ArabIsraeli Conflict and its Transformation

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Arab-Israeli Conflict and its Transformation

• Dennis Stevens

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• This conflict started with Jewish immigration
  into Palestine in early 20th century. It
  intensified after the establishment of state of
  Israel in 1948.
• Problems can be summarized as European
  Imperialism, Jewish nationalism, Arab
  nationalism.
• In 1948 Israel created a viable political
  community, but the Arab world did not accept its
  existence.

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• History of conflict is divided into three periods
• 1- the Arab-Israeli conflict from 1948 to 1967
• 2- Transition time1967-1979 when Egypts leader
  signed a peace treaty with Israel.
• 3-The Israeli-Palestinian conflict which
  continues even today.

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Arab Israeli conflict

• Arab nationalism became a challenge to Israeli
  existence. Even when the solidarity began to
  evaporate the existence of Israel as a common
  enemy helped Arab governments rally around a
  cause and cling to the notion that the imagined
  solidarity might be maintained.
• Nasser took office in 1954 at the highest cold
  war conflict between the US and USSR.

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• Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, asked for
  assistance from the Soviet and encouraged
  resistance movement against Israel.
• In 1956 the UK and France approached Israel to
  plan a coordinated attack on Egypt. Operation
  Musketeer, as it was called was a military
  success and a diplomatic disaster.
• Eisenhower was furious with Israel. He believed
  this illegal act by the U.S. allies would make
  his opposition to the Soviet invasion of Hungary
  seem hypocritical. The UK, France and Israel had
  to withdrew their forces. Nasser became a hero in
  Arab world.

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• Arabs continued seeing the existence of Israel as
  the western imperialism and Israel keep seeing
  the Arabs as a challenge to its existence.
• In 1967 initiated a war which resulted in Israel
  taking over the entire Sinai Peninsula, Gaza
  Strip (from Egypt), The West Bank (from Jordan)
  and the Golan Heights (from Syria). It is also
  known as 6 days war. The major controversy today
  is about these areas.
• The defeat of Arabs became embarrassment and led
  to the establishment of groups such as PLO.

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• From this point the world did not see Israel as a
  victim any longer but a aggressive victor. Israel
  said the war was defensive and they took enemy
  lands.
• The UN Resolution 242 (with the help of the U.S)
  passed which emphasizes inadmissibility of the
  acquisition of territory by war. It clearly says
  that Israel should not expect to hold onto any of
  the territory it took during the war of 1967. It
  also says that all countries must live in
  security. Israel took this as a reason to not
  return any land until it was convinced that
  security was clearly guaranteed. Israel continued
  to occupy these territories.

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Transitional years 1967-1979

• Pan Arabism that Nasser brought up died with
  Nasser in 1970.
• Sadat new president of Egypt initiated a war and
  sent troops to part of Sinai (occupied by Israel
  after 1967 war) and Syria sent troops to Golan
  Height (occupied by Israel after 1967 war) .
  Israel defended itself decisively and went into
  Syria. However Egypt and Syria inflicted major
  damages to Israeli army. Israel had to negotiate
  with Egypt in the years to come.

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• President Carter was convinced of what turned out
  to be correct that Sadat was more interested in
  making peace with Israel than he was in settling
  the issue of the Palestinian.
• Camp David Accord 1978
• 1- Negotiations involving Egypt, Israel, Jordan
  and a Palestinian representative to address the
  issues of autonomy for the West Bank and Gaza
  Strip after a transitional period of five years
• 2-The Framework for the Conclusion of a Peace
  Treaty between Egypt and Israel, was more
  specific and led to the first peace treaty
  between Israel and an Arab state.

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The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 1979-Present

• After 1967 war the plight of Palestinian people
  was seen as increasingly important. By 1979 the
  issue became so important that Sadat separated
  himself from it in order to take Sinai back but
  was condemned for not dealing in a satisfactory
  way with it.
• The conflict moved from Egypt to Lebanon when PLO
  was forced out of Egypt to Lebanon and started
  its operation against Israel from there.

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• Israel sent troops in 1982 under the leadership
  of Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon who
  advanced to Beirut and inflicted substantial
  damage to infrastructure and resulted in a large
  number of civilian death in Lebanon. This
  attacked were well beyond what Israeli government
  had in mind in Lebanon (this was done with
  collaboration of Lebanese Christians).
• 6000 killed mostly Palestinian refugees.

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• Israel used large scale bombing of Beirut
  continued until Palestinian forces were
  neutralized.
• The United States interfered. Agreement was
  reached that traded Israeli withdrawal from
  Beirut area for the evacuation of PLO forces to
  other Arab countries.
• World opinion turned against Israel. The war in
  Lebanon were shown on TV, and the images
  projected to the world were painful. The Israeli
  peoples reaction was much the same as American
  reaction against Vietnam.
• Mass demonstration in Tel Aviv of over 100,000
  Israeli.

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• Another event took place that in many ways came
  to define the entire war. Sabra and Shetila
  refugee camps. Christian Phalangist had clearance
  from Sharon to enter the area of the refugee
  camps and kill the entire occupants.
• Critics of Israel openly compared Jews to Nazis,
  claiming an official policy of genocide was
  behind the attack. Sharon was forced to resign
  from his post.

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• PLO sponsored attacks against Israel and refused
  to recognize Israelis right to exist.
• Israel refuse to meet with PLO and labeled it as
  terrorist.
• Israel continued accelerated building of
  settlements in the West Bank and Gaza for the
  immigrant Jews hoping to settle the issue of
  ownership by creating a viable Israeli population
  in the disputed areas.
• UN (resolution 465 and 446 ordered Israeli to
  withdraw from the settlements. (settlements were
  illegal)

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• The Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza became
  more frustrated seeing Israeli settlements are
  growing in their territory and not being able to
  do anything.
• Intifada (shaking off) started in 1987 after an
  incident. Intifada represented spontaneous action
  of a frustrated population. This was the turning
  point of Israeli/Palestinian conflict. World
  attention focused on the plight of the people who
  were protesting (strikes, protests and some
  violence) at a time when Israelis reputation was
  poor in the international community.

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• Now this was a struggle of oppressed people
  against their oppressor. Palestinian themselves
  developed a new consciousness as a result of
  their struggle.
• Palestinian did not have weapons (150 Palestinian
  were killed) a public relations nightmare for
  Israel especially when a good number of death
  were children.
• PLO saw the value of Intifada and moved to
  control it. King of Jordan recognized the PLO as
  the sole legitimate representative of the
  Palestinian people.

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• By 1991 attention of the people turned to the
  Persian Gulf war (US/coalition forces against
  Iraq).
• In 1996 hostilities brook out when the Israeli
  government opened a new exit to an archeological
  tunnel in Jerusalem.
• Al-Aqsa Mosque according to the Palestine was in
  Jeopardy. Protests began but this time some
  Palestine had some weapons. The Palestinian
  police (Created according to Oslo Accords) fired
  against Israeli army in order to protect
  Palestinian.

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• Violence broke out again when Sharon (remember
  him from Lebanon) visited the Temple Mount in
  Jerusalem and said that the holly city should
  always be under Jewish sovereignty.
• This was seen by Palestinian as provocation.
  Palestinian went to streets in protest but this
  time they had some weapons. Fighting brook out
  between armed Palestinian and Israeli forces and
  rock-throwing children in the middle.
• Again Israelis responded excessively Hundreds
  were killed. UN condemned Israel

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• Palestinian snipers also killed some Israelis
• In 2000 Clinton hosted Arafat and Prime Minister
  Ehud Bark in Camp David which failed again.
• Sharon became Prime minister and a new set of
  violence this time more casualty and destruction
  took place.
• As Arafat attempted to deal with the demand of
  the Israelis and the Americans to fight
  terrorism, his authority has strongly weekend
  among Palestinians. Groups like HAMAS and Islamic
  Jihad have strong popular appeal and offer the
  Palestinian people an alternative to Arafat.

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US, Israel and PLO

• Arafat suddenly dies and Mahmoud Abbas, the head
  of the Fatah party (PLO) becomes the head of
  Palestinian Authority.
• US pushes for democratic election in Palestinian
  territories.
• In 2006 HAMAS wins democratic election with a
  large margin (77 percent) against Fatah party
• The West and Israel put economic sanction against
  Palestinian

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• US and Israel both said they will not deal with
  Hamas. Hamas said transparency in election was
  the key to US policy challenges.
• After one year surviving the economic hardship
  Hamas is still in power. Hamas said "It's been
  like a world conspiracy against this government -
  led by the United States."
• Palestinian do not blame Hamas for economic
  hardship. They blame the West for economic
  boycott and sanctions.

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• Israel does not recognize the Palestinian
  government under Hamas and refuses to talk to
  Hamas.
• Condi Rice met the foreign ministers of Egypt,
  Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
  at the weekend - ahead of an Arab summit in
  Riyadh, starting on Wednesday.

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• The summit focuses on the so-called Arab
  initiative.
• This done, Arab nations would recognize Israel.
• But Ms Rice wants them to do so beforehand as an
  incentive to Israel to sit at the negotiating
  table.
• A land-for-peace proposal where Israel would
  withdraw from the land it occupied after the 1967
  Arab-Israeli war, allowing a Palestinian state to
  be formed in Gaza and the West Bank, with East
  Jerusalem as its capital.

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• Palestinian critics say Ms Rice has shown, once
  again, that she is a friend of Israel, not an
  honest broker in this process.
• She has called on Arab states to recognize Israel
  - a demand made of the Palestinian government
  too, as well as a call to renounce violence and
  honor past peace accords.
• What pressure is being exerted on Israel, and
  what do we get in return, many Palestinians ask.
  (BBC world News)

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• Israeli raids in the Gaza and the West bank
  continues.