SPECPOL
Topic B: The human rights issues in Palestine
I. Statement of the Problem
The history of the conflict in the Palestine area is even longer than that of UN itself. This is especially the case for the Fourth Committee, where this topic seems to be constantly a main point on the agenda. The conflict in the Middle East is one of the most important and most complex topics of the United Nations.
Palestine has been of great religious and political importance throughout the history. It has been occupied by different regimes while, currently, Israel has dominant control over it after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Human rights issues are raised as Israel implements blockade in the Gaza strip and forbids goods from importing and exporting. Residents in the buffer zone of Gaza and West Bank also suffer from human rights abuse as a result of the construction of the barrier and the Israel settlers. The inappropriate arrest and detention of the Palestinians also trigger international condemnation.
These violations against human rights along with the political conflicts in the Palestine area have greatly affected both the Israelis and the Palestinians. The UN SPECPOL calls for all countries to come up with solutions to the complicated and serious issue.
II. History of the Palestine area
Palestine is a region in Middle East between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. It is the birthplace of two major religions in the world, Judaism and Christianity. Due to its significant location, it has been controlled by different regimes throughout the history, including Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, the British and modern Israelis and Palestinians. After the Second World War, the United Kingdom intends to terminate its occupation of the area, which began as early as 1922. On 29 November 1947, the General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending the adoption and implementation of the Plan as Resolution 181(II), Future Government of Palestine. This resolution focused on the termination of the Mandate by United Kingdom, the new states that would be established within a limited period and detailed regulations and boundaries between the two main forces, Arab nationalism and Jewish nationalism (a.k.a. Zionism).
Unfortunately, even though the plan was almost accepted by the Zionists, the Arab nationalism rejected it. As soon as the resolution was adopted, the conflict broke out. The plan was never carried out and the war in the area continues till now.
a. Arab-Israeli war
1948 Arab-Israeli war:
On the day when the British Mandate over Palestine expired, Jewish People's Council approved a proclamation which declared the establishment of a Jewish state. The Arab governments proclaimed that this would intervene with their restoration of peace in Palestine. That day, the armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq invaded the region which formerly belonged to the United Kingdom, marking the beginning of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The Israeli Defense Force finally controlled most of the portion of Palestine, west of the Jordan River. 713,000 Palestine Arabs fled their homes and the state of Jewish people in the Arab world severely deteriorated.
Establishment of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO): The PLO was first established by the Arab League in Cairo Summit 1964. It is an organization with the purpose of creating an independent State of Palestine. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed observer status at the United Nations since 1974.
The Six Day war:
The Six Day war is a turning point in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The conflict resulted from the fact that the Arab leaderships, such as Jordan, Egypt and Syria, rejected the legitimate right of Jews to reconstitute their national home in the Middle East, and they have openly prepared for military invasion. The war began on June 5, 1967, when Israel launched surprise attacks against Egyptian air-fields in response to the Egyptian forces on the Israeli border. After the war, Israel expanded approximately three times of its former territory. The Six Day war has its political significance because Israel demonstrated that it was able and willing to initiate strategic strikes that could change the regional balance in the Arab world.
The 3 'No's of Khartoum:
From August 29 to September 1, 1967, 13 Arab leaders met in Khartoum in response to the Six-Day war, to discuss their positions toward Israel. The results were quite specific: no peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel, no recognition of Israel, and ''maintenance of the rights of the Palestinian people in their nation. '' This has become the Khartoum Declaration, which is as called "three no's".
b. Israel’s relationship with other countries
Egypt:
Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in March 1979, following the Camp David Accords in 1978. The main results of the treaty were mutual recognition, termination of the war between the two countries since 1948, normalization of relations and the complete military withdrawal by Israel from the Sinai Peninsula since Israel’s occupation in the Six-Day War in 1967. The peace between the two
countries has been successfully restored although criticized and suspected by the Arab world. The peaceful relationship benefited both countries as Israel obtained a partner in the Arab world and Egypt received economic and military aid from the U.S. as part of the agreement. Fears were raised when the 2011 Egyptian revolution took off. With regards to the peace treaty, the deputy chief of the Muslim Brotherhood Rashad al-Bayoumi stated ‘We weren't party to the peace treaty, it was signed away from the Egyptian people and thus the people must have its say." The issues will be out in a referendum.
Jordan:
In October 1994, Israel and Jordan signed a peace agreement, which emphasized mutual cooperation, an end of hostilities, and the fixing of the Israel-Jordan border. Following the treaty, Israel and Jordan opened their borders. Several entries were created, allowing tourists, businessmen and workers to travel between the two countries. The two countries also signed trade treaties and cooperated in the construction of a desalination plant. Jordan is the second country to make peace with Israel. (Second to Egypt)
Iraq:
Israel and Iraq had been at war since 1948. Iraq sent troops to assist attacks against Israel in the Six Day war. During the Persian Gulf War, Iraq fired 39 modified Scud ballistic missiles at Israel despite there being no aggression from Israel. Israel didn’t fight back to prevent further outbreak of the war.
Lebanon:
During the civil war in Jordan which began in 1970, also known as the Black September, Hashemite King Hussein intended to expel the Palestine residents in the country and restore his monarchy's rule over the country. The Palestine people resettled in Lebanon, which resulted in the outrage of Israel. Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982. In March 1983, Israel and Lebanon signed a ceasefire agreement. On July 12, 2006, the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants attacked an Israeli military patrol, known as the Hezbollah cross-border raid. Israel launched air strikes in Southern Lebanon, starting the 2006 Lebanon War. The war lasted for 34 days, and resulted in the buffer zone in Southern Lebanon. Hezbollah withdrew its military forces from the border areas, and Israel eventually gave up its occupied areas in Lebanon to UN peacekeepers. In July 2006, Hezbollah fighters crossed the border from Lebanon into Israel, attacked, killed eight Israeli soldiers, and abducted two others as hostages, setting off the 2006 Lebanon War. An UN-sponsored ceasefire went into effect on August 14, 2006, officially ending the conflict.
Palestinians:
In December 1987, the First Intifada began. It was a mass Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule in the Palestinian Territories. The rebellion started from the Jabalia refugee camp and soon expanded to the Gaza and west bank. The rebellion group boycotted the Israeli civil administration and used violence against the Israel Defense Forces. Israel also responded to the attack by liveammunition, beatings and mass arrests, which brought about international condemnation. The conflicts ended with the Oslo Accords. In the agreement, Israel recognized the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people while the PLO recognized the right of the state of Israel, denounced the terrorism and violence from Israel and expressed its desire for the destruction of the country.
c. Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
The state of Palestine was established on November 15th, 1988 as mentioned before although its authority is recognized limitedly around world. Its independence was declared by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In November 2012, the State of Palestine was upgraded in the UN to non-member observer state status. The 1974 Arab League summit designated the PLO as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" and reaffirmed "their right to establish an independent state of urgency." In 1993, in the Oslo Accords, Israel acknowledged the PLO as Palestine's official representative and PLO’s renunciation on violence. PLO also recognized Israel's right to exist. As a result, in 1994 the PLO established the Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA) territorial administration that exercises some governmental functions in parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. However, the tensions within the area have yet come to an end. The two main Palestinian parties, Fatah and Hamas, have launched their political and military conflict since 2006 when Hama won the election. They both see themselves as the true representatives of the Palestinian people – the Fatah-ruled Palestinian National Authority and the Hamas Government in Gaza.
After the Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in a violent civil war (2006) with rival Fatah, Israel placed restrictions on its border with Gaza and terminated the former economic cooperation with the Palestinians there. A fragile six-month truce between Hamas and Israel expired on December 19, 2008. The truce was not continued because of failed negotiation. Following the expiration, Israel launched attacks on a tunnel which was suspected of being used to kidnap Israeli soldiers who killed several Hamas fighters. Following this, Hamas resorted to rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli cities. On December 27, 2008, Israel launched Operation Cast Lead against Hamas. Numerous human rights organizations accused Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes.
III. Peace attempts
Road Map for Peace: The road map is an internationally devised peace plan, drawn up by the US, the UN, the EU and Russia that seeks a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That means setting up an independent Palestinian state in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The plan was devised in 2005. It demands an immediate halt of Palestinian violence, formation of an independent Palestinian state, as well as a progressive Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories. The problem of the Road map is that it leaves the controversy of final borders, the status of Jerusalem, and the Palestinian refugees until the end. But it has the backing of the UN, the EU, Russia and the United States, It should still be a promising method for the settling of the Middle East.
Arab Peace Initiative: The Arab Peace Initiative is a comprehensive peace initiative first proposed in 2002 at the Beirut Summit of the Arab League by then-Crown Prince, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The Initiative focuses on normalizing relations between the entire Arab region and Israel, and enabling Israel to withdraw from its occupied territory. Among the countries that are involved in the plan, the Israeli government swiftly rejected the plan while the Palestinian Authority strongly supports the plan. The current ruling party of the Gaza Strip, Hamas, has divided voices, with most rejecting the plan. The only two countries which have diplomatic relationships with Israel have had met up with the country to promote the Initiative. Currently, the U.S. is revising the Initiative to make it more acceptable to Israel.
IV. Current Conditions of Human Rights of the Palestine area
Both Israel and the Palestine authority are accused of violations of human rights. Israeli authorities destroyed homes and property, harassed non-violent protesters and property under discriminatory policies in the occupied territory. In Gaza, Israel enacts the blockade, which greatly harms the people in the region. In the West Bank, the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority carried out arbitrary detentions and allegedly tortured detainees. In Gaza, Hamas committed similar violations, as well as executions after unfair trials. Armed groups in Gaza launched indiscriminate rockets into Israel, killing civilians, and summarily executed Palestinians accused of spying for Israel.
a. Israel’s blockade of Gaza
The blockade of the Gaza Strip refers to a land, air, and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip by Egypt and Israel since 2007 up to now. Even though Israel claimed to have withdrawn military forces in 2005, it still has control over the region for security reasons. The blockade is the most criticized measure it takes. The blockade, together with strict restrictions on the import of important goods, such as food, medication, building supplies, has bought economy in Gaza to a halt and has greatly affected Gaza residents. These restrictions have caused the construction of undergroundtunnels used for smuggling goods, usually via children. It also further separates Gaza and the West Bank.
In May 2012, a group of human rights activists, the Free Gaza Movement, along with the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH), carried humanitarian aid and construction materials, with the intention of breaking the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel’s military operation against this action is called the Gaza flotilla raid. In June 2010, following the tragic results of the flotilla’s attempt to break the blockade, Israel announced a package of measures to ease the restrictions it had imposed on Gaza since June 2007. However, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) conducted an assessment of the humanitarian impact of the easing of the blockage in January and February 2011 and concluded that no significant change had taken place.
The blockade has received mostly negative condemnations. It was criticized by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Human Rights Council and other human rights organizations. According to Turkish foreign ministry in June 2010, the country ‘considers that Israel's inhuman blockade of Gaza represents a threat to regional peace and stability and considers that the blockade must be entirely lifted.’ In the U.S., the Obama administration officially supports the Gaza blockade, but Obama himself express frustration toward the abuse of human rights in the Gaza Strip.
b. Buffer Zone in the Gaza Strip
The so-called buffer zone is the area within entire Gaza Strip’s border which is controlled by the Israeli forces. The original aim of the buffer zone was to respond to the occupying power security concerns; yet, Israel’s expansion of this restricted area and its enforcement of mechanisms seriously abuse rights of protected persons and cause many civilian casualties. It also contained coastal area to three nautical miles. The borders of the buffer zone are not clearly defined, resulting in unnecessary deaths and casualties of Gaza citizens. The buffer zone contained 35% of the agricultural land as well as the part of the sea where fishing used to take place. This has a huge impact on the growing of crops and the formerly fishing-export Gaza. Due to the harsh restrictions imposed by Israel and the lack of employment opportunities, many Palestinians have no choice but to collect rubble in sites within the buffer zone.
c. West Bank and the Barrier
The West Bank is a region near the Mediterranean coast of Western Asia, part of Palestine’s territory while currently under occupation of Israel. Following the Oslo
Accords, Israel and Palestine have divided the West Bank into several administrative divisions, known as area A, B, and C. According to B'tselem, an Israeli organization aims at recording human rights violations in Israel; the vacant land available for construction across the West Bank is situated in the defined area C, while the vast majority of the Palestinian population lives in areas A and B. Israel has used a complex legal and bureaucratic mechanism to take control of more than fifty percent of the land in the West Bank for the future expansion of the settlements. It has been too late for any actions to be taken when most Palestinians discovered that their land has been taken away. Israel uses the seized lands to benefit the settlements, while prohibiting the Palestinian public from using them. The High Court of Justice has generally sanctioned the mechanism used to take control of land even if the process was in accordance with international and Jordanian law as it ignores the need of the entire population. Following the Israel's expansion of settlements in the West Bank, an increase of ''settler violence'' has taken place in recent years. Israeli settler violence refers to violence committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and Israeli security forces, predominantly in the West Bank. B'Tselem has documented many such acts including the blocking of roads, throwing stones at cars and houses, making incursions into Palestinian villages and land, torching fields, uprooting trees, and other damage to property. Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict in 2009 concludes that Israel, as the occupying power of the region has failed to fulfil its obligations to protect the Palestinians from violence by private individuals.
Another controversial issue within the area is the Israeli West Bank barrier. It is a physical barrier constructed by the Israeli Government, consisting of a network of fences surrounded by a wide exclusive area of 60 meters on average and high concrete walls of up to 8 meters. The sole purpose of the Security Fence, as stated in the Israeli Government decision of July 23rd 2001, is to provide security against terrorism. However, the Barrier has provoked international opposition and the International court of Justice stated in 2004 that the construction of the wall in the Palestine Territory by Israel violates international law. The wall keeps some of the Palestine settlements from their farmland and water resources, which imposes grave effect on the population.
d. Arrest and Detention
Palestine prisoners’ condition in Israel has also raised concerns. As of April 2013, there were approximately 4,700 security prisoners in Israeli jails, 169 of whom are under administrative detention without being charged. Most of the prisoners are Palestinian men from the West Bank and Gaza area, convicted of participating in
terror attacks. Israel argues that administrative detention of residents of the West Bank is carried out only as an imperative security measure. However, the B'Tselem stated that there has been excessive use of the measure, extension of the detention period, and detention of political opponents. According to UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, there has been ''exceedingly harsh treatment accompanying detention in violation of human rights and conflict with fundamental obligations of an occupying power prescribed by the Fourth Geneva Convention.''
In recent years, prisoners have resorted to hunger strikes in order to protest their conditions or imprisonment, an effective strategy that has garnered media attention worldwide.
e. Jerusalem
Today, the status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. According to the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, Jerusalem prospected as ''Corpus Separatum'', which means the city is under international regime due to its significant religious status. The implementation of the partition failed and currently, both the Israel and Palestine regime claim the city to be their capital with Israel maintaining its primary governmental institutions there.
Since Israel’s illegal occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, Palestinians in East Jerusalem can obtain the status of ‘permanent residents’. They are required to pay taxes and are entitled to all rights and services that are provided to Israeli citizens, except for the right to vote in the general elections. In reality, however, over the past four decades, the Israeli government does not provide the necessary resources to develop the area. Therefore, there is a severe shortage of public services and infrastructure in East Jerusalem, including hospitals and schools, welfare services, postal services and water and sewage systems.
V. Associate Organization
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel: The ACRI was established in 1972, being Israel’s oldest and largest human rights organization that copes with rights and civil liberties issues in Israel and the Occupied Territories. ACRI’s Legal Department strives to bring landmark cases to the Supreme Court. It focuses on cases that have the potential to set precedents or raise issues of principle. ACRI’s Education Department conducts human rights training programs and organizes conferences and lectures on human rights education.
The Arab Organization for Human Rights: The ARHR was founded in 1983 in North West London as an international non-governmental and not-for-profit
organization. The goal is promoting respect for human rights in the Arab area. Its authority is the basic international law of human rights, and the values derived from the divine religions and national constitutions. Its website, which is in Arabic, said it was set up “to defend human rights in general and the Arab human rights in particular, and to publish the whole truth no matter how painful.”
Arab Human Development Reports: Arab Human Development Reports (AHDRs) aims at analyzing and discussing the factors with respect to freedom across the Arab region to establish understanding and consensus among the countries. They also identify disadvantaged groups within the region, and suggest policies, strategies and opportunities for them. The Reports target policy-makers, opinion leaders and civil societies who are engaged in the search for a brighter future across the region.
The United Nations: The conflict between Israel and Palestine has been on UN agenda since the UN establishment. The human rights issue also generates great concerns. Since its founding in 1948, the United Nations Security Council, as of January 2010, has adopted 79 resolutions directly critical of Israel for violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the U.N. Charter, the Geneva Conventions, international terrorism, or other violations of international law. The resolution on November 29, 1947 by the United Nations General Assembly, the partition of Palestine, was one of the earliest acts of the United Nations. After this, UN established the Special Committee on Palestine. Since then, this committee has secured a central role in this region, especially by providing support for Palestinian refugees via the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The UN has sponsored several peace negotiations between the parties, the latest being the 2002 Road map for peace.
United Nations Human Rights Council: The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and make recommendations on violation of human rights. The HRC has 12 Country Alone Offices which negotiate with the host government with the goal of human rights protection and promotion. UN Peace Missions are also under HRC. The four priorities of UN Peace Missions are ensuring justice and accountability in peace processes; preventing and redressing human rights violations; building capacities and strengthening national institutions; and mainstreaming human rights in all UN programs.
VI. Key Points for discussions
a. Are the current measures taken by Israel for security reasons appropriate? How serious are the conditions of human rights abuses in the Palestine area?
b. What is the role of UN in the Israel-Palestine conflict? How much should UN get involved in the war between the two regimes?
c. How should the conflict be solved while being respectful for all the concerned nations?
VII. Links
BBC News—Middle East
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/middle_east/
The Jerusalem Post
http://www.jpost.com/
Human Rights watch
http://www.hrw.org/
B’Tselem
http://www.btselem.org/
New York Post-Middle East: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/middleeast/index.html
UN The Question of Palestine:
http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/home.htm?OpenForm
The Humanitarian Impact of the West Bank Barrier on Palestinian Communities
http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/32943465E443DEFE8525700C0066B181#sthash.TJekNl7N.dpuf)
The Humanitarian Impact of the West Bank Barrier on Palestinian Communities
http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/32943465E443DEFE8525700C0066B181#sthash.O8cCC5Cg.dpuf
Resolution: A/RES/181(II)
VIII. Resources
Council for the National Interest
http://www.councilforthenationalinterest.org/israelpalestineconflict
BBC News Middle East
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11103745
Israel Science and Technology Homepage
http://www.science.co.il
Human Rights in Palestine
http://www.humanrightsinpalestine.com/
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Report
http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/israel-palestine
http://www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/israel-palestine
U.S. Foreign Policy
http://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/middleeast/a/What-Were-The-Oslo-Accords.htm
the Six-Day War
http://www.sixdaywar.org/
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: occupied Palestinian territory
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_special_easing_the_blockade_2011_03_english.pdf
Hürriyet Daily News
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=turkey-says-israels-easing-of-gaza-blockade-insufficient-2010-06-23
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com
Al-Haq (Shifting Paradigms - Israel’s Enforcement of the Buffer Zone in the Gaza Strip)
http://www.alhaq.org/publications/publications-index/item/shifting-paradigms-israel-s-enforcement-of-the-buffer-zone-in-the-gaza-strip
the Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/jun/04/israel.qanda
Political Geography Now
http://www.polgeonow.com/2013/11/map-palestine-recognized-two-more-countries.html
Arab Organization for Human Rights
http://www.aohr.net/
United Nation Development Programm (Arab Human Rights Index)
www.arabhumanrights.org/en/
Israel’s Security Fence
http://www.securityfence.mod.gov.il/Pages/ENG/purpose.htm
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
http://www2.ohchr.org/
the Times of Israel
http://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinians-mark-prisoners-day/
the Association for Civil Rights in Israel
http://www.acri.org.il/en/category/east-jerusalem/
The history of the conflict in the Palestine area is even longer than that of UN itself. This is especially the case for the Fourth Committee, where this topic seems to be constantly a main point on the agenda. The conflict in the Middle East is one of the most important and most complex topics of the United Nations.
Palestine has been of great religious and political importance throughout the history. It has been occupied by different regimes while, currently, Israel has dominant control over it after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Human rights issues are raised as Israel implements blockade in the Gaza strip and forbids goods from importing and exporting. Residents in the buffer zone of Gaza and West Bank also suffer from human rights abuse as a result of the construction of the barrier and the Israel settlers. The inappropriate arrest and detention of the Palestinians also trigger international condemnation.
These violations against human rights along with the political conflicts in the Palestine area have greatly affected both the Israelis and the Palestinians. The UN SPECPOL calls for all countries to come up with solutions to the complicated and serious issue.
II. History of the Palestine area
Palestine is a region in Middle East between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. It is the birthplace of two major religions in the world, Judaism and Christianity. Due to its significant location, it has been controlled by different regimes throughout the history, including Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, the British and modern Israelis and Palestinians. After the Second World War, the United Kingdom intends to terminate its occupation of the area, which began as early as 1922. On 29 November 1947, the General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending the adoption and implementation of the Plan as Resolution 181(II), Future Government of Palestine. This resolution focused on the termination of the Mandate by United Kingdom, the new states that would be established within a limited period and detailed regulations and boundaries between the two main forces, Arab nationalism and Jewish nationalism (a.k.a. Zionism).
Unfortunately, even though the plan was almost accepted by the Zionists, the Arab nationalism rejected it. As soon as the resolution was adopted, the conflict broke out. The plan was never carried out and the war in the area continues till now.
a. Arab-Israeli war
1948 Arab-Israeli war:
On the day when the British Mandate over Palestine expired, Jewish People's Council approved a proclamation which declared the establishment of a Jewish state. The Arab governments proclaimed that this would intervene with their restoration of peace in Palestine. That day, the armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq invaded the region which formerly belonged to the United Kingdom, marking the beginning of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The Israeli Defense Force finally controlled most of the portion of Palestine, west of the Jordan River. 713,000 Palestine Arabs fled their homes and the state of Jewish people in the Arab world severely deteriorated.
Establishment of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO): The PLO was first established by the Arab League in Cairo Summit 1964. It is an organization with the purpose of creating an independent State of Palestine. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed observer status at the United Nations since 1974.
The Six Day war:
The Six Day war is a turning point in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The conflict resulted from the fact that the Arab leaderships, such as Jordan, Egypt and Syria, rejected the legitimate right of Jews to reconstitute their national home in the Middle East, and they have openly prepared for military invasion. The war began on June 5, 1967, when Israel launched surprise attacks against Egyptian air-fields in response to the Egyptian forces on the Israeli border. After the war, Israel expanded approximately three times of its former territory. The Six Day war has its political significance because Israel demonstrated that it was able and willing to initiate strategic strikes that could change the regional balance in the Arab world.
The 3 'No's of Khartoum:
From August 29 to September 1, 1967, 13 Arab leaders met in Khartoum in response to the Six-Day war, to discuss their positions toward Israel. The results were quite specific: no peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel, no recognition of Israel, and ''maintenance of the rights of the Palestinian people in their nation. '' This has become the Khartoum Declaration, which is as called "three no's".
b. Israel’s relationship with other countries
Egypt:
Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in March 1979, following the Camp David Accords in 1978. The main results of the treaty were mutual recognition, termination of the war between the two countries since 1948, normalization of relations and the complete military withdrawal by Israel from the Sinai Peninsula since Israel’s occupation in the Six-Day War in 1967. The peace between the two
countries has been successfully restored although criticized and suspected by the Arab world. The peaceful relationship benefited both countries as Israel obtained a partner in the Arab world and Egypt received economic and military aid from the U.S. as part of the agreement. Fears were raised when the 2011 Egyptian revolution took off. With regards to the peace treaty, the deputy chief of the Muslim Brotherhood Rashad al-Bayoumi stated ‘We weren't party to the peace treaty, it was signed away from the Egyptian people and thus the people must have its say." The issues will be out in a referendum.
Jordan:
In October 1994, Israel and Jordan signed a peace agreement, which emphasized mutual cooperation, an end of hostilities, and the fixing of the Israel-Jordan border. Following the treaty, Israel and Jordan opened their borders. Several entries were created, allowing tourists, businessmen and workers to travel between the two countries. The two countries also signed trade treaties and cooperated in the construction of a desalination plant. Jordan is the second country to make peace with Israel. (Second to Egypt)
Iraq:
Israel and Iraq had been at war since 1948. Iraq sent troops to assist attacks against Israel in the Six Day war. During the Persian Gulf War, Iraq fired 39 modified Scud ballistic missiles at Israel despite there being no aggression from Israel. Israel didn’t fight back to prevent further outbreak of the war.
Lebanon:
During the civil war in Jordan which began in 1970, also known as the Black September, Hashemite King Hussein intended to expel the Palestine residents in the country and restore his monarchy's rule over the country. The Palestine people resettled in Lebanon, which resulted in the outrage of Israel. Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982. In March 1983, Israel and Lebanon signed a ceasefire agreement. On July 12, 2006, the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants attacked an Israeli military patrol, known as the Hezbollah cross-border raid. Israel launched air strikes in Southern Lebanon, starting the 2006 Lebanon War. The war lasted for 34 days, and resulted in the buffer zone in Southern Lebanon. Hezbollah withdrew its military forces from the border areas, and Israel eventually gave up its occupied areas in Lebanon to UN peacekeepers. In July 2006, Hezbollah fighters crossed the border from Lebanon into Israel, attacked, killed eight Israeli soldiers, and abducted two others as hostages, setting off the 2006 Lebanon War. An UN-sponsored ceasefire went into effect on August 14, 2006, officially ending the conflict.
Palestinians:
In December 1987, the First Intifada began. It was a mass Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule in the Palestinian Territories. The rebellion started from the Jabalia refugee camp and soon expanded to the Gaza and west bank. The rebellion group boycotted the Israeli civil administration and used violence against the Israel Defense Forces. Israel also responded to the attack by liveammunition, beatings and mass arrests, which brought about international condemnation. The conflicts ended with the Oslo Accords. In the agreement, Israel recognized the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people while the PLO recognized the right of the state of Israel, denounced the terrorism and violence from Israel and expressed its desire for the destruction of the country.
c. Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
The state of Palestine was established on November 15th, 1988 as mentioned before although its authority is recognized limitedly around world. Its independence was declared by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In November 2012, the State of Palestine was upgraded in the UN to non-member observer state status. The 1974 Arab League summit designated the PLO as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" and reaffirmed "their right to establish an independent state of urgency." In 1993, in the Oslo Accords, Israel acknowledged the PLO as Palestine's official representative and PLO’s renunciation on violence. PLO also recognized Israel's right to exist. As a result, in 1994 the PLO established the Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA) territorial administration that exercises some governmental functions in parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. However, the tensions within the area have yet come to an end. The two main Palestinian parties, Fatah and Hamas, have launched their political and military conflict since 2006 when Hama won the election. They both see themselves as the true representatives of the Palestinian people – the Fatah-ruled Palestinian National Authority and the Hamas Government in Gaza.
After the Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in a violent civil war (2006) with rival Fatah, Israel placed restrictions on its border with Gaza and terminated the former economic cooperation with the Palestinians there. A fragile six-month truce between Hamas and Israel expired on December 19, 2008. The truce was not continued because of failed negotiation. Following the expiration, Israel launched attacks on a tunnel which was suspected of being used to kidnap Israeli soldiers who killed several Hamas fighters. Following this, Hamas resorted to rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli cities. On December 27, 2008, Israel launched Operation Cast Lead against Hamas. Numerous human rights organizations accused Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes.
III. Peace attempts
Road Map for Peace: The road map is an internationally devised peace plan, drawn up by the US, the UN, the EU and Russia that seeks a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That means setting up an independent Palestinian state in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The plan was devised in 2005. It demands an immediate halt of Palestinian violence, formation of an independent Palestinian state, as well as a progressive Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories. The problem of the Road map is that it leaves the controversy of final borders, the status of Jerusalem, and the Palestinian refugees until the end. But it has the backing of the UN, the EU, Russia and the United States, It should still be a promising method for the settling of the Middle East.
Arab Peace Initiative: The Arab Peace Initiative is a comprehensive peace initiative first proposed in 2002 at the Beirut Summit of the Arab League by then-Crown Prince, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The Initiative focuses on normalizing relations between the entire Arab region and Israel, and enabling Israel to withdraw from its occupied territory. Among the countries that are involved in the plan, the Israeli government swiftly rejected the plan while the Palestinian Authority strongly supports the plan. The current ruling party of the Gaza Strip, Hamas, has divided voices, with most rejecting the plan. The only two countries which have diplomatic relationships with Israel have had met up with the country to promote the Initiative. Currently, the U.S. is revising the Initiative to make it more acceptable to Israel.
IV. Current Conditions of Human Rights of the Palestine area
Both Israel and the Palestine authority are accused of violations of human rights. Israeli authorities destroyed homes and property, harassed non-violent protesters and property under discriminatory policies in the occupied territory. In Gaza, Israel enacts the blockade, which greatly harms the people in the region. In the West Bank, the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority carried out arbitrary detentions and allegedly tortured detainees. In Gaza, Hamas committed similar violations, as well as executions after unfair trials. Armed groups in Gaza launched indiscriminate rockets into Israel, killing civilians, and summarily executed Palestinians accused of spying for Israel.
a. Israel’s blockade of Gaza
The blockade of the Gaza Strip refers to a land, air, and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip by Egypt and Israel since 2007 up to now. Even though Israel claimed to have withdrawn military forces in 2005, it still has control over the region for security reasons. The blockade is the most criticized measure it takes. The blockade, together with strict restrictions on the import of important goods, such as food, medication, building supplies, has bought economy in Gaza to a halt and has greatly affected Gaza residents. These restrictions have caused the construction of undergroundtunnels used for smuggling goods, usually via children. It also further separates Gaza and the West Bank.
In May 2012, a group of human rights activists, the Free Gaza Movement, along with the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH), carried humanitarian aid and construction materials, with the intention of breaking the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel’s military operation against this action is called the Gaza flotilla raid. In June 2010, following the tragic results of the flotilla’s attempt to break the blockade, Israel announced a package of measures to ease the restrictions it had imposed on Gaza since June 2007. However, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) conducted an assessment of the humanitarian impact of the easing of the blockage in January and February 2011 and concluded that no significant change had taken place.
The blockade has received mostly negative condemnations. It was criticized by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Human Rights Council and other human rights organizations. According to Turkish foreign ministry in June 2010, the country ‘considers that Israel's inhuman blockade of Gaza represents a threat to regional peace and stability and considers that the blockade must be entirely lifted.’ In the U.S., the Obama administration officially supports the Gaza blockade, but Obama himself express frustration toward the abuse of human rights in the Gaza Strip.
b. Buffer Zone in the Gaza Strip
The so-called buffer zone is the area within entire Gaza Strip’s border which is controlled by the Israeli forces. The original aim of the buffer zone was to respond to the occupying power security concerns; yet, Israel’s expansion of this restricted area and its enforcement of mechanisms seriously abuse rights of protected persons and cause many civilian casualties. It also contained coastal area to three nautical miles. The borders of the buffer zone are not clearly defined, resulting in unnecessary deaths and casualties of Gaza citizens. The buffer zone contained 35% of the agricultural land as well as the part of the sea where fishing used to take place. This has a huge impact on the growing of crops and the formerly fishing-export Gaza. Due to the harsh restrictions imposed by Israel and the lack of employment opportunities, many Palestinians have no choice but to collect rubble in sites within the buffer zone.
c. West Bank and the Barrier
The West Bank is a region near the Mediterranean coast of Western Asia, part of Palestine’s territory while currently under occupation of Israel. Following the Oslo
Accords, Israel and Palestine have divided the West Bank into several administrative divisions, known as area A, B, and C. According to B'tselem, an Israeli organization aims at recording human rights violations in Israel; the vacant land available for construction across the West Bank is situated in the defined area C, while the vast majority of the Palestinian population lives in areas A and B. Israel has used a complex legal and bureaucratic mechanism to take control of more than fifty percent of the land in the West Bank for the future expansion of the settlements. It has been too late for any actions to be taken when most Palestinians discovered that their land has been taken away. Israel uses the seized lands to benefit the settlements, while prohibiting the Palestinian public from using them. The High Court of Justice has generally sanctioned the mechanism used to take control of land even if the process was in accordance with international and Jordanian law as it ignores the need of the entire population. Following the Israel's expansion of settlements in the West Bank, an increase of ''settler violence'' has taken place in recent years. Israeli settler violence refers to violence committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and Israeli security forces, predominantly in the West Bank. B'Tselem has documented many such acts including the blocking of roads, throwing stones at cars and houses, making incursions into Palestinian villages and land, torching fields, uprooting trees, and other damage to property. Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict in 2009 concludes that Israel, as the occupying power of the region has failed to fulfil its obligations to protect the Palestinians from violence by private individuals.
Another controversial issue within the area is the Israeli West Bank barrier. It is a physical barrier constructed by the Israeli Government, consisting of a network of fences surrounded by a wide exclusive area of 60 meters on average and high concrete walls of up to 8 meters. The sole purpose of the Security Fence, as stated in the Israeli Government decision of July 23rd 2001, is to provide security against terrorism. However, the Barrier has provoked international opposition and the International court of Justice stated in 2004 that the construction of the wall in the Palestine Territory by Israel violates international law. The wall keeps some of the Palestine settlements from their farmland and water resources, which imposes grave effect on the population.
d. Arrest and Detention
Palestine prisoners’ condition in Israel has also raised concerns. As of April 2013, there were approximately 4,700 security prisoners in Israeli jails, 169 of whom are under administrative detention without being charged. Most of the prisoners are Palestinian men from the West Bank and Gaza area, convicted of participating in
terror attacks. Israel argues that administrative detention of residents of the West Bank is carried out only as an imperative security measure. However, the B'Tselem stated that there has been excessive use of the measure, extension of the detention period, and detention of political opponents. According to UN Human Rights Council, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, there has been ''exceedingly harsh treatment accompanying detention in violation of human rights and conflict with fundamental obligations of an occupying power prescribed by the Fourth Geneva Convention.''
In recent years, prisoners have resorted to hunger strikes in order to protest their conditions or imprisonment, an effective strategy that has garnered media attention worldwide.
e. Jerusalem
Today, the status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. According to the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, Jerusalem prospected as ''Corpus Separatum'', which means the city is under international regime due to its significant religious status. The implementation of the partition failed and currently, both the Israel and Palestine regime claim the city to be their capital with Israel maintaining its primary governmental institutions there.
Since Israel’s illegal occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967, Palestinians in East Jerusalem can obtain the status of ‘permanent residents’. They are required to pay taxes and are entitled to all rights and services that are provided to Israeli citizens, except for the right to vote in the general elections. In reality, however, over the past four decades, the Israeli government does not provide the necessary resources to develop the area. Therefore, there is a severe shortage of public services and infrastructure in East Jerusalem, including hospitals and schools, welfare services, postal services and water and sewage systems.
V. Associate Organization
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel: The ACRI was established in 1972, being Israel’s oldest and largest human rights organization that copes with rights and civil liberties issues in Israel and the Occupied Territories. ACRI’s Legal Department strives to bring landmark cases to the Supreme Court. It focuses on cases that have the potential to set precedents or raise issues of principle. ACRI’s Education Department conducts human rights training programs and organizes conferences and lectures on human rights education.
The Arab Organization for Human Rights: The ARHR was founded in 1983 in North West London as an international non-governmental and not-for-profit
organization. The goal is promoting respect for human rights in the Arab area. Its authority is the basic international law of human rights, and the values derived from the divine religions and national constitutions. Its website, which is in Arabic, said it was set up “to defend human rights in general and the Arab human rights in particular, and to publish the whole truth no matter how painful.”
Arab Human Development Reports: Arab Human Development Reports (AHDRs) aims at analyzing and discussing the factors with respect to freedom across the Arab region to establish understanding and consensus among the countries. They also identify disadvantaged groups within the region, and suggest policies, strategies and opportunities for them. The Reports target policy-makers, opinion leaders and civil societies who are engaged in the search for a brighter future across the region.
The United Nations: The conflict between Israel and Palestine has been on UN agenda since the UN establishment. The human rights issue also generates great concerns. Since its founding in 1948, the United Nations Security Council, as of January 2010, has adopted 79 resolutions directly critical of Israel for violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the U.N. Charter, the Geneva Conventions, international terrorism, or other violations of international law. The resolution on November 29, 1947 by the United Nations General Assembly, the partition of Palestine, was one of the earliest acts of the United Nations. After this, UN established the Special Committee on Palestine. Since then, this committee has secured a central role in this region, especially by providing support for Palestinian refugees via the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The UN has sponsored several peace negotiations between the parties, the latest being the 2002 Road map for peace.
United Nations Human Rights Council: The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and make recommendations on violation of human rights. The HRC has 12 Country Alone Offices which negotiate with the host government with the goal of human rights protection and promotion. UN Peace Missions are also under HRC. The four priorities of UN Peace Missions are ensuring justice and accountability in peace processes; preventing and redressing human rights violations; building capacities and strengthening national institutions; and mainstreaming human rights in all UN programs.
VI. Key Points for discussions
a. Are the current measures taken by Israel for security reasons appropriate? How serious are the conditions of human rights abuses in the Palestine area?
b. What is the role of UN in the Israel-Palestine conflict? How much should UN get involved in the war between the two regimes?
c. How should the conflict be solved while being respectful for all the concerned nations?
VII. Links
BBC News—Middle East
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/middle_east/
The Jerusalem Post
http://www.jpost.com/
Human Rights watch
http://www.hrw.org/
B’Tselem
http://www.btselem.org/
New York Post-Middle East: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/middleeast/index.html
UN The Question of Palestine:
http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/home.htm?OpenForm
The Humanitarian Impact of the West Bank Barrier on Palestinian Communities
http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/32943465E443DEFE8525700C0066B181#sthash.TJekNl7N.dpuf)
The Humanitarian Impact of the West Bank Barrier on Palestinian Communities
http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/32943465E443DEFE8525700C0066B181#sthash.O8cCC5Cg.dpuf
Resolution: A/RES/181(II)
VIII. Resources
Council for the National Interest
http://www.councilforthenationalinterest.org/israelpalestineconflict
BBC News Middle East
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11103745
Israel Science and Technology Homepage
http://www.science.co.il
Human Rights in Palestine
http://www.humanrightsinpalestine.com/
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Report
http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/israel-palestine
http://www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/israel-palestine
U.S. Foreign Policy
http://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/middleeast/a/What-Were-The-Oslo-Accords.htm
the Six-Day War
http://www.sixdaywar.org/
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: occupied Palestinian territory
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_special_easing_the_blockade_2011_03_english.pdf
Hürriyet Daily News
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=turkey-says-israels-easing-of-gaza-blockade-insufficient-2010-06-23
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com
Al-Haq (Shifting Paradigms - Israel’s Enforcement of the Buffer Zone in the Gaza Strip)
http://www.alhaq.org/publications/publications-index/item/shifting-paradigms-israel-s-enforcement-of-the-buffer-zone-in-the-gaza-strip
the Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/jun/04/israel.qanda
Political Geography Now
http://www.polgeonow.com/2013/11/map-palestine-recognized-two-more-countries.html
Arab Organization for Human Rights
http://www.aohr.net/
United Nation Development Programm (Arab Human Rights Index)
www.arabhumanrights.org/en/
Israel’s Security Fence
http://www.securityfence.mod.gov.il/Pages/ENG/purpose.htm
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
http://www2.ohchr.org/
the Times of Israel
http://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinians-mark-prisoners-day/
the Association for Civil Rights in Israel
http://www.acri.org.il/en/category/east-jerusalem/