THE SPECIAL POLITICAL &

DECOLONISATION COMMITTEE
STUDY GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
History of the Committee
Topic Area: The Israel Palestine Conflict
The Special Political &
INTRODUCTION
This year SPECPOL will be looking at the highly contentious and controversial topic of the Israeli-
Palestine conflict. The issue still tethers on the brink of disaster and no side looks like it will
yield to any significant compromise in the near future. Besides the six core issues to be dealt
with – the territory of Jerusalem, refugees from both countries, settlements, securities, border
and resources - committee must pursue an end to the animosity and violence.
On some level this topic coincides with the special functions associated with our committee. The
Israel-Palestine issue correlates to the ‘Special Political’ part. On one side we have the State of
Israel and on the other Palestine. Attempts to peace and a viable solution have been made only
to be forgotten and left to historians. Since this problem has remained in deadlock ever since
the Independence of Israel in 1948 and also since this issue constitutes one of the few
longstanding political dramas of modern society, there can be doubt that it is best left under the
auspices of the Fourth Committee. We at the United Nations stand for all that is just, viable and
good in the world. There can be no doubt that SPECPOL will find a solution befitting the
seriousness and complexity of the issue.
But in addition to the political ramifications of the problem, special care must be taken to take
into account ethnic and moral considerations. The Israeli-Palestine conflict is but a part of the
larger Arab-Israeli and the still larger Jewish-Arab conflict which dates back almost a hundred
years. Some call it a ‘clash of civilizations’, others a ‘political drama’. Dear delegates, the
choice are yours. We can create history and be hailed as some of the greatest decision-makers of
our time or be confined, yet again, to some forgotten corner in the annals of time.

HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE

In 1945, the United Nations Charter was signed by 51 countries and officially replaced the
League of Nations which had been the main organization working towards international peace
and collective security. From the beginning then, the General Assembly of the United Nations
has been envisioned as a sort of international parliament where each member state receives
representation in the form of one vote.
In 1946, the first full session of the General Assembly was called. There were six standing
committees of the Assembly. In fact, it was not until 1947 when the Special Political Committee
was created as an ad‐hoc body to advise the First Committee and take on some of its obvious
work overflow. The First task for the Special Political Committee was to mediate over the
creation of new Jewish and Arab states in Palestine. Despite its growing influence, the General,
Assembly still regarded the Special Political Committee as an ad hoc body until 1978. During
that year, it was formally established as a permanent committee. At the same time, the First
Committee was renamed to the Disarmament and International Security Committee in order to
reflect the limiting of its jurisdiction. This shift thus left SPECPOL responsible for all other
general political disputes above and beyond disarmament and security. It is also charged with
reviewing the peacekeeping operations which the United Nations has outstanding. However, due
to the broadness of its defined jurisdiction, SPECPOL has often times held overlapping mandates
with other GA committees. In addition, the Security Council may also refer matters to SPECPOL
when it feels as if the topic should be discussed by a larger international body. (For further
information please see the official website of SPECPOL http://www.un.org/ga/58/fourth/)

TOPIC AREA: THE ISRAEL PALESTINE CONFLICT

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Land disputes are nothing new in the course of international relations. For as long as
countries have existed, there have been wars over land, resources and sovereignty. This present
scenario deals with the land of Palestine and the claims made to it by two sets of people, Jewish
and Arab. Although by and large the Arabs have come to terms with the fact that Israel is here
to stay and it would not be possible to drive them out and have claim over all the land, an
increasingly important sector of Arabic society still harbors the belief that Palestine is their land
and that Israel has no claim to it (Most notably ‘Hamas’. For a profile of Hamas please visit the
following website - http:// www.cfr.org/publication/8968/)

The present conflict between the State of Israel and Palestine is multi‐faceted and
contains a multiplicity of issues to be resolved. The reasons for conflict are numerous and,
unfortunately, are not backed by sufficient political will or international attention. That,
coupled with a fragile domestic political situation in both the involved parties and an ever-
prevalent sense of hatred and tension can make even the most optimistic depressed. But,
nonetheless, we will attempt to bring a semblance of sanity in the region. In a nutshell, the
conflict revolves around the six core issues of-Jerusalem, refugees, resources, borders,
settlements and security. Other bones of contention include the virtual blockade of the Gaza
Strip, Palestinian hostility and the reciprocal Israeli severity, the status of the West Bank, and
most importantly the future of a Palestinian state. The list is extensive but you can be sure that
it is not exhaustive. There will most definitely be a number of issues which crop up during
debate which have not even been mentioned in this study guide.

HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM

The present day conflict has its roots in events that took place more than 3000 years ago.
History is witness to frequent wars that have been waged over Palestine and its ownership has
passed from the first Jews to the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Romans and
finally the Turks. But in all the mayhem, the Jews never gave up their hope of the ‘Promised
Land’ which they believed was their ancient homeland given to them by God. They continued to
migrate there in small numbers. Palestine remained central to Jewish culture and worship even
if it wasn’t theirs. Thus, about 100 to 150 years ago the Jews never even dreamt of actually
establishing their homeland there. The Jewish connection was mostly messianic redemption and
a vague notion of ‘deliverance’. When Anti-Semitism took a violent streak (at about the end of
the 19th century) a large number of Jews had left their earlier places of stay and had migrated
elsewhere. It was during this time, in the year 1914, that the concept of Israel actually evolved.
This was strongly promoted by men such as Theodor Herzel a leading proponent of the Zionist
movement. Arab rights over Palestine arise from the fact that they were the last conquerors of
Palestine (albeit it was the Turkish Empire but since the Arabs had been practically absorbed in
the Turkish Empire we can treat them synonymously). Thus by 1914, two rival groups had settled
in Palestine with each of them beginning to view the territory as their homeland. The Arabic
population had been estimated to be around 650,000 and the Jews at 85,000 (a significant
minority). Excerpts from the Israeli Declaration of Independence, ‘The land of Israel is the
birthplace of the Israeli (i.e. Jewish) people. Here their identity was made. Here they gained
independence and created a culture. Here they wrote and gave the Bible to the world…….It is
the right of the Jewish people to be a nation, like other nations, in its own country.’
An excerpt from a modern Arabic writer explaining the Arabic point of view, ‘The problem is the
story of people who lived peacefully in their own homes for generations. Then came along total
strangers from across the sea that turned the people out of their country Arthur Balfour and
occupied their homes. The Arab case is based on the principle that the only people who can
claim ownership of their country are those who are born there and have had long and continued
possession. It is the same case as that which gives the British the right to Britain.’

In the sunny year of 1915, a series of letters were exchanged between the then Sharif of Mecca
and Sir Henry McMahon, the British High Commissioner in Egypt. The subject of the letters was
the future division of the Ottoman Empire territories with regard to the Arab land. These were
later known as the famous Hussein‐ McMahon correspondence. The Turks had just allied with
Germany in the First World War and the British were looking for help from the Arabs to topple
them. Hussein demanded land for the Arabs where they could form their own independent
nations. McMahon responded in kind stating that after the War would get over their demands
would be met, subject to certain conditions. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussein‐McMahon
Correspondence) It is this that forms the basis of Arabic argument for Palestine. However,
when, through the Bal four Declaration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal four _Declaration_of
_1917) Britain supported the establishment of Jewish homeland in Palestine the Arabs cried foul.
The British countered by saying that they had not included the territory of Palestine in the
correspondence. The Arabs had no choice but to accept the rising influx of Jewish people
(remember this was the time when the idea of Israel was gaining popularity). Earlier in 1916, the
French and the British had made secret plans for dividing the Ottoman Empire after the First
World War for their own benefit. This was known as the Sykes‐Picot Agreement. When this came
to light, it further deteriorated the image of Britain. The Arabs were particularly angered with
this because they considered this in direct violation of the Hussein‐McMahon correspondence.
Many historians consider this the turning point of Arab‐ Western relations.
The Palestine problem became an international issue towards the end of the First World War
with the disintegration of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The League of Nations was established at
a historic meeting in the French suburb of Versailles. Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of
Nations established the Mandates system and the area of Palestine, promised to both the Jews
and the Arabs by the British were eventually returned to the British. The primary aim of the
Mandates system was to facilitate the movement towards freedom of the Mandatory Territories,
and, as expected all but one achieved their goal. The exception was Palestine. Instead of being
limited to "the rendering of administrative assistance and advice" the Mandate had as a primary
objective the implementation of the "Balfour Declaration" issued by the British Government in
1917, expressing support for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish
people".
The period between the two World Wars was one of unrest, violence and hostility. Arabic and
Jewish communities openly fought against each other and between the years of 1936‐39 a
massive Arabic rebellion took place against the British. The extremist Jews too were frustrated
with Britain’s double‐standards and targeted the British. Inter‐communal fighting broke out with
Arabs targeting Jews and the Jews forming a Jewish Defense Force. Despite the upheavals and
increasingly fragile political situation, the British continued to try to find a situation. However
each of their proposed solutions either managed to anger one of the conflicting sides or make no
difference at all. Adding to all this was the ever-increasing influx of Jewish immigrants trying to
escape Nazi persecution which only worsened the situation. By 1947, the British decided it had
enough. It abruptly decided to hand over the problem to the United Nations. The UNO decided
to partition the land of Palestine into two nations one Jewish and the other Arabic. The Arabs
rejected the idea because they were given lesser territory despite being the majority. On the
last day of the mandate, that fateful day of the 15th of May 1948, Israel declared its
independence.

Israeli Independence
Immediately after this proclamation, Israel was attacked by five Arab countries‐Lebanon, Syria,
Transjordan, Egypt and Iraq. Despite the nascent nature of the State of Israel, it managed to win
a resounding victory against all five nations and captured more territory than what was originally
allocated to them. The Arabs were humiliated. The Israeli victory and the establishment of a
Jewish state did not put a rest to the Palestinian issue. A colossal amount of Arab Palestinians
(estimated at about 726,000) fled Israel to form refugee camps in the neighboring countries. The
refugee crisis exists till the present day. Further, these camps became centers for anti‐Israeli
movements and recruitment of fighters. More about this issue in subsequent articles. Besides the
above mentioned War, a number of similar crises cropped up between the periods 1956‐1973.
Most notably these included the Suez Canal crisis, the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War.
Knowledge about these issues is of paramount importance, however due to space constraints
they have not been included here. Links to the following websites should prove to be useful:

Suez Canal Crisis - http://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/0472108670‐06.pdf

Six-Day War- http://www.sixdaywar.org/
Yom Kippur War - http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/yom_kippur_war_of_1973.htm

After such a long period of aggression came an uneasy peace from 1973 to 1993. The United
States of America played a crucial role in calming tensions in the region (primarily because it
realized the value of oil the Middle East was providing). It began with Henry Kissinger who
traveled tirelessly between Tel Aviv, Cairo and Damascus to bring peace. The first peace talks
were held in the December of 1973 in Geneva. Following that were the Camp David Accords, a
momentous occasion which culminated in the signing of a peace treaty between Egypt and
Israel. It was the first such treaty ever signed between an Arab country and Israel.
However this still did not resolve the issue of Palestine. A number of organizations of the
Palestinian Arabs had been formed during the years in exile. The most important of which was
the Palestinian Liberation Organization or the PLO. The PLO carried out its struggle against Israel
using techniques aimed at terrorizing Israel to give up the conquered lands. They included the
hijacking of airplanes, kidnappings, raids and even bombings. Israel too responded in many ways.
Although PLO still represents the Palestinian people, its significance is less as compared to Fatah
and Hamas. Hence, a detailed study of the political parties is more important. (For a detailed
profile of Fatah see - http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1991to_now_plo_fatah.php/)
The First Intifada began in 1990. Intifada literally means uprising and it was a response of the
Arabs in the occupied territories against Israel. Israel resorted to a brutal suppression of this. In
the early months of 1993 as many as 14 secret meetings were held in Oslo, Norway. This
concluded in the signing of the Oslo Accords, an incredible step forward towardsthe resolution of
the issue. (http://palestinefacts.org/pf_1991to_now_oslo_accords.php) According to the
Declaration of Principles enshrined within, Israel would allow the creation of a Palestinian
Authority which would be elected and have administrative responsibilities in the Gaza Strip and
the West Bank. Israel would gradually remove all of its settlements from the above mentioned
areas. However, as seen in many things of this conflict, the Oslo Accords were too put under
strain and eventually forgotten by 2000, primarily due the opposition by Hamas.
In 2003, Ariel Sharon implemented a highly controversial disengagement plan whereby Israel
removed all of its civilian and military presence in the Gaza Strip. However, it still maintains a
high degree of control over it by controlling its sea access, its airspace, immigration and
emigration and even its imports and exports. But, yes, it has no presence in it. The West Bank
however is an Israeli-occupied territory. In 2006, Hamas won the elections to the Palestinian
Authority. This created a major setback to the peace process as it is considered a terrorist
organization by many countries. In fact, its stated aims are to ’wipe Israel off the face of the
map’. Indeed, chances for meaningful negotiations seem bleak. The situation in Palestinian
territories was, and still is, bleak. After the elections, violent fighting broke out between the
two major political parties, Fatah and Hamas. Hamas drove Fatah out of the Gaza Strip while
Fatah maintains its position in the West Bank (known as the factional violence in Palestine in
2006-07) Fatah is only body which the international community deals with (technically it is the
PLO and not Fatah but since Fatah is the largest faction in the PLO, the PLO virtually reflects the
will of Fatah. Hamas is not a part of it) and its loss to Hamas was seen as catastrophic. We thus
have a very tenuous political situation in Palestine. In addition to the massive ‘mini civil war’ in
Palestine, we have the fact that the two main parties in Palestine have divided it into two
spheres of influence. Hope for reconciliation seem bleak and a change in ideology even dimmer.
As if internal conflict wasn’t enough, another conflict arose. This conflict, known as the Gaza‐
Israeli conflict of 2007‐08 was the result of the Firing of Quassam rockets into Israel from the
Gaza Strip by various Palestinian militants. Israel retaliated severely and after a year of
retaliation and counter‐retaliation, an end to the issue seems near.

CURRENT SITUATION
The current situation in Israel and Palestine is this: Factional violence in Palestine still rages on,
albeit with less violence and more tension. The positions have been consolidated but a solution
is still not in sight. The Gaza‐ Israel conflict is almost at a close with both sides wanting peace.
Hamas maintains its hostile attitude towards Israel which is reciprocated likewise. A long‐term,
viable and permanent solution is as far-fetched as ‘claiming that pigs can Ely’. Peace in the
region may come in the short-term, but it will be an uneasy peace, constantly fractured by
various acts of hatred. The closest Hamas has come to a peace solution is the offering of a
ten‐year ‘hudna’ or truce with the Israeli’s (subject to conditions) and that to a temporary one.
They seem, or rather are, hell-bent on removing every trace of Jewish inhabitance. To make
matters worse, Israel too suffers from the vagaries of coalition politics. Its political situation is
also very unstable. The six core issues have never been so far from resolution and establishment
of an Arab state is extremely unlikely. Before we go on, let us describe the six issues:-

Jerusalem
( Also see ‐ http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/jerutoc.html )
“No city in the world, not even Athens or Rome, ever played as great a role in the life of a
nation for so long a time, as Jerusalem has done in the life of the Jewish people.” — David
Ben‐Gurion, 1947The area Jerusalem is a particularly delicate issue, with both Arabic and Jewish
claims. It is central to the religions of Islam and Judaism and compromise would be difficult to
achieve. The very fact that Jerusalem plays a dominant role in religious and historical narratives
of these two religions underlines its importance. Israel asserts that the city should not be
divided, and should remain unified within Israel's political control. Palestinians claim at least the
parts of the city which were not part of Israel prior to June 1967. As of 2005, there are more
than 719,000 people living in Jerusalem; 465,000 are Jews (mostly living in West Jerusalem) and
232,000 are Muslim (mostly living in East Jerusalem).
Israel has grave concerns regarding the welfare of Jewish holy places under possible Palestinian
control. When Jerusalem was under Jordanian control, no Jews were allowed to visit the
Western Wall. In 2000, a Palestinian mob took over Joseph's Tomb, a shrine considered sacred by
both Jews and Muslims, looted and burned the building, and turned it into a mosque. There are
unauthorized Palestinian excavations for construction on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which
could threaten the stability of the Western Wall. Israel, on the other hand, has seldom blocked
access to holy places sacred to other religions, and never permanently. Israeli security agencies
routinely monitor and arrest Jewish extremists that plan attacks, resulting in almost no serious
incidents for the last twenty years. Moreover, Israel has given almost complete autonomy to the
Muslim trust (Waqf) over the Temple Mount.
Palestinians have grave concerns regarding the welfare of Christian and Muslim holy places under
Israeli control. They point to the several attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque (Masjid al Aqsa) since
1967, including a serious Eire in 1969, which destroyed the south wing, and the discovery, in
1981, of ancient tunnels under the structure of the mosque which some archaeologists believe
have weakened the building structures on the Al Aqsa Mosque. Some Palestinian advocates have
made statements alleging that the tunnels were reopened with the intent of causing the
mosque's collapse. Israel considers these statements to be totally baseless and unfounded, and
to be deliberately intended to incite aggression and public disorder, and stated this in a 1996
speech at the UN. The Israeli government claims it treats the Muslim and Christian holy sites
with utmost respect.

Palestinian refugees
The Palestinian refugee crisis is possible one of the worst humanitarian problems of our times.
During 1948 over half of Palestine’s Arab population fled their homes to live in refugee camps in
other countries. At that time they numbered a little above 700,000, now it is estimated 4 million
have been made refugees. There are many versions as to why exactly this refugee crisis
originated. The Arabs believe that the Jews deliberately terrorized them into leaving in order to
seize their land for the new Jewish state. The Jews on the other hand contest that it was the
Arab leaders who encouraged the Arabs to leave, promising them that after the Jews were
ousted they would get back their property. Either way, the crisis has reached gigantic
proportions. It no longer matters what the causes of the crisis were, but how to resolve it. The
UNO has played a stellar role in averting a humanitarian crisis and it is expected of member
states to continue their support. Another controversial aspect of the refugee problem is the
‘Right to Return of Palestinian refugees’. Proponents of this right argue that Palestinians who
had been displaced during the various wars should be allowed to return to their homes (currently
in both Israeli and Palestinian territories). Naturally, Israel refutes this right with respect to
Israeli territories as this would lead to massive influx of Arabs into Israel (estimated to become
40% of the population). They feel this right is limited to the areas of the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip. However, Israeli double‐standards are clearly evident. Under the Israeli ‘Law of Return’
any Jewish person of any nationality, anywhere in he world can gain citizenship in Israel if he or
she wishes. Palestinians view this Act as deeply offensive and discriminatory. Palestinian refugee
camps are filthy, bear with a severe lack of resources and are inhumane to say the least. They
have been the breeding ground for many terrorists (it is important to note that the PLO and
Fatah were started from these very refugee camps) and also cause a huge burden on the host
nation. If we are to truly resolve the issue we must deal with the refugees first and look into
their rights. Do they have the right to return? Must Israel be held responsible or the Arabs? Must
they continue to survive of the generosity of the international community?

Security
A major reason behind the reluctance of Israel to recognize Palestinian independence is its
security. Without the West Bank, Israel would be extremely vulnerable to attacks from hostile
nations. Similarly the Gaza Strip also acts a buffer zone and the recent conflict has further
underlined its importance. Most importantly, with the advent of Hamas, Israeli fears have nearly
doubled. Hamas’s avowed intent to destroy Israel leads to fears that in giving concessions to the
Arabs, Israel is progressing on a ‘self‐destruct’ path. It remains to be seen whether Fatah can
deliver on its promise and maintain peace.

Division of resources
One of the most important, and rightly so, concerns of Palestinian society is that it must be
given sufficient resources to manage itself. Water is as precious as gold in the Middle East and
Israel draws most of its water from two aquifers present in Palestinian territory. However it
must be noted that about 40% of this water is diverted towards the West Bank. While water is a
contentious issue with many legal ramifications, especially with regard to the Oslo Accords, care
must also be taken over the exploration and development of other resources.

Israeli Settlements
The Israeli settlement problem began immediately after the Six‐Day War. Israeli settlements are
defined as settlements in territories captured after the War. After Israel’s unilateral
disengagement plan in the Gaza Strip in 2005, the only places with Israeli settlements are the
West Bank and the Golan Heights. Construction in East Jerusalem is also seen as violation of
international law. It is Gush Katif was a block of 16 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza
Strip. Its 8,000 residents were forced to leave and had their homes demolished in August 2005 as
part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan important to note that a number of international
bodies such as the ICJ, EU, UNSC, Amnesty International and even Human Rights Watch view
these settlements as illegal. In 2007 Israel decided to further construction near Bethlehem and
was severely criticized by both the USA and the EU. Further the continued existence of Jewish
settlements in the West Bank has lead to a lot of resentment among the Arabs. Their expansion,
protection (as in the case of the building of the West Bank Wall) and even existence have led to
widespread condemnations. It is for the Special Political and Decolonization Committee to
decide what exactly should be done with these settlements, subject to Israeli approval of
course.

Borders and issues of sovereignty

As we have already seen, Israel manages to keep a tight noose over Palestinian territories, either
by direct presence or indirect border control. The issue of borders and international status is
mainly concerned with the Oslo Accords, which visualized Palestinian control for the cities and
Israeli for the rural countryside. This resulted in a divided state with Israeli checkpoints
increasing in number. Palestinians argue that it is impossible to create a viable state when
separated areas exist within the nation. Israel has built additional highways to allow Israelis to
traverse the area without entering Palestinian cities. The initial areas under Palestinian
Authority control are diverse and non‐contiguous. Due to the exponential rise of violence and of
the Hamas this issue had remained dormant for quite some time. However it must be resolved if
we are inch closer to a final solution.
Bloc Positions and proposed solutions
A number of parties have been involved in the issue. It makes sense to include the proposed
solutions with the blocs as each bloc has come up with its own unique solution. The Quartet:
This includes the countries of Russia, the USA, the UK and the United Nations. This body is the
primary and singularly most important force in the Middle East process. It precedes the Arab
League in importance as it represents the international community as a whole and enjoys the
confidence of both the negotiating parties. These countries want an end to the almost century-
long violence and actively seek a solution. However they do not recognize Hamas as representing
the Palestinian people and the USA and UK also classify it as a terrorist organization. It must be
noted that Israel is the USA’s most important strategic partner in the Middle East. The solution
proposed by them is known as the ‘Road Map for Peace’.
Details of the Road Map can be found on‐ http://www.un.org/media/main/roadmap122002.html
With regards to its acceptance, the Israeli government had first listed its 14 reservations against
it. The Palestinians had found these reservations unacceptable. Up till now only the First Phase
has been implemented which made certain critics deem it a failure. However negotiations for it
resumed in the Annapolis Conference late in 2007 and have continued to this year. The Arab
World: The Arab countries, represented by the Arab League have for years been at loggerheads
with Israel. They sympathize with Palestine and although tensions have watered down
considerably with Israel, they have never fully disappeared. With regards to the present conflict
the Arab countries have proposed the ‘Arab Peace Initiative’ formulated by the Crown Prince of
Saudi Arabia (http://www.al‐bab.com/arab/docs/league/peace02.htm) at first, Israel rejected
it outright but now Prime Minister Olmert has welcomed it with reservations. Clamors for its
acceptance have grown both in Israel and outside it. The Arab nations however have threatened
to withdraw it completely unless accepted by the Israeli’s.

The States of the Arab League

The Rest of the World: To the rest of the world, this issue is of paramount importance. Aside
from the moral considerations, nations have realized that any crisis in the Middle East tends to
destabilize the entire world, primarily because of that ‘black gold’ i.e. oil. Of course, many
nations do not have a direct say or side in the matter but when Israel threatens to ‘bomb all of
Gaza’ the world stands up and takes notice. A weak situation in Israel‐Palestine does not bode
very well for the world. What we must keep in mind that this present conflict is but a part of the
much larger Arab‐Israeli problem. Arabs in Palestine feel as threatened by Israel as the Arabs in
Iran do. And they WILL stand up for each other. If suppose, the Arab states feel that the rights of
Palestine are being compromised they will not hesitate to support Palestine. This could lead to
ripples all around the world, considering that the Middle East supports the engine of the world
economy. Another important player in this whole episode is Iran. The present Iranian
government has very close ties with Hamas and its hatred for Israel and the USA is all but too
well known. Iran is unpredictable and you never know what course it might take to protect its
‘Palestinian brothers’. All said and done, each individual nation has its own equation with
Israel‐Palestine. It is up to the delegates to adequately represent that view and still ensure that
no calamity occurs.

Recent Events
A fragile six-month truce between Hamas and Israel expired on December 19, 2008. Hamas and
Israel could not agree on conditions to extend the truce. Hamas blamed Israel for not lifting
the Gaza Strip blockade, and for an Israeli raid on a purported tunnel, crossing the border into
the Gaza Strip from Israel on November 4, which it held constituted a serious breach of the
truce. Israel accuses Hamas of violating the truce citing the frequent rocket and mortar
attacks on Israeli cities.
An explosion caused by an Israeli air strike in Gaza during the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict.
The Israeli operation began with an intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip, targeting Hamas
bases, police training camps, police headquarters and offices. Civilian infrastructure,
including mosques, houses, medical facilities and schools, were also attacked. Israel has claimed
many of these buildings were used by combatants, and as storage spaces for weapons and
rockets. Hamas intensified its rocket and mortar attacks against targets in Israel throughout the
conflict, hitting previously untargeted cities such as Beersheba and Ashdod. On January 3, 2009,
the Israeli ground invasion began.
The operation resulted in the deaths of more than 1,300 Palestinians. The IDF released a report
stating that the vast majority of the dead were Hamas militants. The Palestinian Centre for
Human Rights reported that 926 of the 1,417 dead had been civilians and non-combatants.

Suggestions for further research

The Israel-Palestine problem is a dynamic problem, one that is constantly changing. It is not
possible to chronicle all its events in a single document or through a single media. Delegates
must refer to all possible sources of information‐news channels, the internet, books, magazines
and newspapers to garner an idea of the situation. It is also imperative that you seek your own
country’s views on the issue and considering this issue is so large, every single country has some
or the other say on it. You must also look up all relevant UN actions on the issue. Space
constraints have led us not to include them in this study guide but you must be sure to look them
up. A number of resolutions have been passed on the subject, both in the Security Council and
the General Assembly. Of course, with the ever‐changing scene it is difficult to apply these
today, but they should give you a general idea as to what the UNO is aiming at. This webpage
gives you all the key UN documents you might require.
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/israel‐palestine/docindex.htm
A word of caution‐Wikipedia is not always right. Use it by all means, but be sure to supplement
it with other sources. Also, a basic understanding of the situation in the Middle East is a must.
Aside from the variety of links provided in the study guide, a number of other websites are
excellent sources. They include http://www.globalpolicy.org
http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/frontpage3!OpenPage
http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=70&Body=Palestin&Body1=
www.economist.com
www.cfr.org/
www.foreignaffairs.org/
www.mideastweb.org
Books and magazines are probably the best Source:-
Failed States-Noam Chomsky with respect to the chapter on the ‘Middle East’. The Oxford
History textbook for the GSCE on the ‘Arab-Israeli conflict’-Tony Rea and John Wright The Clash
of Civilizations-S.Huntington

Closing Remarks
Congratulations, either you have finished reading the study guide sincerely or you have done
what I have for so many years done, which is to say jumped to the conclusion to get the
answers.
Delegates please keep in mind that you will definitely have to put in a lot of effort and do a lot
more research outside the boundaries of this study guide as it JUST a basis of your topic and in
no way will do justice to the entire scope of the topic. Please do come prepared with your
material and be on the lookout for study guide updates that will be posted onto the site. (If
there are any that is) You must also form your own bloc positions and we will be in a position to
help you in every way and for every doubt you have. There are just a number of things to remind
you of before you step into committee:
• You do not represent your school or yourself in any way once you step into committee for you
are a representative of your given country.
• For that purpose you must know your countries stand thoroughly and adhere to it at all times
without for a second shifting out of policy or practical sense.
• A good delegate is one who does not create enemies but is diplomatic and manipulative at the
same time and places himself in a position to make others do what he so wishes to in a very
subtle manner. Basically I mean being cunning is what will get you ahead.
15