SECURITY COUNCIL
Description of the Committee
Under the UN Charter, the Security
Council has the responsibility of maintaining international peace. It is the most powerful body of the
United Nations; while other committees can only make recommendations for action, the
Security Council makes decisions that its member bodies must implement. The Security Council UN Security Council in Session meets throughout the year to address the most serious security issues facing the
UN and the world.
The Council is made up of 15 nations: five are permanent members and the remaining 10 seats rotate every two years. The five permanent members are
China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Each of these nations has “veto power.” The Security Council may deal with international conflict in many ways. When fighting breaks out, the Council’s first goal is usually to call for a ceasefire—an end to violence. It may also send peacekeeping forces to protect citizens and ensure that any UN decisions are carried out. The Security
Council can also use other forceful measures to achieve its goals, such as issuing economic sanctions, measures that prevent a country from receiving money or trade. In the most serious circumstances, the Security Council can order the use of military force.
Topic: The Situation in Israel and Palestine
Introduction
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At the end of World War I, British forces occupied the area that is present-day
Israel. Pressured by Zionist leaders—those who sought an independent Jewish homeland—Britain announced that it would create a state in the Middle Eastern region of Palestine, the historical cradle of both Jewish and Arab civilizations. This state, Israel, would be a national home for the Jewish people.
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Many Jews fleeing Nazi persecution in Europe during the 1920s and 1930s were not permitted to enter other nations, because many nations harbored anti-
Semitic sentiment, some passing laws that limited the rights and privileges of
Jews, and other nations were already overflowing with refugees. This lack of alternatives, coupled with the Zionist movement, prompted a mass migration of
Jews to the new Middle Eastern state. Clashes soon broke out between the immigrating Jews and the Arab population, the Palestinians, who had lived there long before the establishment of the Israeli state and saw the British mandate to make the area Jewish as an invasion. Many Jews believed they were returning to their ancient homeland, as described in the Torah, the Jewish holy book.
In 1947, Britain gave control of most of the region to the United Nations. Later that year, General Assembly Resolution 181 recommended that Palestine be divided into two separate states, with the city of
Jerusalem a religious center for both groups, internationalized and controlled by the UN. The plan, however, was rejected by the Palestinians who did not want to lose their homeland.
By 1948, British forces left the area entirely and Israel declared itself an independent nation—an action that angered neighboring
Arab countries. Several of these Arab states staged attacks on Israel, ending with an
armistice that, among other things, redrew the boundaries of Palestine. Israel received most of the land while Egypt and Jordan also gained key portions. By 1967, Egypt and Jordan appeared to be mobilizing troops for an attack, and Israel launched a pre-emptive strike to defend its land and claim other disputed areas. The war,
Israeli and Palestinian Territories
Source:www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/cia02/is rael_sm02.gif
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which lasted only six days, and called the Six-Day War, resulted in Israeli occupation of all Palestinian territory.
2 Israel refused to acknowledge the Security
Council’s calls for withdrawal.
Palestinians in the area retained small sections of land within the occupied territories. Israelis continued to build new settlements in the regions they claimed as their own, but many nations saw this as an effort to illegally expand Israel’s territory. In 1964, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, who led the PLO until his death in 2004.
The PLO declared an intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation several times, to little success. Palestinian suicide bombers attacked Israeli settlements while Israeli troops invaded Palestinian areas in retaliation—both parties are responsible for hundreds of civilian deaths.
Background
Question of Palestine’s Independence
The UN has affirmed the Palestinians’ right to an independent state and has tried to establish peace in the region, but key points in the conflict remain unsettled.
The division of land, ownership of major religious sites, and violence in the region all complicate the peace process.
In 1993, the Declaration of Principles on
Interim Self-Government Arrangements or
Declaration of Principles, also known as the
Oslo Accords, was signed by Israel and the
Palestinians at the first face-to-face meeting between both sides, where Palestine acknowledged Israel’s right to exist. The
Accords created a framework that founded the Palestinian Authority, which was designed to be a five-year transitional governing body during the period in which Israel and Palestine would negotiate final peace treaty terms.
3 The
Accord’s signing was witnessed by delegates
President Clinton looks on as Arafat and Rabin make a monumental of the United States and Russia, as well as gesture. then US President Clinton, PLO Chairman
Yassar Arafat, and Israeli Prime Minister
Source:http://www.knesset.gov.il/history/images
/26.jpg
Yitzhak Rabin. When Arafat and Rabin shook hands on the White House lawn, it
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represented the coming together of two sides that had been in conflict for over half a century.
Although the Accords did not specifically address territorial disputes, the status of refugees and claims to Jerusalem, it did create a process for the Palestinian
Authority to transition to fuller autonomy. The Accords brought great promise, but the years following its signing were punctuated by violence and in 2000, the
Second Intifada further derailed peace efforts. As a response, Israel began building the Israeli West Bank Barrier, a large wall built along the 1949 Armistice
Line, most of which was located in occupied Palestinian territory. Critics said that the barrier was annexing Palestinians from their jobs, families, and schools that lay on the other side of the barrier and in 2004 the International Court of Justice ruled the wall illegal.
4 To this day Israel continues to build Israeli settlements and infrastructure west of this wall in disputed territory, prompting Palestine to abandon peace efforts on numerous occasions.
In 2002, US President George W. Bush introduced a “road map for peace.” It was developed by several international parties, collectively called the “Quartet” - the United States, Russia, the European Union and the UN. The plan called for the definition of temporary borders creating an independent Palestinian state before more negotiations could occur at a later date. It also called for Palestinian authorities to control the violent attacks by Palestinian extremists, for Israel to stop dismantling Palestinian homes, and for Israel to evacuate its most recent settlements.
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In 2005, after much international negotiation and divisive internal debate, Israel completed the withdrawal of its settlers from the Gaza strip, formerly home to about 9,000 Israelis.
6 However, Israel retained control over Gaza’s air space, borders and seashore. It also dismantled four of its settlements in West Bank, a significant move toward the creation of a Palestinian state. The withdrawal occurred with considerable dispute among Israelis, but little violence from either
Israel or Palestine.
Splintering Effect within Palestine
In January 2006, however, the Islamic militant party Hamas won a surprising victory over the reigning Fatah (Palestine National Liberation Movement) party in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections.
7 Israel and the US announced that they would not continue negotiations with a government led by a party that calls for the destruction of Israel and funded terrorist attacks on Israel. As a result of the elections, tensions between different political groups in Palestine have
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become more clearly defined. The Palestinians were no longer represented by a united front, but were divided by allegiances to different Islamic political parties.
Tensions between Fatah, which is diametrically opposed to Hamas, rose with the new government.
Iyad Sarraj, a Palestinian psychologist, believes the insistence among the children on identifying strongly with Hamas or Fatah is a symptom of the disintegration of
Palestinian society in the past two years. […] “There is a preoccupation among the children” said Sarraj, “about the issue of who is Hamas and who is Fatah. You go to homes and they ask you this. Even my two-year-old son is very preoccupied with this. He asks me: ‘Are you Fatah or Hamas?’ I reply: ‘I'm Palestinian.’”
Source: Gaza’s factions take their fight to the school playground http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/10/israelandthepalestinians
The 2006 Lebanon War and After Shocks
Israeli forces entered the Gaza Strip in late June 2006 to secure the release of an
Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants, so when Hezbollah forces crossed the border from Lebanon into Israel in an attack in broad daylight, Israeli forces quickly retaliated. On July 12 th , after a further escalation of violence on both sides of the border, Israeli forces retaliated with air strikes against Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, including Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, as well as sending in tanks and Israeli soldiers into Lebanon.
8 Hezbollah, along with several other militant groups in the region, has long supported the creation of a Palestinian state, and resorted to extreme measures to bring their cause to the attention of
Israeli civilians the Israeli government, as well as the whole world. This attack has further polarized popular Israeli sentiment against Palestinian groups, and vice versa.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon only ended after the Security
Council unanimously passed Resolution 1701 in August 6 th , calling for “a full cessation of hostilities based upon, in particular, the immediate cessation by
Hezbollah of all attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations.” 9 The resolution acknowledged the provocation of
Hezbollah’s attack on July 12 th on Israeli soil and called for the government of
Lebanon to take responsibility for securing its own borders by deploying troops to the south of Lebanon in tandem with the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
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In October 2007, Israel cut off power supplies to the Gaza Strip, citing concerns over the safety of Israeli civilians in response to an armed takeover of the Strip by Hamas. The international community responded with condemnation, perceiving Israeli actions as harming civilians and the already fragile Palestinian economy indiscriminately.
10 Israel continued
Hezbollah militants hold a rally in Beirut in
February 2008.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk with the power cuts until the end of
January 2008, after it bowed to international pressure to restore power. However, Israel has now instituted a policy of reducing and cutting power to the Gaza Strip in response to attacks on Israeli soil.
“Israel views restricting fuel and electricity to Gaza as a way to pressure
Palestinian armed groups to stop their rocket and suicide attacks,” said Joe Stork,
Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “But the cuts are seriously affecting civilians who have nothing to do with these armed groups, and that violates a fundamental principle of the laws of war.”
Source: Human Rights Watch http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/02/07/isrlpa17994.htm
The lack of power to hospitals, businesses, and homes destabilizes the Gaza Strip, which borders Egypt. In January 2008, Hamas, which has its power base in the
Gaza Strip, blew a hole in the barrier between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee and roam into nearby Egyptian towns. There are reports that military-grade weapons were smuggled back into the Gaza Strip as well.
11 Egypt resealed the border soon afterwards. Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak said, “Egyptian authorities reject any outside pressures on their borders and we will not allow any party to dictate the internal policies of
Egypt.”
Renewed Conflict
On December 27, 2008, Israel launched air attacks on targets in Gaza in response to heavy rocket fire. The attack is now known as “Operation Cast Lead”. These air attacks continued for a week before the Israeli army sent tanks and troops into
Gaza, beginning a war against Hamas. The war garnered international attention,
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and the U.N. Security Council passed resolution 1860 calling for “an immediate, durable, and fully-respected ceasefire.” 12
After twenty-two days of war in which 1,200 Palestinians and 13 Israelis died, both sides agreed to an immediate cease-fire. Israeli troops left Gaza, leaving over 100,000 Palestinians homeless and without proper food and water.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon toured Gaza after the cease-fire and called the destruction there “shocking and alarming.” 13 On January 21, the Security Council issued a statement that called for humanitarian aid organizations, including the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA), to be allowed to operate safely in Gaza.
14 . Billions of dollars were pledged by donors and organizations for this reconstruction.
However, these efforts for relief and reconstructions were significantly impeded by a blockade placed on the strip by the Israeli government and forces.
Since this time the Israeli government has heavily controlled the borders of the
Gaza strip, often imposing blockades periodically in response to perceived threats, a policy that has
Former Parliamentary Building in Gaza.
Source: www.nytimes.com
earned considerable criticism from the international community.
Current Situation
Since the Gaza War of 2008-2009, the relationship between the Palestinian
Authority and the Government of Israel has been particularly tense. Israel maintains control of borders, restricting the movement of Palestinians and the import and export of goods. The inability to receive aid and engage in trade has caused “uncertainty and instability in the Palestinian economy,” especially the
Gaza strip.
15 Further, buffer zones along land and sea borders, occupied by the
Israeli army, have cut significantly into farm land and fishing territories, targeting the livelihoods of many Palestinians. The border controls and blockades have been cited repeatedly by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank as a major problem for the economy of the Palestinian territories. In September
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2010, a 10 month ban on settlement building in the West Bank, which was backed by the U.S., ended, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas refused to reenter negotiations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In January 2010, in an attempt to strengthen its control of borders and prevent smuggling into Gaza, the Israeli military launched an attack on two tunnels between the Israeli-Gaza Border. After pressure from the Israeli government,
Egypt began the construction of an underground barrier along its border to cut off smuggling routes to Hamas. The destruction of these tunnels has proven to be an important step in neutralizing Hamas, who have significantly demilitarized since the initiative.
In May 2010, in response to another blockade imposed by the Israeli government, a group of Turkish protesters and aid workers assembled an envoy of relief aid for Gaza by sea. While in
International waters, 80 miles off the coast of Gaza, the ships were boarded by Israeli military and violence broke out, resulting in the deaths of nine protesters and the injuries of 30 more.
16 Investigations are
One of the boats of the flotilla raided by
Israeli soldiers
Source: Global Voices http://globalvoicesonline.org/ still ongoing regarding who started the violence and whether the capture of the boats was legal. In November 2012,
Turkey convicted the Israeli military commanders, and Israel condemned it as a
“show trial.” 17
In August 2012, a UN report declared that the Gaza Strip would be ‘unlivable’ by
2020 unless urgent measures are taken to improve the area’s water supply, power, health and schools. UN Humanitarian Coordinator Maxwell Gaylard stated,
“Action needs to be taken now if Gaza is to be a liveable place in 2020, and it is already difficult now.” He added that Gaza needed peace and security to improve the lives of its people, noting that, “It will certainly have to mean the end of blockade, the end of isolation and the end of conflict.” 18
In October 2012, the Emir of Qatar became the first head of state to visit Gaza since Hamas gained control of the Strip. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa l-Thani pledged $400 million to assist in infrastructure building. This visit drove a wedge between Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas, because the West Bank has not received such a visit. Earlier in 2012, a reconciliation agreement was signed by
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Fatah and Hamas in Doha, Qatar, but it has not been implemented. The national elections that are part of the agreement have not taken place. In fact, Hamas boycotted local council elections in October 2012. The visit also alarmed Israel because it meant official recognition of the Hamas government. Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, declared that the emir had “thrown peace under the bus” and made the division between Hamas and Fatah worse.
19
Violence was renewed in November
2012 between Israel and the Gaza
Strip. While there is constant rocket fire exchanged between the two areas, violence increased and during the second weekend of November, the
Israeli Defense Forces killed three teenage Palestinian boys in the Gaza
Strip. Hundreds of rockets were fired from Gaza by the al-Qaasam Brigade into Southern Israel and Israel The UN visits Gaza after fighting in November, 2012
Source: UN Photo/Shareef Sarhan responded with more attacks. On
Tuesday, November 13, the Egyptians brokered a truce between Israel and
Hamas.
On Wednesday, November 14, Hamas military chief Ahmed Jaabari was killed, and Operation Pillar of Defense began. The offensive lasted eight days and killed more than 160 Palestinians and five Israelis. After a week of fighting, a ceasefire was reached on November 21 with the help of the U.S. and Egypt. Under the ceasefire terms, Israel was to stop all aggression against the Gaza Strip from land, sea and air. Palestinians were to stop all rocket fire and attacks from Gaza toward
Israel, including along the border.
Not to be forgotten is the increasingly strategic role of Egypt in this conflict.
Egypt maintains peace with Israel via the 1979 Camp David Accords, which were held in place after the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak and rise of
President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood has a strong alliance with Hamas, and Egypt made harsh statements against Israel during the most recent Gaza conflict. The Egyptians also recalled their ambassador to Israel. However, many think it is unlikely that the Egyptian government will risk their good relations with the U.S. government by aligning themselves too closely with Hamas.
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Since the 1950s, Israel has been the subject of
General Assembly and Security Council resolutions. There have been several Security
Council resolutions either condemning Israel for its attacks or demanding withdrawal from occupied territories. Some of these are:
Resolution 248 (1968), Resolution 256 (1968),
Resolution 285 (1970), Resolution 425 (1978) and Resolution 1860 (2009).
The United States is a strong ally of Israel and generally supports Israel’s actions on the Security Council. Other countries in the
Middle East have expressed concern that they have no permanent member on the Security
Council to champion Palestine’s cause.
The Israeli Ambassador addresses the
Security Council in April 2012.
Source: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
In November 2007, new talks in Annapolis, Md. in the United States brokered by then U.S. President George W. Bush were attended by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and 16 heads of state from the
Middle East.
21 Olmert and Abbas released a joint statement, declaring “We express our determination to bring an end to bloodshed, suffering and decades of conflict between our peoples; to usher in a new era of peace, based on freedom, security, justice, dignity, respect and mutual recognition; to propagate a culture of peace and nonviolence; to confront terrorism and incitement, whether committed by Palestinians or Israelis.” 22 However, despite the fanfare surrounding this meeting, both Israeli and Arab commentators criticized the meeting as empty posturing on all sides since none of the divisive issues were addressed.
Negotiations were stalled in 2010 when the 10 month ban on settlements ended.
On February 18, 2011, the Security Council voted on a resolution condemning all
Israeli settlements established in occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, and demanding that, “Israel, as the occupying power, immediately and completely ceases all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East
Jerusalem, and that it fully respect its legal obligations in this regard.” The U.S. vetoed the resolution, even though 14 other member states voted for it. The U.S. argued that while it agreed that the settlements are illegal, the resolution harmed the peace talks.
23
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In September 2011, President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the General Assembly and issued a bid to upgrade Palestine's status from a permanent observer to a member state. The Palestinians seek state boundaries following pre-1967 ceasefire lines. The application had to first pass through the Security Council, but the Security Council could not decide whether to present it to the General
Assembly. Ultimately, the Palestinians could not secure the nine votes they needed. In October 2011, just after the bid, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) admitted Palestine as a member.
The United States reacted by cutting off funding for UNESCO because of two U.S. laws prohibiting U.S. to funding to any UN agency that grants the Palestinians full member state status.
24 Victoria Nuland, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman stated, “The United States remains steadfast in its support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, but such a state can only be realized through direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.” 25
The Palestinians issued a new bid to become a non-member observer state on
November 29, 2012. With a vote of 138 in favor, 9 against, and 41 abstaining, the
General Assembly passed resolution A/67/L.28, allowing Palestine to participate in General Assembly debates and join more UN agencies. Becoming a nonmember observer state may allow the Palestinians to sign the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which would give them the opportunity to pursue legal action against Israeli occupation. Palestinians are hopeful that this will enhance the possibility of a two-state solution.
Ahead of the vote, Mark Regev, a spokesperson for the Israeli government, stated, “The United Nations General Assembly will pass a one-sided anti-Israel resolution… Ultimately, what we will see at the United Nations is diplomatic theater. It will in no way affect the realities on the ground.” 26 U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice called the passing of the draft resolution “unfortunate and counterproductive”. The results of the vote remain to be seen, and the U.S. has considered withholding aid from the Palestinian Authority as a result.
27
For more than 50 years, the UN has sought a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Every few years, a new peace initiative is started, but is harmed by the vicious cycle of violence where Palestinian groups launch attacks into Israel, and then Israel retaliates with force or economic sanctions, perpetuating the conflict. Bringing peace to the Middle East will require earnest participation from all sides, and a greater role for other countries in the region who also have a stake in peace and security in Israel and Palestine, in order to create a unified front against all manner of aggression from non-state actors,
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such as terrorists, as well as retaliation by armed forces, that could derail further peace talks.
Recommendations for Creating a Resolution
This resolution will pose a challenge for many delegates to write, as it has been an issue on the Security Council agenda for fifty years, and is complicated by a myriad of factors, including regional ties, the involvement of non-state actors, and the role of religion to support or negate the other side’s arguments. During this time, Israel and Palestine have undergone armed conflict, terrorist involvement, and have tried many times to come to talks with varying degrees of success.
Many countries in the area have strong views on this issue, but stability in the
Middle East is a worldwide concern. Delegates should consider what tools the
Security Council has at its disposal to help stabilize the region, such as UN peacekeeping troops and outreach to other UN agencies that are heavily involved in Israel and Palestine.
Delegates should consider the following issues when writing resolutions:
 How can a lasting peace process be formulated? Who is in the best position to broker a peace agreement?
 What must be done to stabilize the region to provide a foundation for future peacekeeping efforts?
 Religious ideology plays an important role for both Palestine and Israel.
How can this space for religion be recognized and supported in terms of peace building?
 Who are the stakeholders who will benefit from stability in the region?
How can their needs from a security standpoint be addressed?
 What actions have NGOs, UN agencies and surrounding countries taken that have been successful, and how can they extend this?
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Questions to Consider:
1.
Does your nation support the creation of an independent Palestinian state? Does your nation provide aid or assistance to either Israel or Palestine?
2.
How is the situation between Israel and the Palestinians complicated by terrorism?
3.
Has your country been involved in the peace process?
4.
What lessons can you glean from your own country’s history and involvement in peacekeeping, if any, that may benefit the peace process?
5.
What should the role of i nternational actors and regional states be in this process?
6.
How will the upgraded status of Palestine at the UN affect the peace process?
Does your nation support Palestinian membership at the UN?
7.
If the Palestinian Authority loses aid from the U should the international community react?
.
S .
and other countries, how
Research aid
The UN webpage on the conflict is a good starting point for research on the topic.
 Question of Palestine: Overview , www.un.org/Depts/dpa/qpalnew/overview.htm
Another comprehensive research site to try is the Global Policy Forum: Israel,
Palestine, and Occupied territories.
 Global Policy Forum, http://globalpolicy.org/security-council/index-ofcountries-on-the-security-council-agenda/israel-palestine-and-theoccupied-territories.html
The BBC profile of the region covers all the basics of the conflict.
 BBC Profile of Israel and Palestinian Autonomous Areas, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/803257.stm
For a more analytical perspective, the BBC also offers a deeper look at the issue.
 BBC In-Depth Israel & the Palestinians, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2001/israel_and_the_palest inians
This CNN Special Report may also prove useful.
 Mideast – Land of Conflict, www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/mideast
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Terms and Concepts
Anti-Semitic: biased against Jews.
Armistice: a truce, or temporary stop to fighting.
Fatah: is a secular nationalist party in the Palestinian Authority. Its leader, Mahmoud
Abbas, is the President of the Palestinian Authority and it has been the leading party for decades. Fatah’s power is being eroded by internal political struggles and rival political groups such as Hamas.
Hamas: is the largest Palestinian militant Islamist organization. It is branded by Israel, the US and the EU as a terrorist organization while some Palestinians view it as a legitimate force of resistance against the Israeli occupation.
Hezbollah: An Islamist political and military group based in Lebanon which advocates for an independent Palestinian state by extreme measures.
Intifada : an uprising, in this case against the state of Israel by the Palestinians.
Oslo Accords: the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or
Declaration of Principles. A set of agreements signed by both parties and witnessed by the USA and Russia in 1993 which created framework for the Palestinian Authority and began bilateral talks for peace.
Quartet: A group of countries and international bodies – USA, Russia, EU, and
UN – who have committed to pioneering and supervising peace talks between
Palestine and Israel. In 2002 this group created the “road map for peace.”
Rogue states: countries that are seen as threats to the international community because they seek to acquire weapons or power.
Resolution 181: a General Assembly resolution that recommended that Palestine be divided into two separate states, one Jewish and the other Palestinian Arab.
The city of Jerusalem, a religious center for both groups, was to be internationalized and controlled by the UN. The plan, however, was rejected by the Palestinians who did not want to lose their homeland.
“Road map”: a peace plan created by the Quartet that calls for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Six Day War: War fought in 1967 between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, and Syria which ended in Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Zionists: those who seek an independent Jewish homeland.
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Terms and Concepts (Continued)
Quartet: A group of countries and international bodies – USA, Russia, EU, and UN – who have committed to pioneering and supervising peace talks between Palestine and Israel.
In 2002 this group created the “road map for peace.”
Rogue states: countries that are seen as threats to the international community because they seek to acquire weapons or power.
Resolution 181: a General Assembly resolution that recommended that Palestine be divided into two separate states, one Jewish and the other Palestinian Arab. The city of
Jerusalem, a religious center for both groups, was to be internationalized and controlled by the UN. The plan, however, was rejected by the Palestinians who did not want to lose their homeland.
“Road map”: a peace plan created by the Quartet that calls for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Six Day War: War fought in 1967 between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, and Syria which ended in Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Zionists: those who seek an independent Jewish homeland.
References
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Israeli_Conflict.html
2 “Arab-Israeli Conflict,” Encyclopedia Encarta , http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761588322/Arab-
Israeli_Conflict.html
3 “1993 Declaration of Principles,” BCC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/middle_east/israel_and_the_palestinians/key_documents/1682727.stm
4 “History of the Question of Palestine.” United Nations, http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/his.htm?OpenForm
5 “A Performance-Based Roadmap to a Permanent Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,“
U.S. Department of State, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2003/20062.htm
6 “Pain of Israel's Withdrawal From Gaza Strip Is Felt by American Jews, Too,” New York Times , http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/14/nyregion/14jews.html
7 “Hamas Sweeps Palestinian Elections, Complicating Peace Efforts in Mideast,” Washington Post , http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/26/AR2006012600372.html
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9 “Resolution 1701 (2006),” UN Security Council, http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8808.doc.htm
10 “Israel’s Gaza fuel cuts alarm UN,” BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7068239.stm
11 “Egypt interrogates returning citizens while sending remaining Palestinians back to Gaza ,” International Herald Tribune, http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/11/africa/ME-GEN-Egypt-Palestinians.php
12 “Resolution 1860,” United Nations Security Council, http://domino.un.org/unispal.nsf/f45643a78fcba719852560f6005987ad/96514396e8389a2c852575390051d
574!OpenDocument
13 “Israel Slows Withdrawal as Ban Ki-moon Tours Region,” New York Times , http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/world/middleeast/21mideast.html?scp=14&sq=gaza&st=cse
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14 “Security Council press statement on Middle East,” United Nations, January 21, 2009, http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sc9580.doc.htm
15 “The Question of Palestine and the UN” United Nations, http://unispal.un.org/pdfs/DPI2499.pdf
16 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10203726
17 “Turkey prosecutes Israeli commanders for Gaza Flotilla Deaths,”, The Guardian, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/06/turkey-prosecutes-israelis-gaza-flotilla-deaths
18 “Gaza Soon to be Unlivable,”, AlAkhbar Englih, http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/11491
19 “Qatar’s Emir Visits Gaza, Pledging $400 Million to Hamas” New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/world/middleeast/pledging-400-million-qatari-emir-makeshistoric-visit-to-gaza-strip.html
20 “Analysis: Egypt's Mursi has scarce room for action on Gaza” Reuters, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/16/us-egypt-israel-palestinians-idUSBRE8AF17F20121116
21 “Analysis: After Annapolis,” BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7126541.stm
22 “Joint Understanding Read by President Bush at Annapolis Conference ,” U.S. White House, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/11/20071127.html
23 “United State Vetoes Resolution on Israeli Settlements,” UN News Centre, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37572#.ULKfnuRY7rw
24 “UNESCO Votes to Admit Palestine; US cuts Funding,” Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/unesco-votes-to-admit-palestine-over-usobjections/2011/10/31/gIQAMleYZM_story.html
25 “US condemns UNESCO over Palestine vote” ALJazeera http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/10/2011103172551498181.html
26 “Israel Plays Down Importance of U.N. Bid by Palestinians” New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/29/world/middleeast/israel-plays-down-significance-of-palestiniansun-bid.html
27 “Palestinians to renew UN Statehood Bid” ALJazeera http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/11/20121128142545792986.html
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