the arab league studyguide

8/10/2019 The Arab League Studyguide

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THE ARAB LEAGUEGENMUN II

Distinguished delegates! I,Talea Masroor welcome you to GenMUN 2014 and I wish you a thrillingexperience. Ill be serving as your committee director.I look forward to well,plannedand productive debate with an emphasis on imaginative yetrealistic solution to the issues at hand. Delegates all the best, remember toconsider the objectives of the resolution as being key and important toanswer in your resolution. The information above is to get you started,further elaboration is required to stand out.

Honorable Delegates! My name is Nida Tariq and GENMUN II will mark my third conference as achair and eighth conference overall. I believes what is unique about MUNs isthe fact that it gives you the chance to engage into the world of diplomacyallowing you to learn new things so you grow as a person. As delegates of

Arab League , you will be representing a wide coalition of peoples, customs, experiences, and lifestyles, united by acommon language and religion. There are many shared

beliefs that bring together this ensemble of 22 states, butthere are also many issues that divide them. Take thisopportunity to learn about what makes your countryunique. I ask is that you keep an open mind as youengage your fellow delegates during this conference whileensuring that you stay within your countrys policy. Wish


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you all good luc k!

THE ARAB LEAGUE WILL BE CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING AGENDAS FOR

CONFERENCE 2014:

1.STABILIZING AND EMPOWERING ARAB STATES IN T HE FACE OF ISIS & POSSIBLE THREATS OF TERRORISM

2.ENSUING THE PEACEFUL ACCESSION OF PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY TO FULLSOVEREIGNTY


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You are the ones that fill the conference with life, that lead interesting discussionsand fruitful debates and make innovative resolutions reality. This requires somepreparation on your side.

In advance to the conference w e expect all delegates to research your States positionand become experts for the given agenda topics, to familiarize yourself with the rulesof procedure and to practice your debating and writing skills. Here are some usefulhints:

A.Do some Research

The first step after you have been assigned your state and committee will be to dosome research in order to prepare for the conference. These are areas you should lookinto:

The structure and history of Arab league

Your assigned member state Rese arch your committee Your role in the committee Your agenda topics

Central Questions that should guide your research:

What are the key issues of your agenda topics? Why are these issues important? What are possible solutions?

What is hin dering those solutions? What has the Arab League (or other international agencies including UN) done so far,in order to solve these problems? What should be done from the perspective of your State to resolve the issues?

B.Write a Position Paper

Essentially, the paper forces you to write out you countrys viewpoints in paragraphform. Its also the first important mode of evaluation for the committee chair; all

papers must be submitted on first day of the conference. At the onset of thisdiscussion on the position paper it is particularly significant to stress that it must bewritten from your countrys perspective. Again,as this document will be yourguideline for action throughout the entire conference, its in your best interests togive an acc urate portrayal of your countrys stance on the issues at hand.Simply put,the position paper is meant to give delegates an opportunity to organize their researchinto an organized policy statement. The document should not exceed two pages. BestPosition Paper Awards will be chosen based on the following criteria:


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Overall quality of writing, proper style, grammar, etc. Citation of relevant resolutions/documents General consistency with bloc/geopolitical constraints Consistency with the constraints of the United Nat ions/Arab League Analysis of issues, rather than reiteration of the Research Report

C.Familiarize yourself with the Rules of procedure

In order to be able to participate effectively in your committee you need tofamiliarize yourself before the conference with the rules of procedure.You shouldcarefully read the explanation of flow of debate provided to you in this study guide:

D.Knowing the terms

1. formal debate:- After the agenda is set,the speakers list will beopened for everydelegate, wishing toexpress their opinionsand solutions. Duringspeeches you may notrefrain to yourself infirst person, as you arerepresenting a countryand not your personalopinion. s Delegatescan raise their placardfor a point or motion.More than one motionmay be raised, and theywill be voted on inorder of precedence.

However, at any timeof the session it is up tothe discretion of theDirectors to accept ordecline motions.

2. Unmoderated


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Caucus:- "Caucusing" is the parliamentaryterm for diplomatic negotiation. It allowsDelegates to step out of formal debate anddirectly discuss their standpoints andsolutions with other delegates. During thistime, most of the work on the drafting ofresolutions and amendments gets done.During the unmoderated caucus, delegatesmay move around the room freely.

3 . Moderated Caucus :- The moderated caucus serves as a focused debate on aspecific topic. Directors may call directly on Delegates wishing to speak (raising theirplacard).Delegates wishing to have a moderated caucus may raise a Motion for aModerated Caucus, specifying the overall duration, the individual speakers time, andthe topic. (e.g. "delegate of Kuwait would like to raise a motions for a moderatedcaucus, for the duration of 15 minutes, speakers time 30 seconds to discuss legality ofmillitary intervention.

Committee History and Prerogative:

With initial concerns about postwar colonial divisions of territory and theemergence of a Jewish state in Palestine, the League of Arab States (LAS) wasestablished in March 1945 by Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Transjordan (Jordan), Saudi Arabia,Lebanon, and Yemen.Culminating from the British supported Alexandria Protocol of1944, the League was the formulation of Arab nationalism and integrated Arab policy


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based on shared culture and historical experience, as well as from the pan Arabismexemplified by Gamal Abdel Nasser during his Egyptian rule in the 1950 Since itsinception, the League has sought to improve relations between Member states, as wellas address issues embedded in Article II of its Charter, issues which include economicsfinance, communications, culture, national boundaries, social, and health.Appointed

by the Council, and voted inby twothirds of LAS Member States, the League iscurrently led by Secretary General Nabil Elaraby of Egypt. Con sidered the supremeauthority within the League system,the Council is composed of 22 M ember States,among them Palestine, which is considered an independent state within theLeague.Meeting twice a year during the months of March and September at itsheadquarters in Cairothe Council is responsible for deciding on applications formembership and accepting withdrawals from the League, introduction of amendmentsto the Charter, mediation of dispute appointment of the LAS Secretary General, andformulation of statutes for subsidiary and affiliate LAS bodies.

Member state holds a single vote during Council meetings, regardless of populationoreconomic advantage.In the case of aggression or threat of aggression Article XIstates thattheCouncil shall determine the necessary measures to repelthe aggressionand suspend the aggressors voting rights if it is found to be Member state of theLeague.It should be noted thatLAS resolutions are binding to all Member states whichvoted in favor of them.

Struggling at first to gain formal recognition by the United Nations, the League of ArabStates was finally acknowledged as a regional organization in 1958.From its newfoundinternational role with UN recognition, the LAS sought to establish several initiatives

aimed at improving the political, social, and economic situations of its Member states.Among the Leagues effortsare founding of the ArabLeague Educational, Cultural, andScientific Organization (ALESCO), and the establishment of the Palestine LiberationOrganization (PLO), which subsequently gave Palestine official membership in 1976.Attempts at peace with Israel were seen with the Egypt Israel Peace Treaty, whichsuspended the state of war that had existed since 1948.Besides the LASSecretaryGeneral being present at the General Assemblysessions, the Arab League alsomaintains a permanent observer, Ahmed Amin Fathalla, at the United Nations in NewYork

City.The role of the permanent observer is to represent Arab interests within the UN .


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TOPIC A:STABILIZING AND EMPOWERING ARAB STATES IN THEFACE OF ISIS & POSSIBLE THREATS OF TERRORISM

WHO IS ISIS?The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham / the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant/ theIslamic State / DAISH is an organization that currently controls vast territories in Syriaand Iraq. It calls its areas of control the Caliphate referring to the idea of a gloriousand unified Islamic civilization. ISIS plansto extend its influence to Lebanon,Israel, Jordan, Cyprus and SouthernTurkey. ISIS is one of the main millitarygroups fighting the government forces inSyria. By 2014 ISIS gained enough powerto start operations against thegovernment in Iraq. It is said to besurpassing Al-Qaida by its influence.

BACKGROUNDIn order to understand the phenomenonof the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (orLevant, from now ISIS or IS) is importantto understand the reasons, which lead toits marginalization.When the Theoperation iraqi freedom ended.The next

three years, Maliki has consolidated greatly his authority.This included themarginalization and persecution of major Sunni and Kurdish politicians and a crucialcombination of discrimination, intentional neglect and cruel repression against a Sunniminority increasingly deprived of political rights.

Prime Minister Maliki also concentrated more powerby directly appointing himself asMinister for the armed forces, police and intelligence services. Less qualified butpolitically loyal representatives replaced the tried and experienced officers of thearmy and police. This considerably weakened the effectiveness of the security forcesand their impartiality. Although possessed large quantities of American militaryequipment, the army and the police have become less effective because of the

endemic corruption. Meanwhile, the remnants of al Qaeda in Iraq took up arms againstthe Assad regime in Syria. Naming themselves mostly ISIS, carved new territories, thecentral city Raqqa to the Iraqi border. Also, imposing brutal version of Sharia law,tried to achieve a measure of stability in the cities controlled, generating revenuemeans tax increases, abductions and trade in stolen antiquities and oil on the blackmarket. The ISIS rebuilt their networks on increasingly disaffected Sunni communityalong the western and central Iraq. As recorded in two annual reports,ISIS used


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bombings, assassinations and attacks by guerrilla tactics to Iraqi security forces. Alsowent to careful propaganda, including YouTube videos and a highly effective Twitteraccount in order to gather international jihadist volunteers, financial contributionsand support from Sunni in Iraq and SyriaIn early 2014, the ISIS captured Fallujah, fromwhich it wasNever detached. In the coming months, gained a significant advantage

over the Iraqi government forces around Mosul. The evacuation of the city by seniorIraqi generalson foot seemed to have caused a large loss, resulting in the dissolution ofIraq's second division and destruction of three other sections of the army. ThecityofTikrit fell soon after, as did Tal Afar and other key border crossings points from Iraqto Syria and Jordan

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (the term "Levant" also referred toas "East","Syrian") is both an internationally unrecognized state and an active jihadist militaryorganization in Iraq and Syria. On June 29, 2014 unilaterally proclaimed theestablishment of the Caliphate, in an area that includes parts of Syria and Iraq, settingin place of the caliph and Leader of all Muslimsthe chief, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi(known thereafter as caliph Ibrahim). The main objectives of the organization, asannounced,is to further spread the Caliphate future in areas in Lebanon, which hascarried out terrorist attacks in the past, and as well as in Jordan, Israel, Palestine,Kuwait, Turkey and Cyprus.The foundingof the organization seems to be held in theearly years of the Iraq War, while it was developing ties to al-Qaeda.

Later the organization, and was implicated in Syrian Civil War. AlQaeda in February2014, denounced the Islamic State of Iraq and the Syria, due to the conflict with AlNousra, alinked organization with Al Qaeda in Syria. The organization is composed bymembersfrom many paramilitary groups such as Al Qaeda in Iraq, the Shura Council ofthe Mujahideen etc. The majority of thesemembers belong in theSunni Islam.TheIslamic State is an extremist group that follows the ideological line ofa jihad againstthe West. The Islamic State following an extreme antiWestern interpretation of Islam,which promotes religious violence and considers those who do not agree with theinterpretations as infidels and apostates. The ideology of the Islamic State pulled froma branch of modern Islam that seeks a return to the early days of Islam, rejecting thereforms made later in religion, which believes that corrupts the original spirit Still,despising the previous caliphates and the Ottoman Empire to deviate from what hecalls pure Islam and therefore tries to create his own caliphate. However, there aresome Sunni commentators, who say that the Islamic State and related to that terroristgroups are not at all Sunni everything, but heretic Muslims serving an imperial anti-

Islam agenda. The Islamic State, believe that only a legitimate authority may assumethe leadership of jihad, and that firs t priority over the battlefield as the war againstthe non Muslim countries, is the purification of the Islamic society

COMPOSITIONSThe exact number of ISIS are unknown.The organization comprises of thousands ofmembers and continues to grow.A significant part is represented by international


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fighters coming from all over the world. Professor Peter Neumann of King's CollegeLondon estimates that about 80% of Western fighters in Syria have joined the group.ISIS claims to have fighters from the UK, France, Germany and other Europeancountries, as well as the US, the Arab world and the Caucasus. The ISIS supporters inIraq in particular are mostly pro-Saddam revanchists and others opposing the current

central Iraqi government, which raisesquestions about the religious connotation vastlymainstreamed by the group. It is known thatSaddam was as a radical secularist.

VALUESISIS claims to represent Arab Sunnis and to aim at establishing a caliphate.ISIS's ideology originates in the branch of Islam that aims to return to the Early-Islam days.Rejecting later development in the religion which they believe corrupt itsoriginal spirit. However, many experts and the majority of Arabs claim that ISIS marsthe idea of the Muslim values and has no right to call itself an Islamic group at all.Zaid Hamid, a Sunni Muslim defense analyst from Pakistan, says ISIS and relatedterrorist groups are not Sunnis, but Kharajite heretics serving an anti-Islamic agenda.Assad creation, according to Al Jazeeras Robin Yassin -Kassab to ISIS protectingIsrael in co-operation withCIA and Mossad according to Edward Snowden.

FUNDINGfunding is another pointof controversy. ISIS is known to receive generous support fromthe some non-governmental and some governmental sections of the gulf states.Ghanimal-Meriti,former soldier in the Kuwaiti Army keeps it open: Once upon a time wecooperated with the Americans in Iraq [while US assisted in pushing Iraq out of Kuwaitin 1991]. Now we want to get Bashar out of Syria, so why not cooperate with Al-Q aida?

Everybody knows the money is going through Kuwait and that it is coming from theArab Gulf, says Andrew Tabler, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for NearEast Policy. Kuwaits banking system and its money changers have long been a hugeproblem because they are a major conduit for money to extremist groups in Syria andnow Iraq. Saudi Arabia is often accused of funding ISIS. No credible evidence on thelink between the group and the Saudi government has been found so far. However thelist of private donors of the organization that leaked into the internet includes a lot ofSaudi citizens. ISIS may also generate incomes through extortion and kidnapping. June12, the world leading mass-media reported that ISIS managed to steal $425 millionfrom Mousals central bank thus becoming therichest terrorist group.

ISIS IN IRAQ In 2014 ISIS started its advance in Iraq and established control over vast territories ofthe country just half a year. Its success can be explained by several factors.

Firstly, the overall turmoil in the country sincethe US-led invasion of 2003 has remained persistent.Bomb


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explosions and civil casualties has been the daily reality for the Iraqi people for years.According to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, at least 7,818 civilians were killed in2013, and 3,238 in 2012.

Secondly, the policy of alienating Sunnis exercised by the Iraqi prime ministerNouri al-Ma split between Sunni and Shia in the country, which addssupporters to ISIS. Cities under control of the terrorists are populated mainly bySunnis.

Thirdly, the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia stimulates the support for ISIS (bothin terms of finance and politics) since the group is fighting to overthrow the Iraqi Shia government with close ties toTeheran. The Kurdish claim for self determination is yet another important factor tobe considered.Kurds are reluctant to resist ISIS hoping their fight against thegovernment will create an opportunity for independent Kurdistan.Last but not the least, the lack of the international response makes it easier for ISIS to advance. [See moon it in International Reactions. And that despite the fact that ISIS isnow just a step away from Israel, thecountry with the largest non-Muslim community and the key US-ally in the region. Thefall of Baghdad can open the way to Jordan. The Jordanian extremists have alreadystarted raising their voices, particularly in rebellious Maan, but also in Zarqa, thebirthplace of the ISIS founder al-Zarqawi that is just one-and-a-half hour drive awayfrom the Jordanian capital.

The prospect of preserving Iraq in its current borders as one state is now on theagenda.

Historical Timeline:

2006 - Under al-Zarqawi, al

Qaeda in Iraq tries to ignite a sectarian war against the majority Shiacommunity.June 7, 2006 - Al-Zarqawi is killed in a U.S. strike. Abu Ayyub al-Masri, alsoknown as Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, takes his place as leader of AQI.October 2006 - AQI leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri announces the creation of IslamicState in Iraq (ISI), and establishes Abu Omar al-Baghdadi as its leader.


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April 2010 - Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi becomes leader of ISI after Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri are killed in a joint U.S.-Iraqi operation.April 8, 2013 - ISI declares its absorption of an al Qaeda-backed militant groupin Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, also known as the al-Nusra Front. Al-Baghdadi saysthat his group will now be known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).

April 2013 - Al-Nusra Front leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani rejects ISIS'sattempt to merge with the group.February 3, 2014 - Al Qaeda renounces ties to ISIS after months of infightingbetween al-Nusra Front and ISIS.May 2014 - ISIS kidnaps more than 140 Kurdish schoolboys in Syria, forcing themto take lessons in radical Islamic theology.June 9, 2014 - Monday night into Tuesday, militants seize Mosul's airport, its TVstations and the governor's office. ISIS frees up to 1,000 prisoners.June 10, 2014 - ISIS takes control of Mosul.June 11, 2014 - ISIS takes control of Tikrit.June 21, 2014 - ISIS takes control of Al-Qaim, a town on the border with Syria,as well as three other Iraqi towns.June 28, 2014 - Iraqi Kurdistan restricts border crossings into the region forrefugees fleeing the fighting.June 29, 2014 - ISIS announces the creation of a caliphate (Islamic state) thaterases all state borders, making al-Baghdadi the self-declared authority overthe world's estimated 1.5 billion Muslims.The group also announces a namechange to the Islamic State (IS).June 30, 2014 - The United Nations announces that an estimated 1.2 millionIraqis have been forced from their homes.June 30, 2014 - The Pentagon announces the United States is sending an

additional 300 troops to Iraq, bringing the total U.S. forces in Iraq to nearly800. Troops and military advisers sent to Iraq are there to add security to theU.S. Embassy and the airport in Baghdad, and to provide support to Iraqisecurity forces.July 2014 - In Syria, all the cities between DeirEzzor city and the Iraq borderhave fallen to ISIS, says Omar Abu Leila, a spokesman for the rebel Free SyrianArmy.July 3, 2014 - ISIS takes control of a major Syrian oil field, al-Omar.It is thecountry's largest oil field and can produce 75,000 barrels of oil daily.July 17, 2014 - In Syria's Homs province, ISIS claims to have killed 270 people

after storming and seizing the Shaer gas field.July 24, 2014 - ISIS militants blow up Jonah's tomb, a holy site in Mosul.August 8, 2014 - Two U.S. F/A-18 jet fighters bomb artillery of Sunni Islamicextremists in Iraq. President Barack Obama has authorized "targeted airstrikes"if needed to protect U.S. personnel from fighters with ISIS. The U.S. militaryalso could use airstrikes to prevent what officials warn could be a genocide ofminority groups by the ISIS fighters.


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August 19, 2014 - In a video posted on YouTube, U.S. journalist James Foley,missing in Syria since 2012, is decapitated by ISIS militants. The militants thenthreaten the life of another captured U.S. journalist, believed to be StevenSotloff.September 2, 2014 - ISIS releases a video showing the beheading of U.S.

journalist Steven Sotloff. Sotloff's apparent executioner speaks in what soundslike the same British accent as the man who purportedly killed Foley. He'sdressed identically in both videos, head to toe in black, with a face mask andcombat boots. He appears to be of similar build and height. He waves a knife inhis left hand, as did the militant in the video of Foley's death.September 11, 2014 - The CIA announces that the number ofpeople fighting forISIS may be more than three times the previous estimates. Analysts and U.S.officials initially estimated there were as many as 10,000 fighters, but now ISIScan "muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria," a CIAspokesman tells CNN.September 13, 2014 - ISIS militants post video on a website associated with thegroup, showing the apparent execution of British aid worker David Haines. Thismakes him the third Western captive to be killed by the Islamist extremistgroup in recent weeks. ISIS directs a statement at British Prime Minister DavidCameron, threatening more destruction if Britain continues its "evil alliancewith America." At the end of the video, the executioner threatens the life ofAlan Henning, another British citizen held captive. The executioner appears tobe the same one who killed both Steven Sotloff and James Foley.September 23, 2014 - The United States carries out airstrikes against ISIS. Thebombing is focused on the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, a city in northern Syria.October 3, 2014 - ISIS releases a video showing the apparent beheading of

hostage Alan Henning. It blames the killing on the UK for joining the U.S.-ledbombing campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. In the same video, the groupthreatens the life of American aid worker Peter Kassig, also known as Abdul-RahmanKassig.November 3, 2014 - The Iraqi government announces ISIS militants have killed322 members of the AlbuMinr tribe in a recent series of executions. Accordingto Sheikh Nabil Al-Ga'oud, a leader in the AlbuMinr tribe, the latest of theseincidents occurred November 1, in which 75 members of the tribe were killednear the town of Hit.November 13, 2014 - An ISIS social media account posts an audio message

purportedly recorded by leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The speaker is heardsaying the U.S.-led coalition to destroy ISIS is "terrified, weak and powerless."The 17-minute audio says the coalition's effort has been a "failure" and thecoalition will be "forced" to "send ground forces to their deaths anddestruction." The speaker also urges Islamic State fighters to take their battleeverywhere and "light the Earth with fire upon all tyrants," and mentions U.S.President Barack Obama's plan to deploy 1,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq


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"under the claim they are advisers." CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of theonline message or when it was recorded.November 14, 2014 - The U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiryon Syria concludes that ISIS has committed war crimes and crimes againsthumanity, and leaders of the militant group should be held accountable by

organizations such as the International Criminal Court.November 16, 2014 - ISIS militants claim to have beheaded American hostagePeter Kassig in a video published to the Internet.PeterKassig, also known asAbdul-RahmanKassig, is the fifth Westerner whom ISIS claims to have beheadedvia video messages

ISSUES OF DEBATE:

I. What are the causes for such extremist and powerful groups to establishi.e. how did the establishment take place

II. What possible threats does this organization has or has done if you havehistory of terrorist activities

III. What factors help establish ISIS influence in the arab world and whatfactors would lead to further promotion of this organization

IV. What effective measures have taken place curtail the terrorist aggressionV. The constitutional power of the government of the Arab region to ensure its

authorityVI. Political and military intervention and their compatibility with the Arab

constitutionVII. The effectiveness of the prescribed solution and the measurement of the

success of anti-terrorism activitiesVIII. Measures to remove the extremist culture in the Arab world

TOPIC B:ENSUING THE PEACEFUL ACCESSION OF PALESTINIANAUTHORITY TO FULL SOVEREIGNTY


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BACKGROUND:

1.1Roots of Arab and Jewish nationalism, 1860-1947In the broad scheme of history, the question of Palestine is relatively recent. Its rootslie in two nationalist movements beginning from very different starting points in thenineteenth-century: movements which were elevatedby competing international interests in the region during the aftermath ofthe First World War, and only became a political realityafter the Second World War. Jewish nationalism grew in response to the rising anti-Semitism and pogromsof nineteenth-century Europe and Russia.

Inspired by the notorious Dreyfus Affair, the Austrian Jewish writer Theo dor Herzlsought to create a political homelandand safe-haven for the Jewish peopleon a similarmodel to Rhodesia, a British colony which had recentlybeen established by Cecil Rhodes. Herzlswritings provided thebasisfor the movement known as Zionism. A number of possible locations wereconsidered, including Argentina, Cyprus, and East Africa, but ultimately the symbolicpower of the biblical promised land of Palestine won out and was adopted by theFirst Zionist Congress.Unable to convince either the Britishgovernment or the local administration to make their solution a political reality, theZionist movement opted instead for migration to establishagricultural colonies in Palestine, with some 85,000 Jews coming to make up roughly atenth of the population of the territoryby


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sides and intervened in the crisis with the intent of restoringthe Suez Canal. Although a military victory for Israel, theincident received universal condemnation and the UnitedStates forced the state to withdraw from Sinai. The UN-negotiated settlement did however set course of Egyptian-Israeli relations, with the Gulf of Aqaba and Straits of Tiranopened to Israeli shipping, and guarantees that Gaza would notbe used as a base for guerrilla attacks against the State ofIsrael.

Dissatisfied with the minor role that Palestine played inthe Suez Crisis and its settlement, the Palestinian cause took toother channels. Nasser convened the Cairo Conference whichled to the establishment of thePalestinian Liberation Organisation(PLO) in 1964. Meanwhile, as a means of embarrassing Nasser, Syriasponsored the Palestinian guerrilla movementFatah, led by Yasser Arafat. Tensions mounted between Israel and Syria,exacerbated in 1967 by the deployment of Syrian artillery in the Golan Heights againstIsraeli settlements and Syrian fears that an attackon Damascus by Israel was imminent. Having beenappraised of the situation, Nasser deployed troops in Sinai and blockaded the Straits ofTiran. Following a pre-emptive strike on Egyptian air positions, Israel seized control ofSinai, East Jerusalem, theWest Bank and the Golan Heights in the 1967 Six Day War.The war dealt decisively with Israels neighbours, tipping the balance of power in theMiddle East in its favour and significantly expanding its borders. On account of itsreligious significance, East Jerusalem was formally annexed, prompting universalcondemnation and alienating orthodox Muslim opinion.The West Bank and Gaza werenot annexed, and have not been to this day, as doing so would endanger the Jewishmajority in Israel.

1.3 CONFLICT AND PEACE PROCESSIn 1975, negotiations secured Israeli withdrawal from Sinai and the reopening of theSuez Canal to Israeli shipping.The 1978 Camp David Accordsand subsequent 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty formed the basis for futurenegotiations on Palestine, while also earning Israeli President Begin and Egyptian President Sadat the Nobel Peace Prize. The first of these accords was theFramework for Peace in the Middle East, which recognised the legitimate rights of thePalestinian people under UNSC Res. 242, and was intended to guarantee them full

autonomy and the withdrawal of Israeli troops fromtheWest Bank and Gaza after an election of a self-governing authority within a period of five years.However, the agreements also alienated Egypt frommuch of the Arab world, leading to Egypts suspensionof membership by the Arab Leaguefor a decadeand Sadatsassassination. The PLO


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had meanwhilegained diplomatic recognition both from the 1974 Arab Leaguesummit as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and from theUnited Nations who invited Arafat to address the General Assembly on behalf of thePLO.Since Jordanhad lost control of the West Bank, the Hashemite kings who claimeddescent from SherifHussein and hence membership of the same dynasty which had originally negotiatedfor Palestine at the end of the World Wars could no longer claim to speak as representatives ofthe Palestinian people.The PLO continued to receive condemnationfrom Israel and the United States as a terrorist organisation,as both stateswould much rather have been able to negotiatevia Jordan instead ofthe PLO.Further, the presence of the PLO in Lebanon triggered acivil war beginning in 1975, prompting large-scale intervention by Israel in 1982.However, the massacre of Palestinian refugee camps at Sabra and Shatilla by anti-Palestinian Lebanese in sraeli-controlled Beirut drew international condemnation, which led to the rise of radical Islamist groups in Lebanon suchas Hezbollah who introduced suicide bombing into the Arab-Israeli conflict, and prompted Israel to end the active conflictin 1983.Palestinian frustration with the Israeli refusal to negotiate towardPLOs two -state solution led to the First Intifada, an uprising or shaking off whichtook place in the occupied territories from 1987-1993, and the foundation of the fundamentalist Palestinian groupHamasin 1987 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.This period of violence and protest lead to a number of significant political shiftswhich opened the way for negotiation, including a renewed Israeli desire for peace, agreater Palestinian willingness to compromise as influence within the PLO shifted fromthe diaspora to on-the-groundPalestinians with a more direct stake in negotiations, and most importantly Arafatsrenunciation of terrorism in 1988. These changed circumstances paved the way for the1991 Madrid Conference and thereafter theOslo Accordsin 1993 and 1995. The OsloAccordswhich aimed to establish a framework for a peaceful settlement representedthe first face-to-face agreement between the government of Israel and thePLO. The first agreement, Oslo Inegotiated in 1993, provided for the creation ofthePalestinian National Authority, later simply thePalestinian Authority, as an interim self-government with responsibility for theadministration of the territory under its control. The Accords also calledfor theIsrael Defense Forces (IDF)to withdraw from parts of the Gaza Strip and WestBank.The second agreement in 1995,Oslo II, gave Palestinians self-rule in Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin,Nablus, Qalqilya, Ramallah, Tulkarm, and some 450 villages.Neither promised a Palestinian state, but alasting solution was anticipated within a matter of years.Although seen as the most significant breakthrough in the peace process, negotiations stalled, with both sides blaming the other, and conflictresurfaced in the Second Intifadain 2000-2005 and exchanges ofrocket attacks between Hezbollah and Israel in the


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2006 Lebanon War Increasing dissatisfaction with an apparently ineffectual Fatah andan electoral victory for the more radical Hamas within the Palestinian Authority led tothe ongoing Palestinian Civil Warin 2006, in which the two partiesfell outwith Hamas seizing control of Gaza andFatah maintaining its position in the West Bank since 2007.Israel imposed a Blockade on Gaza, extending to both military and non-military goods. Rocket attacks by Palestinian militants and an Israeli intervention inthe Gaza Strip resulted in the three-week Gaza Warduring the winter of 2008 2009,with a unilateral ceasefire ultimately declared by both sides.These incidents led to the destruction of Gaza infrastructure and a humanitariancrisis.

ORGANIZATIONSPalestinianLiberation Organisation (PLO):set up by the Arab League in 1964 with theaim of an independent Palestinian state,

the PLO wasconsidered a terrorist organisation by the United States until the MadridConference in 1991, which marked the opening of multilateral peace talks. In 1993 thePLO accepted UNSC Res. 242 and 338, recognised Israels right to exist in peace, andrejected violence and terrorism, for which Israel officially recognised it as therepresentative of the Palestinian people

Palestinian Authority(PA):set up under the Oslo Accords in 1993 as theinterim self-government of the West

Bank, and formerly of Gaza. The PA is led by Fatah, the pro-Palestinian political partyestablished by Yasser Arafat in 1959 and which renounced violence in 1988, but which

lost control of Gaza to the more radical Hamasparty in 2006. The Palestinian Authorityand the Palestinian Liberation Organisation largely overlap in terms of membership.

RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL

-Israel recognises the Palestinian Authorityled by Fatah as the representative of thePalestinian people,andas an interim self-government, but not as an independent state.

-Israel refuses to recognise Hamas, which hasde facto control over the Gaza strip and

has yet to formally renounce violence,for which it is still considereda terroristorganisation

THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNITION


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Recognition is seen as a crucial basis for the implementation of the instruments of

international justice in the region. The importance of this is illustrated by the GazaWar, which is estimated to have claimed between 1,166 and 1,417 Palestinian lives in2008-2009.The Palestinian Authority officially accepted the purview of the International CriminalCourt in 2009 and submitted a request for an investigation into alleged warcrimesduring the Israeli military offensive in 2012. However, the lack of recognition for thePalestinian Authority as a state meant the request was rejected, and Israel as a non-signatory of the Rome Statute which governs the ICC claimed the court had nojurisdiction in Gaza. Without recognition, thePalestinians are forced to rely on Israel for the implementation of justice. As ICCprosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told Al Arabiya , I need Palestine recognized as astate because I am not the prosecutor of the world; I

am the prosecutor of the countries who accept my jurisdiction. Ineed a country accepting me and then I investigate the crimes.

ONGOING DISPUTES

Occupation of the West Bankand Gaza:the Palestinian territories have been occupied by

Israel following their capture during the 1967 Six Days War,, raising continuingquestions over their legality in light of varying degrees of international recognition ofPalestinian Authority.The biggerquestions concern theproportionality of Israeli military operations withinthe occupied territories, including accusations oftheillegal use of shrapnel weapons such as whitephosphorous with high levels of collateral damage to civilian bystanders.

Status of the settlements in the West Bank:an ongoing dispute concerns the legality of


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Israeli settlements, many by religious fundamentalists, in the occupied territory.Opponents argue the settlements represent aviolation of diplomatic agreements, international law and/orPalestinian right of self-determination, while proponents argue it may benecessary tocreate a buffer zone between Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories. Either way,the status of the settlements in any resolution of the Palestine question is one whichmust be taken into account, and which has been a major stumbling block for peace asthe Israeli government refuses to dismantle settlements put in place by its citizens.

Mutual recognition:widely seen as an important precondition of peace,nonetheless the degree of mutual recognition among allparties remains incomplete, and divisive rhetoric from both sides has been prone toantagonise and prolong the conflict.

Palestinian right of return:Israel offers aright of return to Jewsborn outside Israel, with associated citizenship rights based onhistoric and ancestral affinity with the territory of Israel/Palestine. However,thousands of displaced Palestinian refugees from Arab-Israeli War similarly haveancestral ties and historical affinity to the lands which they previously inhabited, yet are conferred no analogous rights by the State of Israel. Many Palestinians,especially but not exclusively advocates of a one-state solution, believe a similar rightof return and automatic citizenship should be applied to the non-Jewish Palestiniandiaspora.

I. The definition of the state in context of the Palestinian conflictII. Palestinian assertion as a state and its impact on the Arab world

III. The problems of political refugees and the transfer of political assertion ofboundaries( The transfer of citizens)

IV. Palestine history conflict and its historical contradictions to ensureprobable cause for an emergence of state

V. The relations of Palestine with the Arab world (i.e. trade partners , militaryassistance and further securities)

VI. Further elaboration on the procedure of assentation and its guarantee forpeaceful transfer and the forces involved

RESEARCH DIRECTORY AND ADVICE:

Below is the list of some good resources toenrich your reseacch.Delegates are


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expected to research independently!

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/iraqi-christians-mosul-isis-convert-islam-or-be-executed

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/11041338/The-science-behind-Isils-savagery.html

This links explains the formation of ISIS as the core foundations for the existenceof such organizations.Delegates must express this explanation according to thestance of the State.http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b3ab18.html

The following link explains you the rules and regulation which have been votedunanimously throughout the league itself , therefore it serves as a guide for thearab states to interact with each other.

http://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/israel-palestine-conflict/timeline.html

The link explains the development of conflict, delegates should note thedevelopment and changes of Israeli relations with respect to the changes ofthe timeline.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/iraqi-christians-mosul-isis-convert-islam-or-be-executedhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/iraqi-christians-mosul-isis-convert-islam-or-be-executedhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/iraqi-christians-mosul-isis-convert-islam-or-be-executedhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/11041338/The-science-behind-Isils-savagery.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/11041338/The-science-behind-Isils-savagery.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/11041338/The-science-behind-Isils-savagery.htmlhttp://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b3ab18.htmlhttp://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b3ab18.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/israel-palestine-conflict/timeline.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/israel-palestine-conflict/timeline.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/israel-palestine-conflict/timeline.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/israel-palestine-conflict/timeline.htmlhttp://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/israel-palestine-conflict/timeline.htmlhttp://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b3ab18.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/11041338/The-science-behind-Isils-savagery.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/11041338/The-science-behind-Isils-savagery.htmlhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/iraqi-christians-mosul-isis-convert-islam-or-be-executedhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/iraqi-christians-mosul-isis-convert-islam-or-be-executed

the arab league studyguide

Documents