ISRAEL/PALESTINE BACKGROUND
In order to understand what is happening in Israel and the occupied
territories, it is important to consider the region's history and players.
In 1897, in Switzerland, a conference was held in which the concept of
Zionism was defined. It meant many things, but the primary objective was the
formation of a Jewish state in Palestine secured by public law. You will
note that historically the Jewish people had been dispossessed and run out
of many countries.
In 1917, the British who were at that time the protectors of Palestine (in
other words, Palestine was a colonial possession) signed the Balfour
Declaration, which expressed support for the establishment of a national
home for the Jewish people living in Palestine. By 1914, there were
approximately 85,000 people of Jewish descent living in Palestine which was
about 12 percent of the population. Many of them had migrated to Palestine
from Eastern European countries over the previous 40 years or so.
In 1947, the United Nations proposed to split Palestine into two separate
states with Jerusalem (the central city) under international control. Both
the USA and Russia approved, but Britain abstained. The Arab States strongly
objected to this policy and rightly felt that the UN had no right to make
such a deal. Nevertheless, there was enough international support for the
idea following World War II, and the resolution passed.
In 1948, the British mandate over Palestine ended and the Jews living inside
Palestine, boldened by the UN's support, declared the new state of Israel.
Most nations of the world immediately recognized the state but the Arab
League declared war and a year of fighting ensued with all bordering
countries. In 1949, treaties were reluctantly signed that established the
borders of Israel.
Palestinians who suddenly found themselves refugees had fled to the
surrounding countries, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan. Concentrated on the
borders of Israel, they would often skirmish with Israeli forces.
In 1956, Israel responded to raids from those Palestinians living on the
outskirts of Egypt by invading and occupying the Gaza strip
and the Sinai Peninsula. The UN brokered a peace deal
and sent in peace-keeping troops.
In 1965, Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, founded at the time Israel invaded
Egypt began armed guerilla attacks on Israel, mostly from Syria and Jordan.
After two years of these border skirmishes, Israel responded in 1967 by
invading Egypt, Jordan and Syria, now called the Six-Day War. It was in this
conflict that they captured the Gaza Strip, the Sinai, East Jerusalem, the
West Bank and the Golan Heights.
In 1974, the United Nations recognized that the Palestinians have the right
to have 'statehood and sovereignty'. This unfortunately didn't mean much to
Palestinians who were living under the Israeli flag, due in no small part to
the machinations of the UN.
In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon with the stated purpose of destroying the
infrastructure of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which was
continually harrassing the northern part of Israel. Even after the
PLO withdrew from Lebanon, Israel had the president of Lebanon assassinated.
The first Pales uprising or Intifadeh began in 1987 as an expression of
frustration of the 20 years under Israeli rule and occupation. As cease-fire
attempts continually failed, the movement became more and more violent.
In 1988, Arafat declared Palestine an independent state though at the same
time stressed that he recognized the right of Israel to exist as a nation.
The PLO became an internationally recognized entity and Israel was forced
into comprehensive peace talks.
The Oslo negotiations of 1993 looked like a positive direction for the
Palestinian cause with an agreement of peace between the PLO and Israel. The
terms proposed that Palestine would gradually become a self-ruled territory
phazed in over several years. Both Rabin and Arafat won the Nobel Peace
Prize for their efforts.
Over the next few years, the Palestinian Authority under Arafat's leadership
begins the process outlined under the Oslo Accords, setting up a
Palestinian police force and some control over internal civil
matters. At this point, Israel was able to finally maintain peaceful
relations with
some of its neighbours, signing peace treaties with both Egypt and Jordan.
Things started to take a turn for the worse however when Israel, under
President
Netanyahu lifted the freeze on building Jewish settlement in the Palestinian
territories. This violation of international law angered the Arabs and
threatened
the peace process.
In 1998, Netanyahu decided to renege on some of the Israeli promises and
placed new and absurd conditions for Israeli troops to leave the
Palestinian territories. Things seemed sane again when Ehud Barak replaced
Netanyahu as prime minister--Barak promised to continue withdrawing the
troops.
In 2000, a hard-line opposition leader named Ariel Sharon visited a
contentious holy site, angering Palestinians who began to riot. To place
this in context, Sharon was personally responsible for the massacre of a
Palestinian refugee camp by militias under his control. It is this riot
which eventually sparks into the current Palestinian uprising.
Less than a year later, the same Ariel Sharon is elected prime minister. He
continues the charade of offering Palestinians peace if they will just stop
attacking Israelis... meanwhile, Israeli troops continue to encroach on
Palestinian land.
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Palestinians have the dubious honour of being the largest refugee population
in the world, with the majority living in camps just outside the borders of
Israel, concentrated in Jordan and Lebanon. These refugee camps are often
targeted by Israeli Defense Forces as they are assumed to be the source of
many of the so-called 'terrorist' attacks on Israel.
These refugees are not allowed to return to Israel; many were forcefully
removed from Palestine when the Israelis took over. Many more have been born
to the original refugees, and many more have been forced into them when the
Israeli military demolished their homes and physically displaced them
outside the borders.
The 'right of return' is a sore spot for many Israelis and Palestinians; the
Israeilis claim that their country would fall apart if they allowed the
Palestinian exiles to return en masse. It is considered illegal under
international law to prevent refugees from returning to the land of their
origin, but Israel has done nothing but ignore international laws since its
inception.
The most flagrant violation of course is the occupation itself. The
*original*
boundaries of Israel prior to 1967 are recognized worldwide; even the
surrounding Arab countries for the most part are satisfied with the
theoretical exsistence of Israel as a nation.
However, as a result of the war of 1967, Israel began occupying lands that
did not belong to it and have steadfastly refused giving them up. The
West Bank and Gaza Strip, technically Palestinian land have become Israeli
territories in flagrant opposition to UN demands that they be reverted back
to Palestinian control.
Many UN resolutions have been brought into place to remove Israel from the
occupied territories, every single resolution was defeated thanks to the USA
using its Security Council status power to veto. In almost every resolution,
there are only two countries that vote against the resolution, Israel and
the United States.
Furthermore, in addition to occupying this land, Israel has constructed
illegal settlements on this occupied land, many times forcing the previous
occupants to move and in many reported cases, physically removing them from
the territory and depositing them outside of the borders where they are not
allowed to return.
It is these settlements which are often targets of the Palestinian
militants, and rightly so. The United Nations clearly states that the
Palestinians have a right to defend their land from illegal occupation,
which despite US attempts to deny, is widely recognized by the rest of the
world.
So while the violence committed by Israel on the Palestinians in the
occupied territories is that of an oppressive invading and occupying army,
the violence committed by the Palestinians is a desperate attempt at
self-defense. This is not to advocate violence in any form; it is only to
show that the Palestinians are actually well within their rights to defend
their territorial sovereignty. The UN and international law uphold their
right to use force in this case.
Currently, the Israeli army once again has surrounded the Palestinian
territories and in many areas have entered and fortified positions.
Periodically, the Israeli military will bulldoze entire suburbs; according
to Israel, this is an attempt to create zones from which they can protect
themselves from rock-throwers. Considering that the razing of Arab homes to
make way for Israeli settlements has been an Israeli modus operandi since
1967, one must question their motives.
Similarly, it is impossible for a Palestinian to obtain a building permit.
Reasons are found to tear down their ancient homes, some homes as old
as thousands of years. Occasionally, the reason given is that these houses
do
not have Israeli permits or that they are unsafe. These claims are easily
refuted by the fact that these buildings existed long before Israel itself
did and the safety of the buildings didn't seem to matter when Israeli
bulldozers brought them down on top of those living inside.
Another consistent theme with the Israeli encroachment is that of diverting
clean water sources away from Palestinians and to the Israeli citizens. As
things stand, Israeli settlements receive ten times the clean water that the
occupied territories are provided. Water is an extremely valuable resource
in this arid region.
Also, the IDF has strategically split much of the Palestinian territories in
non-contiguous areas, ie. patchwork areas separated from each other by
fences and Israeli-only roads. Many areas of the territories are now
completely cut off from each other and the IDF is not about to let people
cross from one area to another.
It is hard to gather accurate information on the situation in this area
because the media is so heavily influenced by Israel's own perception
of itself. The American media almost unanimously decries
the Palestinian 'terrorists' without ever examining the fact that their
land is illegaly occupied.
Palestinian violence does not always occur under the auspices of
a 'terrorist group' or even with the knowledge of Arafat. More often this
violence is committed by
individuals who are not themselves representing any particular faction of
the Palestinians. The Israelis blame Yasser Arafat for not reigning in his
people and stopping the violence. This is absurd. The Israelis could easily
stop the violence by simply leaving. They are illegaly occupying Palestinian
land; the Palestinians are under no moral obligation to stop acting violent
towards the occupying army.
Israeli violence on the other hand is state organized and committed by the
Israeli Defense Forces under orders of Ariel Sharon. Their more 'civilized'
violence consists of Apache gunship attacks on occupied apartment blocks or
F15 attacks on refugee camps. They have consistently used excessive force
against a people who are mostly limited to throwing rocks, more of a
symbolic gesture than an act meant to kill.
Nevertheless, the Israelis consider themselves the victims of this conflict.
The perception of being surrounded by hostile forces has never left Israeli
minds, and there is some basis for this fear. During the early years, Israel
was under almost constant attack by every country it borders. However, these
days those same countries are more or less willing to be peaceful with
Israel as long as it keeps to its 1967 borders and stops treating the
Palestinians so inhumanely.
It is impossible to talk about Israel without mentioning its status as a
client state of the United States. Exactly why it is in America's best
interest to support a state that does nothing but wage war on its neighbours
and brutally suppress its Palestinian population is anyone's guess. Prior to
the 1967 invasions, France was the main patron of Israel but after repeated
unheeded warnings from the French not to invade and occupy Palestinian
lands, the French cut
ties with the Israelis. Unfortunately, the US was more than willing to move
in and take over.
Currently, Israel is the largest recipient of US aid in the world, mostly of
a military nature. Approximately $9 billion a year is provided, and this
does not include hoards of modern military equipment that is often provided
to them at no cost. When the armaments used against the Palestinians all
have 'Made in the USA' written on them, it is understandable why the
Palestinians resent the United States.
Israel is completely reliant on US aid. There is not much of an economy to
speak of in Israel; without this aid they would be completely vulnerable
both militarily and economically. One has to ask why the US would continue
to provide Israel with military hardware to support their various
occupations and illegal military incursions into the surrounding countries
such as Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.
Arguably, the most important aid that the US offers Israel is its support in
the United Nations in its capacity as a permanent Security Council member.
Basically, this position gives the US the right to veto any resolutions
brought before the UN. The most recent example of this is the blocking of a
resolution to send international peacekeepers and legal observers into the
occupied territories. Israel refused to allow them entry while the US
blocked the resolution from even getting to the floor.
It is easy to understand why the Israelis would not want international
observers present. Reports of atrocities are frequent and brutal. Israel is
one of the few countries in the world that has openly endorsed and legalized
the use of torture against prisoners in the occupied territories. It also
recently legalized the use of 'lynch mobs' as a means for the settlers to
defend themselves from Palestinian attacks. It has also legalized the use of
assassinations, or as the Israelis refer to them 'targeted killings' or
'pre-emptive strikes'. Whatever they are called, they are indeed
assassinations, used to attack both militant Palestinians and those who
advocate peace.
When the Tourism Minister Rechavam Ze'evy was assassinated last week,
essentially in the same way that Israel advocates, the response was
typical. Israel invaded more Palestinian land, killed several dozen people
and demolished homes. Ze'evy was not a popular man with the
Palestinians. He has referred to them as 'lice' and 'vermin' and had
openly advocated expelling *all* Palestinians from the territories
altogether. He had actually resigned the day before his assassination
because Sharon's government (of which he was a part) was not
hardline *enough*.
Interestingly, there is not much of a peace movement inside Israel. One does
exist, but it is extremely small and mostly ineffective. Much of the peace
movement that existed before the recent Camp David initiative have reverted
to more hawk-like stances, mostly out of frustration with the apparent bad
faith of Arafat's negotiations. This is unfounded of course as the
negotiations actually fell apart when the Israeli government changed ruling
parties. However, the majority of Israelis suffer under the illusion that
Arafat walked away from the negotiating table and that the Palestinians
deserve their fate for not being willing to talk terms.
Even had the negotiations succeeded, the offers the Israelis made were still
not compliant with the very clear rules set out by the United Nations.
Judging from Israel's record for following their own international
obligations, nothing would have been binding. Israel has at several times
agreed to pull out of the occupied territories but has never acted upon this
agreement.
The Israeli Defense Force or IDF is made up of conscripts from the youth of
Israel. All Israeli citizens are expected to serve in the IDF for at least
three years (two for women). Distinguished service in the army is often a
stepping-stone for a career in Israeli society. Since everyone serves,
it becomes a sort of badge of honour. Businesses often look for a strong
military record when hiring employees.
Recently, there have been record numbers of desertions and refusals to serve
in the occupied territories. This month, approximately one hundred teenagers
marched against the policies of their government, and refused to sign up for
their conscripted service. Unfortunately, they were seen as traitors by the
majority of Israelis, who felt they had no right to desert their country in
their time of need. These events are fairly isolated however. The Israelis
really do see themselves as victims despite their flagrant victimizing of
Palestinians. This is similar to the way Americans now see themselves
as victims to terrorism...
The attacks of September 11th have had a tremendous effect on the region,
though it is not always clear exactly how. Israel has taken advantage of
the situation to invade, kill and demolish, but this in itself is nothing
new. What *is* new is that the United States is finding itself in an
awkward position as to whether to allow Israel to continue its atrocities.
Osama bin Laden, like Saddam Hussein before him, openly used the
treatment of the Palestinians as a reason why the terrorist acts occurred
He has of course strongly denied being responsible for 9/11, which
remains to be seen, but the important fact is that to most of the Arab
world, both Hussein and bin Laden are respected for speaking out
on this issue. The Arab people recognize that the United States and
Israel have been responsible for terrorist actions in the Middle East.
The governments of the region are not openly hostile to the US, with
a few exceptions, but the people often *are*. Despite the feelings
of the people, the governments have been forced to work with the
US in their 'coalition' against terror, lest they themselves be labeled
as terrorist states. However, many of these nations have been
trying to put Israel on the agenda, essentially saying, 'How can we
fight terror when Israel openly terrorizes our people?'. The US therefore
has been put in the awkward position of rebuking Israel in order
to enlist Arab nations to join their coalition.
George II has recently declared that he envisions a solution where
Palestine is its own state again; Tony Blair has said much the
same. This would seem to imply that on some levels, the US
recognizes that their support of Israel is starting to get them
in trouble. On the other hand, the United States just issued a
$3 billion arms package to Israel on the 25th of October, which
would seem to indicate that their 'new' attitude is not so new.
In fact, the US will often condem Israeli actions in order to appear
neutral, going back to the 1967 occupations. But their condemnations
are only public relations exercises because the flow of money and
military equipment has never ceased.
A recent ceasefire held between Shimon Peres (Israel's foreign
minister and dove) and Yasser Arafat was violated literally as
it was being declared. Sharon ordered tanks into Beit Jala while
the two were talking prompting Peres to openly opine about
Sharon's sanity and his own prospects of staying in the
government.
Eventually, some measure of ceasefire was established, though
again, not for long. After the assassination of the minister of
Tourism, Israeli tanks invaded and occupied four Palestinian
controlled towns including Bethlehem. The Israelis now refuse
to leave until the ceasefire is re-established, which is a strange
position to take when one has a tank in the middle on the
other party's neighbourhood.
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
1) How can this situation be resolved?
2) How does the North American media present the situation?
3) Why does the United States continue to support Israel?
4) Criticism of Israel as anti-semitism
5) Israel/Palestine as a microcosm of the post 9/11 world.
NAVIGATION
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