The Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
Historical Review
Geneva Initiative
Shaul Arieli
October 2010
www.shaularieli.com
1922-1967
•Mandate
•1948 War
•Establishment of Israel
•Nakba
The Jewish State –
Resolutions and Actions
“The principle of self determination
was not applied on Palestine when the
mandate was created in 1922 due to the
aspiration to enable the establishment of
the Jewish national home”.
The mandate
for Palestine,
1922
(The 1947 partition committee report)
“…placing the country under such
political, administrative and
economic conditions as will secure
the establishment of the Jewish
national home…”
(The mandate for Palestine, 1922)
673,400 Arabs
83,790 Jews
The contiguity of the Jewish people
"recognition has thereby been given to the historical connection of the Jewish
people with Palestine and to the grounds for reconstituting their national home in
that country” (The Palestine Mandate, 51 states, July 1922)
The state of the Jewish people
"Both the Belfour Declaration and the mandate included international obligation to
the Jewish people at large. It was clear that these obligations were not restricted to
the Jewish population of Palestine, since at the time there were only 80 thousand
Jews there” (UNSCOP, article 146, 1947)
The law of return and the national character
“to establish a Jewish national home in Palestine and to encourage the
immigration of the Jewish masses to that land, so that they can shape their destiny
there and build their home”
(The mandate for Palestine, 1922)
“…the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people… it
being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the
civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities…”
(the Balfour Declaration, 1917)
“…safe guarding the civil and religious rights of all the inhabitants of Palestine,
irrespective of race and religion.”
(Mandate for Palestine, 1922)
Negation of the other nation
"... Judaism is only a religion and nothing else.
Who believe in religion are not allowed to
cultivate a national aspirations “
(the Syrian representative's speech 22-Sep-1947
UN plenum)
"When I came to Israel, there was no such
thing" with the Palestinian “
(Golda Meir and President Nixon-Sep-1969)
"Arab people's desire to ensure Palestine's
national existence is perfectly natural desire.
But Palestinian nationalism, as opposed to
Arab nationalism, is itself a phenomenon that
was created relatively recently, came into being
only after the division of the Arab region by
arrangement at the end of the First World
War" (Chapter 2, 166)
The reality…
400,000 Jews
700,000 Arabs
17%
“Reduced territory – this is
the price we must pay for the
fatal delay of the Hebrew
people in building the land
and for the rapid growth of
the Arab movement”
Mordechai Namir, 1937
“a conflict between two national movements
whose claims are valid and may not be
reconciled… other than by partition…”
(The royal commission report, 1937)
The reality…
638,000 Jews
1,200,000 Arabs
55%
“…only thorough the partition can the two
conflicting national aspirations have a real
expression and can the two people find their
place as independent nations in the
international community and in the United
Nations”
(The 1947 partition committee report)
“Independent Arab and Jewish States… shall
come into existence… not later than 1
October 1948”
(UN resolution 181)
“Jewish Agency's representative told us yesterday
that they are not the aggressor. That the Arabs who
started the hostilities and that when the Arabs will
stop shooting, even the Jews will do well. In fact we
do not deny this fact ... We told the world that we
disagree ... the small Palestine will be divided ... and
that we intend to fight against it.”
16 April 1948 a representative of the Arab Higher
Committee
The reality…
700,000 Jews
160,000 Arabs
78%
David Ben Gurion (Knesset
protocols, vol. 1, April 1, 1949):
“The IDF can occupy the entire
territory between the Jordan River
and the sea. But what kind of a
country will we have, assuming that
there are elections and that Dir
Yassin is not our policy. We will have
a Knesset with an Arab majority. In
the trade off between a whole
country and a Jewish state, we
have chosen the Jewish state”.
1948-1967
“…our means of settlement will determine
the country’s security… Only dense
agricultural settlement along the
borders… shall serve as a most reliable
guard for the security of the country
against attacks from the outside… a
living, working and creating human shield
– this can safeguard the country’s
borders.”
Ben Gurion, November 1948
Demolition of 416 Arab villages
Establishment of 465 Jewish towns
1967-2001
•1967 War
•Israeli Settlements
•First Intifada
•Turning Point in PLO
in 1988
•Oslo Agreement
Establishment of 370
Jewish settlements, of
which 250 in territories
occupied in 1967
The “Mutual Hurting Stalemate”
Conception – Israel
The Jewish Character of the State of Israel
Intifada – Security cannot be achieved through control over another nation
2008
49.2% - Land of Israel
83% - State of Israel
2015
48.6% - Land of Israel
80.8%- State of Israel
2025
43.9% - Land of Israel
78.3% - State of Israel
2050
33%- Land of Israel
77% - State of Israel
The “Mutual Hurting Stalemate” Conception –
The Arab World
• Military Superiority
• International Legitimacy
• Actual Facts on the Surface
Implementation of
Security Council
Resolution 242
Security Council Resolution 242 - 22.11.67
• Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from
territories occupied during the last conflict.
• …Secure and recognized borders, free of
threats or violence.
• …a Just settlement of the refugee issue.
• …Demilitarized zones.
Camp David
Camp David
"An area of not less than 11 percent,
where 80 percent of the settlers live,
would be annexed to Israel, in addition
to not pass an Israeli sovereign territory
(land exchange) to the Palestinians, and
there will be no right of return for
Palestinian refugees to Israel. Security
arrangements will hold a According to
the Palestinian state be demilitarized .
for a few years Israel would control
about a quarter of the Jordan Valley, to
ensure control of the crossings between
Jordan and Palestine "
Taba
2001-2010
• Second Intifada
• Separation Barrier
• Geneva Initiative
• Disengagement from Gaza and
northern Samaria
• Annapolis Process
The Official Objective
“The plan for the Seam Area was designed as one
component in the war against terror by reducing
the ability of terrorists from the areas of the
Palestinian Authority to infiltrate into Israel.”
*from the Hebrew-version website of the Ministry of Defense
Political Target of the Barrier
To influence the determination of the
permanent border of Israel “in the
absence of a partner” through a policy
based on settlements and security
claims.
Taba
Disengagement plan
from Gaza and
Northern Samaria
The Current Status
Size
Land Of Israel/Palestine28,000 sq.km
Lebanon
Syria
Mediterranean
Sea
Population
Israel- Jews- 5.55 Arabs- 1.25
W.B+G.S- Arabs-4.1 Jews- 0.5
Palestine
22%
Israel
78%
Jordan
Egypt
Jewish settlements in East
Jerusalem and the West Bank
- 2009
Settlements
Settlers
Governmental
74
421,000
National-religious
67
86,000
141
507,000
Total
"Natural Growth?”
Israelis in
West Bank
and Gaza
Cumulative
in West
Bank and
Gaza
Israelis in
East
Jerusalem
Total beyond
the Green
Line
Cumulative
beyond the
green line
Government
Period
Settlements
West Bank
& Gaza
Likud
90-92
2
15,000
107,000
5,000
20,000
222,000
Labor
Likud
922001
4
93,000
200,000
52,000
145,000
367,000
Likud
Kadima
20012009
out 100
posts
104,000
313,000
27,000
134,000
507,000
]1[127
313,000
194,000
507,000
Total
United Jerusalem (2008)
126.4 sq. Km
532,000 Jews (64%)
(194,000 in the eastern city)
313,000 Arabs (36%)
Disengagement plan
from Gaza and
Northern Samaria
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
Historical Review
Geneva Initiative
Shaul Arieli
October 2010
www.shaularieli.com
Thank you