Arab-Israeli conflicts

351 Spath

Israel/Palestine

Maps pre-1948 conflictsYishuv 1948 Israel1947 UN Partition Plan

Egypt, Sinai, Strait of Tiran

1956 & 1967 Wars

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/1967_Six_Day_War_-_conquest_of_Sinai_7-8_June.jpg

Results• Israel restored its image as a strong and independent state.

• Israel was now three times bigger than it had been in 1966.

• The pan-Arab ideas of Nasser were losing legitimacy. He took a great hit to his prestige

• Israel now had the security risk of an extra 1 million Arab people inside its own borders. About 1/3 million Arabs fled to Jordan- where they were easy prey to PLO recruiters.

• The status of the new territories was problematic. Should the residents get citizen status? Could you have an Israeli/Arab Palestinian? Did Israel really want all the land- especially that with inherent ownership problems (eg the Gaza Strip)?

• Israel launched a huge settlement plan- to occupy the land won with people loyal to Israel.

Israel before and after the six-day war 1967.

1973 Yom Kippur War

Egyptian soldiers cross the canal by boat

The Golan Heights.

• With seeming success of Egyptian army, Syria invaded Israel from the North over the Golan Heights.

1982 invasion of Lebanon

Sabra & Shatila…

Israel/Palestine:

Peace Process

Parties involved in the peace process

• On the Israeli side:– Doves: Labor, Mapam & Arab parties– Hawks: Likud, Gush Emunim & Nationalist

parties– Flip-floppers: Shas– Kadima - unilateral

• On the Palestinian side:– Compromisers: The Palestinian National

Authority– Purists: Hamas & Islamic Jihad

• The United States: see October 23rd lecture• Other: EU, UN, Russia

Overview of the peace process

• By the 1991 Madrid Conference:– Intifada– Gulf War– Demise of Soviet Union– Labor government in Israel

• 1991-93:– The issue of settlements– Rabin’s election

• 1993: Oslo I Agreement:– Mutual recognition between PLO &

Israel– 5-year program for Palestinian autonomy

Overview of the peace process--cont

• 1994: Return of Arafat to the Occupied Territories

• 1994: Israel-Jordan peace agreement• 1995: Oslo II agreement• 1995-2000: Breakdown:

– Assassination of Rabin– Israeli practices against spirit & letter of accord– Arafat’s monopolization of power– Increased popularity and violent activity of

Hamas

• 2000-: Reversal– Election of Sharon– Second Intifada– Reinvasion of PNA territories

OSLO II

West Bank & Gaza

Palestinian strategies for liberation

• Palestinian reliance on neighbors

• Palestinian self-reliance—PLO• Using neighbors’ territories—

Jordan and Lebanon• Internal resistance—the two

Intifada’s (1987-91, 2000-)• From rock throwing to suicide

bombing• Shaking off Israeli domination:

settlements, walls, confiscations & destruction, “special” taxation, roadblocks, prisons & detention, trade, feelings of inferiority, informers and fatalism.

• Negotiations

Conceptual issues…

• Exclusivist (rejectionist) and Accommodationist-- competing claims of 2 peoples to exclusive right

of national self-determination and sovereignty on same piece of land

single-state (exclusivist b/c undermine other)

exclusivist-accommodationist trend (LT)

• Violent and non-violent (diplomatic vs. militaristic strategies for resolution)

• Positive and Negative peace-- Negative absence of war or direct violence-- Positive transformation of society w/ principles

of equality, social justice, & nonviolence

Some of the issues…

• A bi-national state or a two-state solution? • Fixed, agreed-upon borders• Status of East Jerusalem• Jewish Settlements (land/growth)• Resource allocation (i.e. water issues)• How sovereign should the Palestinian

state be?• Fate of Palestinian refugees

(compensation/return)• Economic viability of Israel and Palestine

Some scenarios presented previously…

• Two states for two people• Greater Israel (Palestinian transfer v.

Palestinians as citizens)• Greater Palestine (P. state w/ Jews as

citizens)• Partial autonomy – Palestine controls

civic affairs & internal security of its territories, Israel administers external security and controls land & resources

• Return to pre-Oslo situation – Israeli occupation

• Binational state on land of Palestine and Israel

Wood carvers in Deheisheh Refugee Camp

Har Homa Settlement

Israeli Only Highway leading to settlement

Separation Barrier