The Effectiveness of the Arab and Israeli Peace Initiatives
Piggott, L & Rutland, S. (1998) "OneLand: Two Peoples" Australia:
Science Press
Bickerton, I & Pearson, M.N. (1990) THE ARAB ISRAELI CONFLICT
Australia: Longman Cheshire Pty Ltd.
CONTESTED SPACES
Chapter 7 - The Peace Process 1973-1979
Key Historiographical Issues
- the meaning of the Camp David Accords
- impact of Likud and the settler movement on the peace process
- impact of Palestinian terrorist activity on the peace process
In 1973 the Arabs' approach to Israel followed the principles set out
in Sept. 1967 Khartoumdeclaration.
No peace with Israel; no recognition of Israel; no negotiations with
Israel.
Major concerns of Israelis (since 1948):
- security of the state
- refusal of the Arab states to acknowledge Israel's right to exist
There were significant developments between 1973 and 1979. Following
the 1973 war, Israel realised it urgently needed to explore ways of
achieving peace with its neighbours as the balance of power in the
Middle East had shifted in the direction of the Arabs.
The Arab-Israeli resolution has become important for international
communities e.g. USA, Soviet Union. The Persian Gulf, oil region is
critically important to the world economy - Europe imports 85% of its
oil needs from the Persian Gulf states and Japan 90%. 1960s - 1970s SU
attempted to extend and supplement its influence in the Gulf region.
LIKUD
December 1973 - national elections
Labour Party, led by Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan
The main opponent was the newly formed party Likud, led by Menachem
Begin - opposed the returning of any territory to Egypt, won 30% of
votes.
WEST BANK ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS
Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 6-day War.
1 million Arabs fell under Israel control.
ISSUES SURROUNDING THE WEST BANK AND GAZA, 1967-1977 (following 1967
war)
Israeli Perspective
- Under Jordanian control (1948-1967) the Palestinians had been kept
politically and socially divided in an effort to limit the growth of
The Middle East has historically rebuked Western influence during their process of establishing independence. When Britain and France left the Middle East after World War II, the region saw an unprecedented opportunity to establish independent and self-sufficient states free from the Western influence they had felt for hundreds of years. In an attempt to promote nationalistic independence, the states of the region immediately formed the League of Arab States in 1945. The League recognized and promoted the autonomy of its members and collaborated in regional opposition against the West until 1948 when Israel declared independence. Israel represented then and now an intrusive Western presence in the Arab world. The ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict typifies this cultural antagonism. The Cold War refocused attention to the Middle East as a site of economic and strategic importance for both sides, yet the two hegemons of the Cold War now needed to recognize the sovereignty of the Middle Eastern states. With their statehood and power cemented, the Middle Easte...
Ben-Gurion, David. “Status-Quo Agreement.” In Israel in the Middle East: Second Edition, edited by Itamar Rabinovich and Jehude Reinharz, 58-59. Waltham: Brandeis University Press, 2008.
The Nation of Israel was founded out of the eastern area of a British occupied (former Ottoman Empire) section of western Asia known as the “Mandate of Palestine”. There was an attempt in November of 1947 by the United Nations (UN) to partition the region into Arab and Israeli states with the Holy City Jerusalem as an international city. (United Nations, 1949) The Jews accepted this proposal while the Arab League and other groups did not. (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2006). What followed was an Arab strike that became violent and sent the Jews on the defensive. They rebounded and brought the civil war to an end, expelling over 250,000 Arabs. The day before the British mandate was set to expire; the region was invaded by four Arab States starting the yearlong 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Ultimately a cease fire and truce was reached with the establishment of bo...
The Israeli-Palestine conflict is an event that has been well documented throughout the course of Middle-Eastern history. The conflict dates back as far as the nineteenth century where Palestine and Zionist, will later be known as Israel, are two communities each with different ideologies had the same overwhelming desire to acquire land. However, what makes this clash what it is, is the fact that both of these up and coming communities are after the same piece of land. The lengths that both sides went to in order obtain they believed was theirs has shaped the current relationship between the two nations today.
The Middle East has since time immemorial been on the global scope because of its explosive disposition. The Arab Israeli conflict has not been an exception as it has stood out to be one of the major endless conflicts not only in the region but also in the world. Its impact continues to be felt all over the world while a satisfying solution still remains intangible. A lot has also been said and written on the conflict, both factual and fallacious with some allegations being obviously evocative. All these allegations offer an array of disparate views on the conflict. This essay presents an overview of some of the major literature on the controversial conflict by offering precise and clear insights into the cause, nature, evolution and future of the Israel Arab conflict.
Since the inception of an Israeli nation-state in 1948, violence and conflict has played a major role in Israel’s brief history. In the Sixty-One year’s Israel has been a recognized nation-state, they have fought in 6 interstate wars, 2 civil wars, and over 144 dyadic militarized interstate disputes (MIDs) with some display of military force against other states (Maoz 5). Israel has been involved in constant conflict throughout the past half century. Israel’s tension against other states within the Middle East has spurred vast economic, social, and political unity that has fostered a sense of nationalism and unity in Israel not seen in most other states. Over the next several pages I will try and dissect the reasons for why the nation state of Israel has been emerged in constant conflict and how this conflict has helped foster national unity and identity among the people of Israel.
The period following the Suez Crisis was the longest period of non-confrontation during the Arab-Israeli Conflict. For Israel the years from 1956 to 1967 were years of impressive economic growth, military build up, and political and cultural strengthening. For the Palestinians the same time period was one of dispersal and disilusion, political impotence, passive leadership and of unanswered calls for helps from its Arab neighbours. President Nasser of Egypt in the time became the symbol and leader of pan-Arabism and resistance to "colonialism, imperialism, and Zionism". Syria followed Nasser's example and rejected any foreign commitments associated with western powers ( f.ex Baghdad Pact),...
...durable peace in the region was emphasized.” Though this decision put an end to Israeli imperialism over Palestinian people, the need for sustained peace by withdrawing support from Israel was of indirect influence by OPEC’s imperialistic decision to increase oil prices in 1973 following the fourth Arab - Israeli war.
One of the best known conflicts in the world is between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The conflict between them has been going on since before 1948, when Israel became a country. Throughout the years there has been conflict over conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Many important issues contribute to the constant conflict between these two countries, and they have yet to find a solution.
The news of people dying and suffering, killings of women and children, and bombings by terrorists and militaries, has undoubtedly grabbed the world’s attention towards the Israel-Palestine conflict. While Palestinian children scream for their dead parents, the world’s leaders and academics initiated a frantic debate, trying hard to point out the real cause and viable solutions for the current situation. This has led to many peace initiatives by the international community that were unfortunately a devastating failure. This deadlock had left leaders and supporters of both sides blaming each other for their stubbornness, in some cases elevating the unrest in Israel and Palestine (Reynolds). In this difficult condition, it is hard for us to determine what actually caused the failure of the peace talks without being biased towards one side. Therefore, my goal in this essay is to examine the cause of the peace talks’ failure objectively by observing the history of past peace talks, the reasons for disagreement that are given by Palestine and Israel and the key issues discussed in peace talks. Finally, I will conclude my research by developing my stand on the causes based on the research I have conducted.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the most controversial conflicts in modern history. The expansion of Israel since 1947 is seen as the beginning of the conflict, although its origins go back to the end of the 19th century, when Jewish immigration to Palestine began to increase. Since the start of the conflict, several peace negotiations have been carried out, resulting in variable degrees of success.
On the 28th of September, of the year 2000, the second Palestinian Intifada took place. The main reason that sparked this Intifada was the provocative visit of Ariel Sharon, the current Israeli Prime Minister, to the Haram Al Sharif. Even though the visit was what set the ground on fire, these feeling of hatred and desire to rebel had been stirring inside the Palestinians ever since the declaration of the Israeli State, on the Palestinian land, back in 1948. This Palestinian frustration is due to their lack of trust and hope in a peace process that did not yield meaningful results. After seven years of peace talks and six agreements, Palestinians realized that Israel is not serious about peace. Since 1993, Israel has doubled settlements on confiscated Palestinian land, continued to imprison Palestinian prisoners and has implemented only 8 percent of what it agreed to implement in all the signed agreements.
The Arabs of Palestine were ‘not a national group and never had been.’ They were largely undifferentiated from the inhabitants of much of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. They had no authentic tie to Israel, and many only came for economic opportunity after the Zionist movement began to make the land fruitful and the economy thrive. Palestine was never a separate state and Jerusalem was never a capital. The Zionists brought peace to Palestine, as well as prosperity, and when the UN tried to honor both Palestine and Israel in a two-state deal, Palestine selfishly
The issue of Palestine and Israel is one that has been hotly contested for over a thousand years. The last fifty years have been especially important in the history of the Jewish people and Palestinians. Since the death of Yasser Arafat on the 11th of November 2004 , and the election of Mahmoud Abbas as his successor as leader of the Palestinian Authority, significant steps have been taken towards a lasting peace. This will hopefully lead to a conclusion of the second Palestinian intifada, which began in late September 2000, and to an end of the oppression of the Palestinian people by the Israeli Defense Forces. Both Jews and Arabs have suffered heavily from the conflict, thousands of innocent civilians have died on both sides, and peace is in the interests of all.
When Yasser Arafat addressed the United Nations General Assembly, he tried to articulate the actions the Palestinian Liberation Organization had taken and to justify those actions. Arafat points out that the struggles with Imperialism and Zionism began in 1881 when the first large wave of immigrants began arriving in Palestine. Prior to this date, the Muslims, Jews (20,000) and Christians all cohabitated peacefully (pop. 1/2 million). In 1917, the Belfour Declaration authorized increased immigration of European Jews to Palestine. 1 From 1917 to 1947, the Jewish population in Palestine increased to 600,000 and they rightfully owned only 6% of the Palestinian arable land. Palestine population at this time was now up to 1,250,000. 1