Israel-Palestine

zionism

jewish nationalist movement whose goal is the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, known in Hebrew Ereiz Yisra’el “the land of Israel. it orginiated in Eastern and central Eurpe

Theodor Herzl

• established zionism as a political organization in 1897

• organized the first zionist conference in Basel, Switzerland

• first president of the World Zionist Organization

Importance of the Balfour declaration

it is considered the first recognition by a world power of the rights of the Jewish people over the Land of Israel

Who was the Balfour declaration addressed to?

Walter Rothschild

Census of the British Mandate over Palestine

• 1922: 574,000 Muslims, 70,000 Christians, 56,000 Jews

• 1931: 759,000 Muslims, 91000 Christians, 174,000 Jews (3x)

• 1946: 1 mil Muslims, 145000 Christians, 608,000 Jews

Haganah 1945

• after second world war mass regroup and move to Palestine by Jews

• Haganah is a zionist Jewish militia organization launched a campaign of agitation and attacks to force British withdrawal and the creation of a Jewish state

• another zionist militia is Irgun — terrorist attacks on the King David Hotel in 1946

Resolution 181, 1947

the UN resolution proposed the partition of Palestine into 2 states: one Jewish state, comprising the 30% of the population but 55% of the territory, and the other Palestinian

1948

May 14th, Ben Gurion proclaims the State of Israel, immediately rejected by the Palestinians and the surrounding Arab countries.

First Arab-Israel war

• 1948-1949

• Called by Israel ‘the War of Independence’

• in May 1948, Israel is invaded by Egypt, Syria and Jordan

• Egypt bombs Tel Aviv

• UN tries to mediate

• the israeli armed forces, equipped from Czechoslovakia and France, proved superiority

• Egypt took control of Gaza and Transjordan of the West Bank

• Armistice resulted in Israel adquiring 75% of what was Palestine, 1/3 more than what it was originally allocated

• Jerusalem was divided into 2 zones, controlled by Israel and Jordan

• more than 750,000 Arab fled to neighbouring countries, now 5 million refuges

UNGA Resolution 194

declared that refugees that wanted to return to their home should be permitted to

outcome of the first arab defeat

• profound consequences in the Arab world

• Egypt — Nasserism bc the king lost legitimacy

• spread riots and birth of new republics in Iraq, Somalia/Mauritania, South Yemen

• desire for true independence and a strong defense of the Islamic/Arab cultural identity

• common goal of opposing Israel and create a pan-Arab movement, to establish cooperation and assistance among arab countries

• the arab project died in 1967 after the Yom Kippur defeat

• Sadat will side with US and Israel

major confclits in the Arab-Israeli Conflict

• 1956: Suez Crisis;

• 1967: Six days war;

• 1973: Yom Kippur War;

• 1982: Israeli invasion of Lebanon;

• 1987-1993: First intifada;

• 1991-2000: Peace project;

• 2000: Second Intifada-Al-Afda intifada;

• 2020: Trump ME peace plan;

Six day war

• June 5-10 1967

• Israel started by striking Egypt, Jordan, Syria

• occupation of the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights

• control all palestinian state and subject, claimed the West Bank, the Gaza strip, and the Old City of Jerusalem

• new refugees

consequences of the Six Days War

• the war discredited Arab cregimes regarding the promise of reclaiming Palestine by armed route, exposing their military weakness

• urged Palestinians to take their national liberation into their own hands

• discredited the socio-economic objectives due to large state apparatuses, dominant corruption and authoritarianism

• population empoverisment

• abandonment of Pan-Arabism

• rise of islamic fundamentalism

• end of the first Arab cold war, deradicalization fo governments

• rise of Saudi conservative leadership, linked to the rise of various fundamentalist movements against the secularization of the region

UNSC Resolution 242

• laying down the formula for Arab-Israeli epeace

• Israel would withdraw from occupied territories in exchange for peace

• land-for-peace inizio

October/Yom Kippur War

• 1973

• Egypt and Syria launched two coordinated attacks during the Yom Kippur religious hiliday

• 10 days after Israeli forced penetraded Egyptian and Syrian defense lines

• Arab responded by enforcing embargo on the US suspending oil supply

• both Arab and Israel declared victory

• For syria war was a disaster

• Palestinians felt that Egypt prioritized its own interests

• egypt was expelled from the Arab League, all Arab countries broke relations

• palestinians were the real victims

Camp david accords

• 1978

• Sadat goes to Jerusalem in 1977 gives a speech for peace to the Knesset

• the accords laid out the conditions for the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty

• and a framework for Israeli-Palestinian peace using Resolution 242

• Jordan also signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1992

UNSC Resolution 338

• 1973

• called for a ceasefire and reaffirmed solution 242

PLO

• in the 60s, resistance organizations emerged including Fateh, and smaller ones, which eventually formed the Organization for the Liberation of Palestine

• 1964, Yasser Arafat

• focused on irregular armed struggle from bases in bordering countries, using international terrorism

• supported by Arab states

• it became more independent in states like Lebanon and Jordan, acting as a state within a state

• goal of “jettison the jews”, but later focused on the creation of a palestinian state

• PLO direct and terrorist action against Israel

• leading to Israel intervention into Lebanon, and systematic attack on refugee camps

• was recognied by the UN in 1974

• Black september, actions in Lebanon, Palestinian National Council meeting in Algeria

• 1987 PLO took advantage of the intifada

• 1988 PLO unilaterally proclaimed the palestinian state

• 1991 Madrid conference to initiate conversation

Invasion of Lebanon

• 1982

• 1981 Israel bonbed the PLO the headquarters in West Beirut, killing over 300 civilians leading to the US-brokered cease fire between Israel, PLO, Syria

• ceasefire was broke by Israel in 1982

• when lebanese president Gemayel was assasinated, Israel, who backed him, intervened

• Palestinian refugees were massacred by Lebanese christian militias in Sabra and Shatila camps

• PLO leadership moved to Algeria

• Hezbollah emerges in Lebanon

First intifada

• 1987-1993

• popular Palestinian uprisings against Israeli rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

• started with small-state demonstrations, general strikes, graffiti, burning barricades, and rock throwing against Israel

• thousands of death, Israel loses international prestige

• Jordan renounced to claim over West Bank

Outcome of the first intifada

• Madrid conference 1991

• Oslo Accords 1993 between Israel and the PLO, with the withdrawal of Israeli troops from most of Gaza

• land for peace, Israel ceded some autonomous zones in the West Bank and Gaza to the Palestinian National Authority chaired by Arafat

• period to transition

division of the West Bank

Area A: 18% of the West Bank, where the PA controls most affairs, including internal security

Area B: 21% of the West Bank, where PA controls education, health, and the economy

— Israel has tot external control in these areas

Area C largest section, is under Israel control, and pending transfer to the PNA. Majority of aorund 200 illegal Jewish settlements

conditions for a successful initiative

1. palestine borders

2. israeli settlements

3. water

4. palestinian refugees

5. jerusalem

Second Intifada / Al-Aksa Intifada

• September 2000-2005

• provoked by Israel’s constant breaches and the persistance of Palestinian territorism

• growth of radical palestinian organizzations (islamic jihadism, hamas)

• casus belli: Israeli leader Ariel Sharon visited Temple Mount and declared it would always remain under Israeli control

• violence escalated from rioting and rock-throwing, to machine gun attacks, mortars and suicide bombings

Sempember 2005

• end of the 38years of occupation of Gaza

• Israel maintains control over Gaza skies, water, entry points and borders, for internal security

events of 2021

• israel threatened to evict palestinian families from their hmes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem

• Israel imposed restrictions over Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadam

• clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police leading to broader conflict

• Hamas launches firing rockets at Jerusalem

• Israel responds with airstrikes on Gaza

Gaza Strip

• 365 km²

• 2 mill ppl, ost populated area in the world

• 70% habitants are refugees, 50% live in poverty

• unemployment rate 54%, youth unemployment 70%, 96% water is non-potable

• 2006 Hamas won the palestinian parliamentary elections in Gaza and Fatah refused to recognize the result causing a split between Gaza and the West Bank

• since 2007 in under israeli blockade

• egypt has also closed the borders

• collective punishment, restriction on imports/exports, food and medical supplies

West bank

• since 1967 there has been annexation of Palestinian land through confiscation

• forced or compelled expulsion

• 200 Israeli settlements in the West Bank

• settlers have an exclusive road network, barricades and checkpoints

• Separation Wall built on 80% of Palestinian land

Hamas

• emerged unexpectedly during the first intifada 1987

• first pamphelet in 1987, december, inviting Palestinian people to confront the Israeli occupation

• January 1988 new pamphlet, Founding Charter, defined Hamas as a “wing of the Muslim Brotherhood”

• traditional fundamentalism of Muslim Brotherhood, but calles for direct action instead doing before a de-Westernization and re-Islamization

• Sunni, but inspired by the tactics of Khomeini. mass participation through direct popular uprising

• 1987-1993, 40 terrorist attacks

• Ahmed Yasin is the historical leader

• during the peace project hamas distanced itself from the PLO

• tactics influede suicide terrorist cells, electoral campaigns t displace groups

• second intifada important moment

• the palestianian struggle against israel is part of the islamic religious duty of jihad that falls on all muslims under israeli occupation

• behavior of a insurgency, civilian cover in contrast with conventional forces that try to avoid civilians

• no any proof that it uses humans as shields

• uses indirect fire and attack israeli army and society

• throughout time it has become authoritarian and corrupted, repression, detentons and torture of pol opponents

• internal urges for those suspected to work with Israel or homosexual

• corruptin and extortion

structure and governance of hamas

structured networks that permeates every village or camp through 3 factors

1. social factor: engaging in charitable activities (zakat). schools, hospitals, sports, libraries. majority of hamas resources of funda are allocated to that

2. political factor: organize forum and demostrations, online and on the ground campaigns

3. military factors: led by Izz al-Din al-Ossam Brigades, include intelligence wings, for detecting Israeli regime and drug traffickers. carries out punishment for those guilty of treason, prostitution and drug trafficking

Palestinian Authority

• established in 1994

• palestinians had limited opportunity to choose their leaders

• 2006 last parliamentary elections, radicalizatio in response to occupation and poverty shifted support from the PLO to Hamas

• perception of PA corruption and inefficiency

Public opinion before oct 7

• 67% had little or no trust in the Hamas gov

• 24% would vote for Ismail Haniyeh

• 73% supported peaceful slution 2 state

• 20% supported a military solution

• Fatah most supported party

comprehensive solution include

1. address the root causes of the conflict

2. ensure democratic gov human rights

3. facilitation economic development and opportunities