The Arab-Israeli conflict- is this a lost case?

Mgr David Koschel Conflict Resolution and Crisis Management CC 2012

Introduction

On September 12, 200 , the last !sraeli flag "as ta#en do"n in the $a%a Strip, a narro" land located along the Mediterranean Sea in the Middle &ast' !srael had occupied this territor( for almost four decades, follo"ing the Si) Da( *ar in 1+,-' !sraelis regarded the $a%a Strip as part of their historic homeland' .alestinians, on the other hand, believed that the $a%a Strip should form the nucleus of a ne" .alestinian state' Since the end of the Si) Da( *ar, !sraelis had graduall( established settlements in the $a%a Strip' /( 200 , appro)imatel( ten thousand !sraelis lived there in t"ent(0five settlements' $a%a "as also home to more than one million .alestinians, "ho regarded the presence of !sraeli settlers as a threat to a future .alestinian state'1 !n 2001, !sraeli .rime Minister 2riel Sharon announced that the !sraeli settlements in $a%a "ould be dismantled b( his government' 3his "as a ma4or turnaround for Sharon' 5or man( (ears, Sharon had been a ma4or supporter of building more !sraeli settlements' 6evertheless, Sharon reali%ed that !sraeli "ithdra"al from $a%a might be necessar( to future relations bet"een !srael and the .alestinians' !n addition, longtime .alestinian leader 7asir 2rafat died late in 2001' 8e "as replaced b( Mahmoud 2bbas, "ho seemed more "illing to tal# peace' /efore 2rafat9s death, both sides had been loc#ed in a brutal struggle since 2000, called the !ntifada' 3his "as an uprising of .alestinians "ho lived in the $a%a Strip and in settlements along the *est /an# of the :ordan River' 2rab (ouths clashed "ith the !sraeli Defense 5orce ;105< in $a%a and the *est /an#'2 Mean"hile, (oung .alestinian suicide bombers "ent into !srael "here the( ble" them0 selves up and too# the lives of innocent !sraeli citi%ens, some of them children' Sharon=s announcement that !srael "ould evacuate its settlements in $a%a helped bring an end to the !ntifada' *hile a ma4orit( of !sraelis supported the "ithdra"al, man( settlers in $a%a "ere opposed to it' 2ll the settlers "ere supposed to have left their homes b( 2ugust 1 , 200 ' /ut, as of that date, about five thousand remained' 3he !sraeli militar( "as, therefore, forced to enter the settlements and forcibl( remove the remaining settlers' !n addition to the settlements in $a%a, the !sraeli government also gave up several small settlements on the *est /an#' *hile the "orld press "as covering the !sraeli pullout, the .alestinians felt almost overloo#ed' Man( of them "ho fled .alestine in 1+1> during the civil "ar bet"een 2rabs and :e"s, that led to the founding of !srael, felt seriousl( victimi%ed b( the situation' .alestinians no"ada(s not onl( "ant to regain $a%a but land on the *est /an# and the cit( of :erusalem, "hich the( believe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposals_for_a_Palestinian_state http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bank

belongs to them'? !n m( paper ! "ould li#e to provide evidence that the historical past and the actual relations bet"een !sraelis and .alestinians create no chances to resolve the conflict neither b( political nor violent means' The principal area of the conflict 3he struggle bet"een 2rabs and !sraelis is a brutal conflict that has been going on for more than half a centur(' 3he dimensions of the struggle are often hard to untangle, but the( involve several #e( elements' @ 2 militar( struggle bet"een !sraelis and .alestinians for the same land' @ 3he .alestinian right to return to land that the( claim as their o"n' @ 3he intentions of the .AO as the representative of the .alestinian people' @ &)panding :e"ish settlements on land, called the occupied territories, that is claimed b( .alestinians' @ 3he role of the Bnited States in the Middle &ast' @ 3he struggle bet"een !sraeli and .alestinian leaders, such as 7asir 2rafat, former head of the .AO, and 2riel Sharon, former prime minister of !srael' @ 3he future of negotiations bet"een !srael and the .alestinians in the post02rafat, post0 Sharon era'1 3he land of !srael is claimed b( t"o different groups' :e"s began settling in the area, #no"n as .alestine, during /iblical times, more than three thousand (ears ago' 3he( established a #ingdom, "ith a capital in :erusalem' 8o"ever, the :e"s "ere later driven out of .alestine b( the Romans during the first centur( C&' During the seventh centur(, the prophet Muhammad founded a ne" religion, #no"n as !slam' 2fter Muhammad9s death, MuslimsCfollo"ers of !slamCconDuered vast areas in the Middle &ast, including .alestine' Muslims remained in control of .alestine into the nineteenth centur(, "hen :e"s began returning to the area' During the t"entieth centur(, a struggle bet"een :e"s and Muslims bro#e out for control of .alestine' 3he Bnited 6ations planned to partition the area into :e"ish and .alestinian states' /efore this occurred, fighting bro#e out bet"een Muslims and
3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_settlement Bickerton, Ian !., "#he $ra%&Israeli 'onflict: $ histor(), *eaktion Books +td., +ondon, 2,,-

:e"s' 3he 2rabs re4ected partition' 3he( e)pected to run a .alestinian state "here :e"s "ould be subordinate to 2rabs' !f the :e"s did not li#e this situation, the 2rabs "ere happ( to have them leave' !sraelis felt Duite differentl(' On the other hand a historical !sraeli leader, David /en0$urion, planned to drive the 2rabs out of .alestine even though, the !sraeli constitution gave 2rabs and !sraelis eDual citi%enship' :e"s and .alestinians also disagree over "hat happened to the 2rabs living in the area that became the state of !srael' .alestinians admit that some of them left voluntaril( to flee the dangers of "ar that bro#e out in 1+1> but departing "ithout their possessions and not selling their properties, indicating their e)pectations to return' 3he rest "ere driven out b( the !sraeli arm(' 3he !sraelis also ma( have destro(ed more than ?10 .alestinian villages' :e"s counter that man( .alestinians left voluntaril( because the( planned to return after the defeat of the :e"s' 2s !srael proclaimed independence, the nation "as invaded b( surrounding 2rab states C:ordan, &g(pt, and S(ria' 2s a result of the defeat of the 2rab armies, the .alestinians never returned' 3he right of return has become a central issue in the 2rab0!sraeli conflict' .alestinians believe that the( should be allo"ed to come bac# to !srael and reclaim their lands' !sraelis counter that .alestinians left of their o"n accord and have no right to come bac#' 3his conflict gre" even greater in 1+,-' :e"s e)panded the state of !srael as a result of the Si)0Da( *ar "ith surrounding 2rab nations' 3he "ar began "hen !srael launched its air force against 2rab militar( targets' 3his occurred after &g(pt bloc#aded !sraeli ports' !srael e)panded its territor( onto the *est /an# of the :ordan River and the $a%a Strip, the home of man( .alestinian refugees since 1+1>, and ruled b( &g(pt' !n addition, the !sraeli government too# over control of :erusalem, "hich the( claim as their ancient capital' .alestinians, and other Muslims, believe that :erusalem "as the site "here the prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven' .alestinians have also claimed that the *est /an# is their territor(' :e"s call the *est /an# :udea and Samaria, and claim it as part of the ancient :e"ish homeland' !sraelis sa( that life has improved for .alestinians since the *est /an# became part of !srael' Man( .alestinians have gone to "or# in !srael' 2ppro)imatel( t"o thousand industrial plants "ere set up b( !srael in the ne"l( occupied lands' !ndeed, the *est /an# "as among the fastest gro"ing economic areas of the "orld during the last part of the t"entieth centur(' .erhaps because the( "ere receiving !sraeli health services .alestinian life e)pectanc( had risen to sevent(0t"o b( the start of the t"ent(0 first centur( from onl( fort(0eight in 1+,-'
.

/tenker, 'ath, "#he $ra%&Isreali 'onflict), 0odder W(land, +ondon, 12, 2,,4

.alestinians point out that since the !ntifada bro#e out in 2000, all these benefits have ended' !ndeed, most .alestinians are no" prevented from "or#ing in !srael, and .alestinian unemplo(ment has s#(roc#eted, reaching - percent in parts of $a%a' .alestinians also emphasi%e that !srael intends to continue occup(ing the *est /an# that 2rabs call their o"n' !ndeed, more than 0 percent of the land on the *est /an# and $a%a has been turned over to :e"ish settlers', 3he leading spo#esman for the .alestinians opposing the !sraeli occupation "as, until his death late in 2001, 7asir 2rafat' !n 1+,1, 2rafat founded the .alestinian Aiberation Organi%ation ;.AO<' 3he .AOs charter called for the destruction of the State of !srael, primaril( through violenceE the return of the .alestinians to their homelandE and the establishment of a .alestinian state' 3he .alestinians claimed that the( "ere sub4ected to violence b( the !sraelis in the *est /an# and $a%a' 2ccording to the human rights group 2mnest( !nternational, the !sraelis have used torture against .alestinian prisoners' 3he !sraelis have destro(ed number of homes o"ned b( the families of people "ho have been arrested and charged "ith terrorist activities' !sraeli prime ministers have not hesitated to launch attac#s against .AO leaders, sometimes #illing innocent civilians' Mean"hile, 2rafat and the .AO launched terrorist attac#s on !srael from bases in :ordan and later from occupied areas of Aebanon during the 1+-0s and 1+>0s' /ut "hen violence did not bring the .alestinians a homeland, 2rafat publicl( stated in the late 1+>0s that the .AO had renounced violence' 2s a result, peace negotiations follo"ed bet"een the .AO and !srael, leading to a .alestinian territor( in $a%a and part of the *est /an# in the 1++0s' 3his "as governed b( the .alestinian 2uthorit(, led b( 7asir 2rafat' 3errorist acts continued during the negotiations "ith the !sraelis that led to a .alestinian territor(' &ven after the .alestinian 2uthorit( had been established, "ith 2rafat in charge, terrorism continued' 2rafat claimed that radical groups "ere acting "ithout his consent but, it seems li#el( that he never gave up the idea of destro(ing !srael' !srael retaliated b( #illing some of the radical .alestinian leaders' Man( !sraelis believed that since 2rafat could not be trusted to live in peace "ith :e"s, the onl( solution "as violence' 3he level of violence increased during the 1++0s' 5inall(, in 2000 the !sraeli government offered 2rafat a deal' 8e "ould be able to establish a ne" .alestinian state in $a%a and much of the *est /an#, "ith its Capital in &ast :erusalem'3

+esch, 4a5id W., "$ra%&Israeli conflict: $ histor(), 61P 1/$, . !7l( 2,,8

Bickerton, Ian !., "#he $ra%&Israeli 'onflict: $ histor(), *eaktion Books +td., +ondon, 2,,-

2rafat turned do"n the deal' *as he simpl( being infle)ibleF Man( :e"ish observers believed that this "as the onl( e)planation for his decision' /ut 5aisal 8usseini, "ho "as involved in the negotiations in 2000, disagreed' 8e claimed that !srael "ants to establish the permanent borders based on the settlements and the .alestinians "ant the opposite' 3hat concept foresee that !srael must be "illing to "ithdra" to its borders before the 1+,- "ar' 3his means all settlements on the *est /an# and in $a%a must be removed' Since 1+,-, appro)imatel( eight thousand !sraeli settlers have established homes in the $a%a Strip' Man( thousands more have moved onto the *est /an#' !sraelis claim that the( have a right to occup( this land' 3he( also regard the settlements as a barrier against an attac# against central !srael b( the 2rabs' .alestinians believe the settlements mean that !srael "ill never return this land to the .alestinian 2uthorit( so that it can become part of a ne" .alestinian state'> 5rom the founding of !srael in 1+1>, the Bnited States has been its strongest all(' 2mericans felt that :e"s "ere o"ed a huge debt after si) million of them "ere #illed b( 6a%is in &urope during the 8olocaust' !n addition, :e"s in the Bnited States form a po"erful, "ell0 financed lobb(ing group on behalf of !srael' B'S' political leaders are often reluctant to oppose !sraeli interests and lose the votes of 2merican :e"s' 6evertheless, several 2merican presidents have tried to bro#er peace bet"een !srael and the 2rab nations' During the 1+-0s, .resident :imm( Carter helped secure a peace agreement bet"een !srael and &g(pt' 2s part of the deal, the Bnited States supplied millions of dollars in aid to both nations' During the 1+>0s, the 2merican government also helped !srael and the .AO ma#e a peace agreement' 3his led to the establishment of a .alestinian government in the $a%a Strip' 8o"ever, 2rab leaders have often critici%ed the Bnited States for using different criteria for 4udging !srael and the other nations of the Middle &ast' 2fter the 1+,- "ar, !srael occupied .alestinian territor( on the *est /an#' 3he Bnited States did nor force the !sraelis to "ithdra"' !n contrast, some 2rab leaders pointed out that the Bnited States formed a coalition to oust Saddam 8ussein from Ku"ait after his invasion of the countr( in 1++0' .resident /ill Clinton blamed .AO leader 7asir 2rafat for not ma#ing a deal "ith the !sraelis in 2000' 2rabs sa( that deal "ould have reDuired the .AO to give up an( hope of regaining control of sacred Muslim religious shrines in :erusalem and "ould have left .alestinian areas fragmented and "ithout free access to one another' More recentl( .resident $eorge *' /ush refused to deal "ith 2rafat' 8e critici%ed him for not "anting peace and called for his replacement' /ush
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*oss, /tewart, "$ra%&Israeli 'onflict :'a7ses and conse;7ences<), =5ans Brothers +td., 13 >e% 2,,4

made clear that the Bnited States strongl( supported !sraeli leader 2riel Sharon' Mean"hile, Sharon refused to deal "ith 2rafat' /( 200,, this issue "as moot, as 2rafat had died and Sharon "as in a coma' 3"o ne" governments "ould have to deal "ith each other'+ Conclusion Considering all facts presented above, ! can conclude that it is ver( doubtful for the parties involved to come to a consensus in the near future' 2 ver( deep historical divisions and the total mistrust bet"een !sraeli and .alestinian authorities does not leave an( room for maneuver internall( or at the international level' !t is essential that the .alestinians accept that, although the( have suffered a traged(, their un"illingness to recogni%e the changes ta#ing place in their region and their armed resistance to :e"ish migration and the establishment of a :e"ish state led not onl( to loss of life and terror among !sraelis, but also contributed to much of the suffering that .alestinians have e)perienced' 6onetheless, as !sraeli is the militaril( and economicall( dominant po"er, the future relationship bet"een !srael and neighboring 2rabs lies to a large degree in !sraeli hands, and a peaceful resolution depends as much on !sraeli actions as it does on the conduct of the .alestinians'

Bibliography: Books: 1' /ic#erton, !an :', G3he 2rab0!sraeli ConflictH 2 histor(I, Rea#tion /oo#s Atd', Aondon, 200+ 2' Aesch, David *', G2rab0!sraeli conflictH 2 histor(I, OB. BS2, :ul( 200-

?' Ross, Ste"art, G2rab0!sraeli Conflict ;Causes and conseDuences<I, &vans /rothers Atd', 1? 5eb 2001 1' Sten#er, Cath, G3he 2rab0!sraeli ConflictI, 8odder *(land, Aondon, BK, 2001 ' Ross, Ste"ard, G3he 2rab0!sraeli ConflictI, 8einemann Aibrar(, 2001 Websites: ,' httpHJJen'"i#ipedia'orgJ"i#iJ.roposalsKforKaK.alestinianKstate
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http://;7msi(eh.org/liesandtr7ths/

-' httpHJJen'"i#ipedia'orgJ"i#iJ*estK/an# >' httpHJJen'"i#ipedia'orgJ"i#iJ!sraeliKsettlement +' httpHJJDumsi(eh'orgJliesandtruthsJ