Arab-Israeli conflicts 351 Spath. Israel/Palestine.

Arab-Israeli conflicts

351 Spath

Israel/Palestine

Maps pre-1948 conflictsYishuv 1948 Israel1947 UN Partition Plan

First Arab-Israeli War

of 1948 (review)• Israel Declares State – 14

May 1948

• Arab Armies invade Israel - 15 May, 1948

• Temporary cease fire, followed by Israeli gains beyond Partition Plan

• Cease fire, Israeli recognition among UN and major powers

Al-Nakba (The Catastrophe)• About 700,000 Palestinian

Arabs were forced or fled from their homes (70%) and property

• Ben-Gurion to cabinet, “prevent their return”

• Destitution among Palestinians in refugee camps

1956 & 1967 Wars

1956 Suez War (review)

• Nasser opposition to Baghdad Pact• Czech Arms deal after border fighting in Gaza• Aswan High Dam Project & revocation of loan• Nasser’s Nationalization of the Suez• France, Britain, Israel invade Sinai• UNEF on border between Gaza Strip & Israel

and at Sharm al-Shaykh to ensure open straits• Reputational effects

Egypt, Sinai, Strait of Tiran

1967 War Causes• Long-term

– No recognition of Israel among Arab states– Arabs states’ Previous defeats– Israeli ‘hawkishness’ & excessive retaliation– Fear and mistrust by both sides (fuels arms buildup)– No resolution of refugee issue (Palestinians became focal point for Arabism)

• Proximate– Arms buildup (cold war context)– Superpower interference (esp. Soviet ‘intelligence’)– Defense pacts between Egypt, Syria, Jordan– Turbulence in Syria (Salah Jadid, headwaters project, turn to S.U.)– Palestinian raids & border clashes b/w Syrians and Israelis in Golan– Nasser’s brinkmanship– Lack of diplomatic voices in warring countries and internat’l community

Six Day War -June, 1967Arab Mobilization Israel takes Sinai

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

• Khartoum Resolution (1967)

• 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.

• Resolution 242 (accepted by Israel, Egypt, Jordan)

• 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.

War of Attrition (1967-1970)

1973 Yom Kippur War (Harb Tishrin)

Egyptian soldiers cross the canal by boat

- Bar Lev line

1973 War• Last conflict b/w Israel and Allied Arab force• Superior military engineering to cross Bar Lev Line• Soviet and U.S. airlifts of support

– Saved Israelis from utter defeat as they almost ran out of ammunition

• Israeli counter-offensive• Ended in cease fire and Resolution 338

– Affirms resolution 242 & prompted Geneva Conference (preceded the Egyptian-Israeli diplomacy and ultimately peace agreement of 1979)

• Arab Oil Embargo (next week – Is oil a weapon?)

The Golan Heights.

• With seeming success of Egyptian army, Syria invaded Israel from the North over the Golan Heights, making initial gains but then being rebuffed.

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 (like Yisrael Beiteinu – “no loyalty, no citizenship”)

– Pragmatist (Flip-floppers) – Shas– Kadima - unilateral

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

Authority, Fatah, DFLP– Purists: Hamas (changing?), Islamic Jihad,

PFLP

• The United States• Other: EU, UN, Russia [+ U.S. = Quartet]

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 – toward expanding Palestinian self-rule

• Creation of Palestinian Council to administer the territories •Redeployments of Israeli military from some of the Occupied Territories

• Area A – administered by Palestinian Authority in civil & security issues• Area B – administered by PA in civil issues, but security remains under Israeli admin• Area C – Israeli control w/ 3-phase redeployment over 18 months; excludes areas subject to final status negotiations & religious sites; Israeli security overrides

•“Safe Passage”

• Recognition in Pal. Covenant

• Palestinian police, no other armed forces

• Further negotiations on final status issues after implementation

West Bank & Gaza

2000 Camp David Summit

Reported Bridging Proposal by Clinton

•Accepted as basis for further negotiations

•Second round of negotiations at Taba under Euro sponsorship

•No agreement. Ehud Barak pulls out because he was up for election

• Road map (2002)

• Arab Peace Initiative (2002, 2007)

Israeli Strategies of Control• Settlements• Walls & Fences• Confiscation and

destruction of property• Roadblocks &

checkpoints• Prisons & Detention

(roughly < 1,000)• Inhibiting Trade (through

Israel only)• Imposed embargo

• Permitted list vs. Not-Permitted (objectionable) list

• Use of Informers• Public employment of

Palestinians in Israeli construction projects

• Divide Opposition• All yields feelings of

inferiority

Palestinian strategies for liberation

• Palestinian reliance on neighbor states– Through comprehensive

settlement (Arab Peace Initative, 2002, 2007)

– Through economic & military support

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

Jordan and Lebanon• Internal resistance—the two

Intifada’s (1987-91, 2000-04/05)• From rock throwing to suicide

bombing to rocket attacks• Negotiations• Protest and Demonstrations

(ISM, etc)

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 (can be exclusivist b/c undermines the other)

exclusivist to accommodationist trend (untenable status quo)

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

• 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)

– Law of Return and Nationality Law

• Fate of Palestinian refugees (compensation/return)– Right of Return (Res. 194)

• Resource allocation (i.e. water issues)• How sovereign should the Palestinian state

be?• 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

The Role of Spoilers

Wood carvers in Deheisheh Refugee Camp

Har Homa Settlement

Israeli Only Highway leading to settlement

Separation Barrier