Background presentation: The Middle
East Peace Negotiations
Gilead Sher
August 2011
Introduction
Concise History of the Conflict 1947-2011
1947

UN General Assembly Resolution
181 is passed, partitioning
Palestine into Jewish and Arab
states. Resolution is rejected by
Arab League.
1948



Israel declares statehood. the armies
of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan,
and Iraq invade, thus starting the
Arab-Israeli War
War results in a divided Jerusalem
and ~650,000 Palestinian
refugees. UNGA Resolution 194
The War came to an end with the
signing of the 1949 Armistice
Agreements between Israel and each
of its Arab neighbors establishing the
“Green Line”
1956

Suez Crisis


On July 26, 1956, Egypt
nationalized the Suez Canal
Company, and closed the
canal to Israeli shipping
Israel responded on October
29, 1956, by invading the
Sinai Peninsula with British and
French support. During the
Suez Canal Crisis, Israel
captured the Gaza Strip and
Sinai Peninsula
1964

PLO Established


Palestinian nationalist umbrella organization
Goals:




Liberation of Palestine through armed struggle;
Right of return;
Self-determination;
The original PLO Charter (written in 1968) stated that:
"Palestine with its boundaries that existed at the time of the British
mandate is an integral regional unit" and sought to "prohibit... the
existence and activity" of Zionism.
1967

Six Day War

Israel launches a preemptive strike
and conquers the Sinai, Golan Heights,
Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East
Jerusalem, which it annexed. More
Palestinians became refugees. UNSC
Res 242 calls for Israeli withdrawal
and establishes “land for peace”
principle.

Arab leaders met in response to the
war to discuss the Arab position
toward Israel and reached a
consensus:

No recognition of the State of Israel.;

No peace with Israel.;

No negotiations with Israel;
1969-1970

War of Attrition
1969-1970

War of Attrition


Egypt initiated the War of
Attrition, with the goal of
exhausting Israel into
surrendering the Sinai Peninsula.
The war ends following Nasser's
death in 1970; leads to the
Rogers Plan which Israel rejects.
70’s - Settlements
Established

Israel establishes settlements in
occupied territories
1977 Israeli walks past temporary buildings at West
Bank Elon Moreh settlement to his car for daily drive to
his job in Israel,
(United Press International).
1969-1970

“Black September”


King Hussein of Jordan attempted
to squash autonomy of Palestinian
organizations.
After their expulsion most
Palestinian organizations relocated
to southern Lebanon and Syria.
Palestinian fighters after the battle with Jordan
forces,
September 1970.
1973

Yom Kippur War



Sadat, allied with President
Hafez Assad of Syria, stages a
surprise attack on Israel on Oct.
6, on Yom Kippur. Israel fights
back and gains back most of the
ground lost in the initial attack.
Fighting continues for 18 days,
when the war ends again under
U.N. auspices
No territorial change.
UNSC Resolution 338 calls for
negotiations between the parties.
1978

Peace Accords with Egypt


Egyptian and Israeli leaders
meet at Camp David with
President Carter in 1978 to
discuss a treaty in which Egypt
would regain full control of the
Sinai Peninsula. The treaty is
signed on March 26, 1979
Israel completes Sinai pullout
by 1982
Sadat, Carter and Menachem Begin
1982

Lebanon War

After the PLO resettles in Lebanon,
it stages raids into Israel. In 1981,
Syria, allied with the PLO, positions
missiles in Lebanon.

In June 1982, Israel invades
Lebanon. Israeli troops reach
Beirut, cornering the PLO and
Syrian fighters. The United States
intervenes, and a force of U.S.
and Western European troops
help with the PLO and Syrian
evacuation.
Months later Israel retakes Beirut,
and hundreds of Palestinian
guerrillas are killed. The war
ends in May 1983, and Israel
gradually withdraws troops.

IDF Forces in Tyre (AP)
2010 © GS
1987-1988

Intifada


In 1987 a Palestinian popular uprising
against the Israeli occupation of the
territories, begins in Gaza and
spreads to West Bank
Hamas Inauguration


Yasser Arafat seeks sole leadership of
the Palestinian people and declares
Palestinian statehood in November
1988 in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip.
Many nations, including the Soviet
Union and Egypt, respond with
recognition of the Palestinian
government, with Arafat as its leader.
The United States refuses to recognize
statehood but does open dialogue
with Arafat.
1991

Gulf War


A conflict between Iraq and a
coalition force from 34 nations
authorized by the United Nations
(UN) but led primarily by the
United States and the United
Kingdom in order to return
Kuwait to the control of the Emir
of Kuwait.
During the Gulf War, Iraq fired
39 missiles into Israel, in the
hopes of uniting the Arab world
against the coalition which sought
to liberate Kuwait. At the behest
of the United States, Israel did
not respond to this attack in
order to prevent a greater
outbreak of war.
1991

Madrid Conference
 Israel
and Arabs begin bilateral and multilateral
negotiations.
1993

Oslo Peace Process

The agreement between the two sides to make gradual steps
towards a final settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, begins;
signing of the “Declaration of Principles.”
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES
Washington, D.C. - September 13, 1993
STAGE I
Interim Self-Government Arrangements
STAGE II
Permanent Status
Gaza-Jericho Agreement
Signed: May 4, 1994
Transfer of Powers
Signed: Aug 29, 1994
Interim Agreement
Signed: Sept 28, 1995
Permanent Status
Agreement
Withdrawal of Israeli
administration and forces
form Gaza and Jericho,
and the transfer of powers
and responsibilities to
Palestinian Authority. The
Agreement includes:
Early transfer of powers
and responsibilities in
specified spheres, in those
parts of the territories not
included in the GazaJericho Agreement. These
spheres include:
Comprehensive agreement on
the transfer of powers and
responsibilities in the West Bank
from Israel to an elected
Palestinian Council.
Milestones of implementation:
Agreement finalizing the
relationship between
Israel and the
Palestinians, as follows:
Transfer of
civil affairs
Security
arrangements
Economic
framework
Legal
framework
Education
and Culture
Health
Social
Welfare
Direct
Taxation
Tourism
Israel-Palestinian Negotiations: Diagram
Other spheres
as agreed
Dec 31 1995:
redeployment
from
population
centers to
West Bank
.Jan 20,
1996:
Elections to
the Palestinian
Council.
Jan 17, 1997:
redeployment
from Hebron.
.
Stage 1 of
further
redeployment
implemented
Nov 20,
1998.
Sept 4, 1999:
Sharm elSheikh
Memorandum.
Stages of
implementation
Talks to begin
no later than
3rd year of
interim period
(May1996)
Agreement to
enter into
force after
5th year of
SelfGovernment
(DOP)
Issues to include:
Jerusalem,
refugees,
settlements,
security
arrangements and
borders (DOP)
Permanent status
talks resumed
(Erez, Sept 13,
1999) according
to the Sharm elSheikh
Memorandum
1994

Jordan Peace Treaty

1994, Israel and Jordan sign a peace agreement, which stipulated mutual
cooperation, an end of hostilities, and a resolution of other issues.
1995

Rabin's Assassination

Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin
assassinated by right-wing Israeli
fanatic Yigal Amir in November.
Rabin is replaced by Shimon
Peres
1995

Oslo II Interim Agreement

Establishes 3 areas in
West Bank:
Area A direct Palestinian control.
Area B jointly controlled: Palestinian
civilian control and Israeli security
control.
Area C exclusive Israeli control.
1997-1998

Hebron Protocol
Signed in 1997 dividing
Palestinian city of
Hebron. Israel starts
building a settlement,
Har Homa, on a hill
overlooking East
Jerusalem resulting in
widespread
protests. Peace
process frozen.
CLICK
FOR MAP
1998

Wye River Memorandum


The summit ends with a land-for-security deal on Oct. 23.
Arafat agrees to crack down on terrorism, and Israel agrees to withdraw from
a percentage of occupied land. Palestinians agree to withdraw elements of its
charter that are hostile to Israel, and both sides agree to a third phase of
redeployment. Within two months, Netanyahu accuses the Palestinians of
failing to honor security commitments and steps away from the deal.
1999

Sharm el Sheik Memorandum

Labor Party Leader Ehud Barak campaigns for Israeli prime minister,
guaranteeing a move forward toward peace. He is elected and soon signs a
deal with Arafat to implement part of the Wye Accords and sets a deadline
of Sept. 13, 2000, for a final treaty.
2000

Camp David II

Tensions mount as the September
deadline approaches with no
treaty in sight. Clinton begins a
last-ditch peace effort by hosting
Arafat and Barak at Camp
David. The summit lasts two
weeks, but persistent issues, such
as the status of Jerusalem and
the relocation of Jewish settlers
and Palestinian refugees, block
an agreement.
2000

Lebanon Disengagement

Israel pulled all its troops
out of southern Lebanon on
May 24, 2000, ending a
22-year military presence
there. All Israel Defense
Force and South Lebanon
Army outposts were
evacuated.
2000

Intifada II

Sharon makes provocative visit to Temple Mount/Haram alSharif. Protesting Israeli-Arabs shot by Israeli police. Second
Intifada, a violent and sustained uprising, begins, and lasts until
2004.
Clinton’s Parameters

December 23, 2000
http://www.usembassy-israel.org.il/publish/peace/archives/2001/january/me0108b.html
2001

Taba Talks

Israeli Position on Three Main Points
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser 21.1.2001)
1.
2.
3.
Israel will never allow the right of Palestinian refugees to return to
inside the State of Israel.
Prime Minister Barak will not sign any document which transfers
sovereignty over the Temple Mount to the Palestinians.
Israel insists that in any settlement, 80% of the Jewish residents of
Judea, Samaria and Gaza will be in settlement blocs under Israeli
sovereignty.
2003

Roadmap


A Performance-Based Roadmap to a Permanent Two-State Solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Following the Camp David Summit in July 2000 bilateral peace talks
between Israel and the Palestinians ceased for seven years. In 2003, talks
were supposed to resume under the framework of the Roadmap for a
permanent two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict put forward
by US President George Bush
The Arab Peace Initiative
March 28, 2002
API’s 2008
campaign
2003

The Security Fence
2005

Gaza Disengagement

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon initiated a policy of
unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in December
2003. This policy was implemented in August 2005
CLICK
FOR MAP
CLICK FOR
SAMARIA
Disengagement from Gaza Strip
RETURN TO
GAZA MAP
Disengagement Northern Samaria
2007

Annapolis Peace Conference


Organized by Condoleezza Rice
and attended by Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and
U.S. President George W. Bush
The conference marked the
renewal of talks towards a twostate solution as the mutually
agreed-upon outline for
addressing the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. The conference ended
with the issuing of a joint
statement by all parties.
Peace Initiatives 2002-2011
Official Initiatives



The Saudi Initiative
2002/ The Arab
Peace Initiative
The Road Map to
Peace in the ME and
President Bush’s
Speech 2003-2004
Pt. Obama’s May
2011 Statements
Unofficial Initiatives




The Van Leer Institute
Policy Paper 2002
The Geneva Initiative
The Ayalon-Nusseibe
Initiative
The Israeli Peace
Initiative
Samples of informal works
Getting to the Territorial Endgame of an IsraeliPalestinian Peace Settlement
A special report of the Baker’s Institute
Netanyahu-Abbas 2010
The Iranian Threat
 The internal Palestinian Hamas-PLO Rift and
possible 2011 reconciliation
 Proximity Talks between Israel and the
Palestinians via the US
 Direct negotiations
 Settlement Freeze
 The regional approach

Wikileaks: The Palestine Papers
January 2011
Spring 2011


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekgkuAaTjPg&f
eature=topvideos_mp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxWJTR0yCJ8
PM Netanyahu in Congress, May 24,
2011
http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L4073570,00.html
Obama, May 2011







NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD RESULT IN TWO STATES.
THE BORDERS OF ISRAEL AND PALESTINE SHOULD BE BASED ON THE
1967 LINES WITH MUTUALLY AGREED SWAPS, SO THAT SECURE AND
RECOGNIZED BORDERS ARE ESTABLISHED FOR BOTH STATES.
THE PALESTINIAN STATE SHOULD BE SOVEREIGN AND CONTIGUOUS.
ISRAEL MUST BE ABLE TO DEFEND ITSELF – BY ITSELF – AGAINST ANY
THREAT.
PROVISIONS MUST ALSO BE ROBUST ENOUGH TO PREVENT A
RESURGENCE OF TERRORISM; TO STOP THE INFILTRATION OF
WEAPONS; AND TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE BORDER SECURITY.
THE FULL AND PHASED WITHDRAWAL OF ISRAELI MILITARY FORCES
SHOULD BE COORDINATED WITH PALESTINIAN SECURITY
RESPONSIBILITY IN A SOVEREIGN, NON-MILITARIZED STATE.
THE DURATION OF THIS TRANSITION PERIOD MUST BE AGREED, AND
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS MUST BE
DEMONSTRATED.
Thank you, Shalom, Salam
August 2011