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Israel
- Palestine
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Note: This is a revised and updated version of the piece which appears at PPG | Features| Israel-Palestine
In writing on Middle Eastern Issues, what becomes abundantly clear
is the muddied waters of what remains the greatest legacy of twentieth
century conflict, and the severity of the bias of those who comment on
the subject.
The formation of the Israeli state from the 1917 Balfour Declaration
resolved 22 Arab states and 1 Jewish state. Britain altered The Balfour Declaration (1917-21),
taking 80% of "Palestine" to create the state of Transjordan. This post
World War 1 settlement seemed to relatively settle the area.
The post WW2 settlement
involved the initial War of Independence of Israel in 1948. The
Peace Encyclopedia followed by The
Suez Crisis in 1956, which became one of the first major "battles"
of the Cold War, involving USA, UK, France and Russia in a tense stand
off.
Other past conflicts of the Arabs and Israeli has involved conflict
in the Golan Heights, being taken from Syria, the West bank from Jordan,
Sinai peninsula and Gaza strip from Egypt. The "Six Day War," which also
included Iraq and Jordan, occurred in 1967 when the Arab nations declared
mutual intent to destroy Israel.
The 1973 Yom Kipper war involved Egypt and Syria trying to attack
Israel again, but were repelled. The resultant decision by Oil Producing
Export Countries (OPEC) to increase the price of oil led to a global recession
which followed. The US which is a heavy importer of oil, and major producer
of automobiles was hit hard, and made oil a defence issue. Period
of the Cold War
Thereafter, a war of attrition in The Lebanon War provoked
further discussion inwardly as to the role and functions of the Israeli
state, as Ariel Sharon sought to destroy the "mini" state that the Palestine Liberation
Organisation had developed there.
Current Israeli premier Ariel Sharon was, of course, no stranger
to controversy, having formerly been an avid supporter of the THE
STERN GANG who had terrorised British authorities in Palestine before,
and after World War 2. Massacres in the Lebanese camps of Sabra and Shatila
fuelled further global codemnation against the Jewish state worldwide
sabra-shatila.org. The
later official Kahane investigation found General Sharon indirectly;
" responsible for ignoring the danger of bloodshed and revenge,, when he approved the entry of Phalangists into the camps as well as not taking appropriate measures to prevent bloodshed"
104. Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the events at the refugee camps in Beirut, 8 February 1983.
While the camp victims
relatives tried to take Sharon to court in Belgium for redress War
Crimes Suit Against Ariel Sharon - 15 May 2002 Hearing at the Court
, Chief Prosecution witness Elie Hobeikas (former commander of the Lebanese
militias blamed for the massacre) was executed by car bomb days before
trial. Elie Hobeika's Assassination: Covering
Up the Secrets of Sabra and Shatilla http://www.mallat.com/articles/flawed.htm
BBC
News | MIDDLE EAST | Profile: Elie Hobeika
More recent alleged atrocities at Jenin refugee camp, reminiscent
of the Lebanese war, were condemned by the Report of the U.N. Secretary-General on
Jenin (resolution ES-10/10 ). The initial outrage inflamed further
still by publications such as "I made them a stadium
in the middle of the camp" and invited further condemnation from the
B'Tselem, The Israeli Information Center for Human
Rights in the Occupied Territories and Coalition of Women for Peace
Palestine suffered badly from the post World Wars decisions, by
powerful nation states, and its then ruler Britain. State Formation and War:
The Case of Palestine D Jung and has remained the thorniest problem
of the Middle East since the 1948 inception of the Israeli state. From
1964 the Palestine Liberation
Organisation (PLO) and other splinter groups attempted to overthrow
Israel by terrorist means, with the most infamous conducted by "Black
September" at the 1972 Munich
Olympics killing 11 Israeli athletes. Israeli death squads later sought
revenge for their nation Pravda.RU Black September
in Munich and subsequent events
Yasser Arafat became Chairman of the PLO from 1969, and its supreme
body (in exile); The Palestine National Council, attained "observer status"
by the UN in 1974. Despite the "official" status, conflict continued in
The Lebanon War
between Christian and Muslim militias of mostly PLO and Israeli supported
factions, including a terrorist attack which killed 241 US Marines.
Other terror groups include; Al-Fatah
Hamas (Islamic
Resistance Movement) Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
Hizballah
(Party of God) KachKahaneChaiDS.html
amongst others.
From 29 September 2000 an intifada has been in place in Palestine
Intifahda statement
President Bush has not been successful in persuading Palestinians to change
their leadership (Y Arafat) intifadaonline.com and compounded further
unpopularity in declaring Sharon "a man of peace" United States Calls Sharon
'Man of Peace'. Both Israel and Palestine condemned publically the
attack on the World Trade Centre.
Summary
The Holocaust
Statistics, Ernst
Zundel (Holocaust denier) may have attracted opposing views, but few
doubt realistically that large numbers of Jews died from Nazi atrocities
in WW2. As a consequence of the holocaust and an earlier decision by the
League of nations for the division of Palestine, into Jewish and Arabic
conclaves, a scene was set for conflict, not least by the British who
ignored the League of Nations "Balfour Declaration" for a
different division of Palestine.
Both Palestinians and Jewish sides have been directly and indirectly responsible
for terrorism as individuals, groups and by state International Terrorism CNN.com
- Suicide bombings kill 19 in Tel Aviv - Jan. 5, 2003 Sabra-Shatila . The conflict between the
two principal parties has often spilled over into terrorism in other countries
1972
Munich Olympics and war The Lebanon War, often
with far reaching implications; The
Suez Crisis Executive Paper
07/99 OPEC involving the potential for atomic war in the former, and
in the latter almost certainly caused global recession in the mid `1970`s.
The current matters of terrorist strikes, followed by recriminatory incursions
is leading to a modern day 'citizen holocaust' in which civilians can
firmly and fairly lay the blame at their political leaders on both sides
Bt'selem Intifada
Statistics for 2001 - CAABU .In time the civilian casualties of today
could exceed the holocaust of WW2 and therefore the need for a solution
is ever greater.
Other nations can also shoulder their share of the blame for their past
involvement in Palestine, and have a moral, if not legal right to correct
past errors of policy, including Britain, USA and the UN.
Solutions
Solutions should include the removal of barriers to peace aiming for a final peaceful resolution and future co-existence based upon the root causes of conflict. This must involve recognition and respect for BOTH the Jewish state AND a future Palestinian state, on the basis that one state could not manage the binationalism or pluralism of the two sides as in the example of the Northern Ireland Peace Accord .
A workable solution would, in addition, need to encompass:
Sustainable legislation of International, National and Domestic policy which can realistically be managed by all parties within a compulsory time frame and compulsory voting methods, would assure a certain outcome within a given time frame
Also:
The prevention of future terrorism and war crimes, particularly since Israel is a nuclear power Counter-terrorism .
Use of former militias / death squads to retain the peace using their military 'expertise' for the benefit of BOTH sides.
Human Rights Provisions for both sides Universal Declaration of Human Rights Amnesty International - Checklist
Equal access in life maintaining materials, such as food and water.
Equality of opportunity for all including gender, race, creed and age, particularly with representation at any talks EOC - The Equal Opportunities Commission The Equal Rights Amendment
Alternative Solutions
Gush Shalom - Israeli Peace Bloc
Flags used with permission: http://www.theodora.com/flags
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