THE PLO
The Palestine Liberation Organization is an umbrella
organization for many groups which represent the Palestinian people.
Currently, its officials control many positions in the Palestinian Authority which governs Palestinian territory.
Its most famous leader was Yassir Arafat, who died last year.
This organization was founded in 1964.
In 1974, the PLO was recognized by the United Nations as the
representative of the Palestinian people.
The PLO has also fought militarily against Israeli occupation of its land and has been involved in numerous
terrorist acts against Israeli citizens.
FIRST INTIFADAH, 1987-1993
In 1987, Palestinians became frustrated with their living
conditions and lack of progress.“They maintain that the Intifada was a protest of Israel's brutal
repression which included extra-judicial killings, mass
detentions, house demolitions, indiscriminate torture,
deportations, and so on.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Intifada)
Often Palestinians fought the Israelis with low tech weapons like rocks, but over time, they
gained access to guns and other explosives.
By 1993, 1,162 Palestinians and 160 Israelis had died.
OSLO ACCORDS
In 1993, the PLO and Israel signed a peace agreement to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
The agreement included the following:Withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza
Strip and the West BankPalestinian right to self-government
through the creation of the Palestinian Authority.
The parties agreed to negotiate a final and permanent peace settlement in the near
future. Permanent issues such as Jerusalem, refugees, Israeli settlements in
the area, security and borders were deliberately excluded from the Accords and
determined as not prejudged. The Israeli government recognized the PLO
as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people
The PLO recognized the right of the state of Israel to exist and renounced terrorism, violence and its desire for the destruction
of Israel.
The Oslo Peace Accord failed to achieve a final settlement despite great efforts by Bill Clinton in the last months of his presidency. Israel and the US claimed that Israel made historic offers for peace which Yassir Arafat rejected. Palestinians claimed that they could never sign an agreement that didn’t give complete Palestinian control over the Temple Mount and
holy sites in Jerusalem.The Second Intifadah, or uprising, began in September 2000 following
the visit of Israeli politician Ariel Sharon to the Temple Mount.The second Intifadah has been far bloodier than the first as suicide
bombing has become a common tactic. Israel has responded by assassinating leaders that order the suicide attacks and entering
Palestinian towns with tanks and strong force to search for terrorists. Death tolls are estimated at 4,000
Israel believes that Yassir Arafat was not a true partner for peace as it has gathered evidence that he has been involved in terrorist activity. His
forces have refused to arrest Islamist militants like Hamas members.Palestinians have grown frustrated by the lack of progress and
continuing brutal occupation.
2ND INTIFADAH, 2000-PRESENT
The right of Israel to exist as a nation on land previously occupied by Moslems
Refugees and the right of returnThe building of settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
Status of JerusalemTerrorism
Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights and the West Bank.Water rights
Defensible and safe borders.Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails
International and Arab recognition of Israel and normalized relations
THE ISSUES
An excellent site on the Arab Israeli conflict. This contains primary documents and a wealth of excellent resources and links. A diversity of
perspectives is represented. http://www.historyteacher.net/Arab-Israeli_Conflict.htm#Docs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2001/israel_and_the_palestinians/default.stm BBC site
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/conflict/index.html PBS special
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/israel_hist_1973.jpghttp://www.teacheroz.com/Non_Western.htm
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1896herzl.htmlhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1896herzl-b.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/israel_at_50/internet_links/82045.stmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/zion.htmlhttp://www.mideastweb.org/timeline.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2001/israel_and_palestinians/timeline/1947.stmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab-Israeli_conflict
LINKS