Institute for Domestic & International Affairs, Inc.
League of Arab States Israel Director: Lilly Gannone
Š 2010 Institute for Domestic & International Affairs, Inc. (IDIA) This document is solely for use in preparation for Philadelphia Model United Nations 2010. Use for other purposes is not permitted without the express written consent of IDIA. For more information, please write us at idiainfo@idia.net
Policy Dilemma ______________________________________________________________ 1 Chronology__________________________________________________________________ 2 1947 - Partition Plan _______________________________________________________________ 2 1948 - Boycott of Israeli Goods ______________________________________________________ 3 5 June 1967- Six Day War __________________________________________________________ 4 11 August 1968 - Resolution 242 _____________________________________________________ 4 21 February 1975 _________________________________________________________________ 5 1979 - Carter Peace Agreement ______________________________________________________ 5 15 November 1988- Establishment of a Palestinian State _________________________________ 6 Early 2000s ______________________________________________________________________ 6 2006 ____________________________________________________________________________ 7
Actors and Interests ___________________________________________________________ 7 Israel____________________________________________________________________________ 7 Palestine _________________________________________________________________________ 9 Arab League ____________________________________________________________________ 10
Possible Causes _____________________________________________________________ 12 Discrimination and Ethnocentrism __________________________________________________ 13
Conclusion _________________________________________________________________ 14 Bibliography________________________________________________________________ 16 For Further Reading______________________________________________________________ 16 Works Cited_____________________________________________________________________ 17
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Policy Dilemma The Arab-Israeli conflict predominately stems from territorial disputes, though most argue that the religious implications inherent in the region are the primary source of debate. The parties claim the land as their religious homeland, a sort of Mecca. Viewed in a broader perspective, the conflict can be seen free of religious symbolism and stigma. Historically, this region has undergone many changes. At the end of World War II, in order to rebuild the Jewish community and reestablish the distraught bond between Jews and the international community, the United Nations took the continually disputed territory of Palestine and divided the land between the Jewish people and their Arab counterpart.. In addition, the end of the Second World War marked the liberation and independence of a number of Arab states. The newfound sovereign nations in the Middle East led to the creation of a pan-Arab organization, the Arab League. The division of Palestine and the creation of a Jewish state were met with many differing opinions. While the Jewish populations of the world joyfully accepted their new territory as a religious holy ground, Palestinians and Arabs around the world saw the UN decision to divide Palestine as an insult to Arab culture. For these groups, the Palestinian separation was merely the Western world repenting for the Holocaust at the expense of the Arabs who had little to do with WWII. Both groups proudly called the territory their own, causing tension in the area, ultimately resulting in armed conflict. The international community, mostly responsible for the territorial break-up, was immediately brought into the conflict and forced to take sides. Over the past few decades, the Arab-Israeli conflict has grown to become the biggest international concern. The conflict within the Palestinian and Israeli region has resulted in massive civilian and military causalities and has been detrimental to the stability of both nations. Palestine, located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, faced considerable obstacles because it was not internationally recognized until the late 1980s. Palestine is centrally located in the Middle East and borders Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria.. The concentration of Arab states within the region has caused the Arab-Israeli conflict to
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spread far past just Palestine and Israel. For example, Lebanon has taken the brunt of the conflict since the late 1940s, dealing with the influx of refugees as well as paramilitary groups. Other nations, like Syria and Egypt, have actively participated and prolonged the conflict in the Middle East. Due to their Arab roots, these surrounding states largely support the Palestinians, further alienating Israel. While regional support is largely in favor of the Palestinians, Israel has amassed a lot of international support from Western states, namely the United States. These Western alliances have been instrumental in keeping Israeli troops well-armed and militarily-capable. This military support has helped Israel be victorious on most of the conflicts since the 1940s. Since the establishment of the Israeli state, the Arab League has denounced its creation and questioned its sovereignty. Palestine was largely disregarded by the international community during the creation of Israel and the Arab League was quick to acknowledge that Palestine deserved just as much recognition as the Israeli. With regard to the division of Palestine, the Arab League has done everything in its power to undermine the state of Israel and favor the side of the Arabs. This staunch opposition to Israel has resulted in years of war and thousands of deaths, with little hope of peace. The peace agreements offered by the Arab League in the 1950s and 1960s demanded the reexamination of the UN partition and the return of Israel to their territory as it was prior to 1948. These demands and peace agreements have changed over the past few decades. The current Arab League peace agreement, states all Israelis must leave all territories occupied after 1967, leaving them the territory partitioned to them by the UN in 1948.
Chronology 1947 - Partition Plan In 1947, members of the United Nations, with strong international support, drafted a resolution partitioning Palestine into two different territories and naming one the state of Israel.1 The most significant members of the UN, the United States, United Kingdom, 1
Roundtable Discussion: Narratives of 1948. Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics, and Culture存 Vol. 9, page 22, (30 November 2002),
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France, and their allies strongly believed the separation of Palestine was needed in order to formally give Jewish people a sovereign homeland. The end of World War II, and consequently the Holocaust, marked the end of anti-Semitism and highlighted the need for an international apology to the wronged Jewish population. During the UN partition of Palestine, two very distinct voices emerged. The first group was composed of those states in favor of the creation of an Israeli state and thus, the second group was composed of pro-Arab states opposed to the division of Palestine. The Arab League, created only a few years prior to this partition, was in avid opposition to the creation of a Jewish state from the division of the Arab Palestine.
1948 - Boycott of Israeli Goods Immediately following the creation of Israel and its acceptance into the international community, the Arab League denounced Israel and formalized a boycott against the Israeli goods and states that maintained economic relations with the Israel.2 The Arab League strongly and staunchly supported their boycott in an attempt to destabilize the Israeli economy. The nations that most stoutly supported the Israeli state looked disapprovingly on the boycott and opposed its continuation; the nation that lead the opposition was the United States. In response the boycott, the US implemented laws that prohibited the avocation or cooperation in the boycott. The mandates implemented by the US went so far as to blacklist any US-based companies that supported the Arab League boycott.3 The Arab League did not enforce the boycott themselves, but instead recommended member states enforce the boycott within their state.
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=540742451&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType= PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1258749767&clientId=16246, accessed 18 November 2009. 2 Weiss, Martin A. Arab League Boycott of Israel. Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress, (19 April 2006), http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/65777.pdf, accessed 22 November 2009. 3 Ibid.
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5 June 1967- Six Day War Mounting tensions in the area lead to a six-day war between Israel and Arab states, beginning on 5 June 1967.4 A year earlier, an agreement made between Syria and Egypt, or the United Arab Republic (UAR), established a pact between the two states to give both governments joint control over their armed forces. The events leading to the six-day war included UAR military alerts due to increasing tension with Israel, the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping troops at the end of their ten year stay in the Gaza strip, a UAR blockade of the Strait of Tiran to block strategic Israeli cargo, and a small battle between Egypt and Israel in the Gaza strip. The Israeli air force demolished most of the Egyptian, Syrian, and Jordanian forces.5 Following the ceasefire and in response to the Israeli attacks, the UAR, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Algeria, and Yemen severed all diplomatic relations to the United States and Kuwait and Iraq cut off all oil supplies to the US and Great Britain, while the UAR closed the Suez Canal.6
11 August 1968 - Resolution 242 The UAR proposed a plan to begin negotiations on a peace agreement between Israel and the Arab states, entailing the UAR lifting the demands for Arabs to return to their homeland within Israel, accepting the internationalization of the Gaza Strip, and granting passages of Israeli ships and Israeli cargo through the Suez Canal.
7
Following
this offer, Israel proposed a comprehensive peace agreement in October, which requested the UN draw permanent lines between Arab and Israeli borders and Israel withdraw all troops outside of the state lines.8 The UAR declined the peace agreement, but did agree to accept UN resolution 242, which extended the invitation to the leaders of the UAR, 4
Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 501. 5 Ibid, page 501. 6 Robarge, David S. CIA Analysis of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War: Getting it Right. Central Intelligence Agency, (15 April 2007), https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csistudies/studies/vol49no1/html_files/arab_israeli_war_1.html, accessed 22 November 2009. 7 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 503. 8 Ibid, page 503.
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Israel, and Jordan to participate, without a vote, in a Security Council discussion on the situation in the Middle East.9 Both attempts at bringing about peace failed and later in the year, fighting between Jordan and Israel recommenced.
21 February 1975 During the annual meeting of the United Nations, Lebanon charged Israel with 432 counts of aggression in one month, bringing to debate the state of affairs in the Middle East and acts of aggression from both sides of the conflict.10 Following the debate, the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights condemned the actions of Israel in Quenitra, a city in Syria, calling Israeli actions “deliberate destruction.” In November, the UN General Assembly drafted a resolution defining Zionism and declaring it a form of racism.11 The resolution was the cause of much debate amongst members and was rejected outright by Israel. A second resolution passed in the committee recognized Palestine’s right to self-determination and participation in any Middle East peace negotiations. In response to this resolution, Israel stated it would not attend any talks in Geneva should Palestine or the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) be present.12 The two resolutions pasted by the UN High Commission on Human Rights fostered the internationally recognized importance and status of the PLO, granting its participation in UN debates of the future. This year marked the beginning international recognition of the plight of the Palestinian people.
1979 - Carter Peace Agreement In March 1979, United States President Jimmy Carter began to work with Egyptian and Israeli leaders to come to peace agreement. The agreement was deemed necessary by the US President in order to work towards complete peace in the territory.
9
United Nations Security Council, Resolution 242, 1373rd meeting, (9 November 1967), http://daccess-ddsny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/240/94/IMG/NR024094.pdf?OpenElement, accessed 22 November 2009. 10 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 511. 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid., 512.
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By the end of March, both Israel and Egypt agreed to a peace treaty,13 but Egypt’s agreement of the treaty and collaboration with Israel was frowned upon by other Arab states and the Arab League. Eighteen foreign ministers of Arab League states and one representative from Palestine enforced a boycott on all Egyptian trade and encouraged all Arab League member states to break diplomatic ties with the nation.14
15 November 1988- Establishment of a Palestinian State Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat proclaimed Palestine as a sovereign state at the Palestine Liberation Organization’s National Council (PNC) in Algiers, on 15 November 1988.15 Prior to this proclamation, the territory known as Palestine remained an ethnic and religious enclave of primarily Shiite Muslims who largely identified themselves as Palestinians. The territory was unclaimed, excluding the area that made up the nation of Israel, and the Palestinian people had no true central government, nor recognized political representation. A month later in December, the United Nation acknowledged the new Palestinian state and it became an internationally recognized. In the wording of the resolution, the General Assembly, “1.Acknowledges the proclamation of the State of Palestine by the Palestine National Council on 15 November 1988; 2. Affirms the need to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their sovereignty over their territory occupied since 1967”.16 The state of Palestine was finally established and the Palestinian people were given a free and sovereign state to formally call home.
Early 2000s Starting in the late 1990s, with the continuation of the Arab-Israeli conflict and as Arab states begin to close ties with other Arab states, the Arab League struggled to
13
Ibid., 518. Ibid, page 518. 15 Houk, Marian. The Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Lives and Land Continues – 21 Years After State Proclamation. American Chronicle, (15 November 2009), http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/128781, accessed 22 November 2009. 16 General Assembly, A Resolution 43/177, The United Nations, (15 December 1988), http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/146E6838D505833F852560D600471E25, accessed 22 November 2009. 14
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maintain legitimacy.17 Egypt returned to the Arab League, with its permission, in 1989, but Arab states within the League did not have the same cohesive connections they shared in years prior. The war in the Persian Gulf in the early 1990s led to disagreement and separation amongst member states. Many members began to debate and vote according to national, instead of pan-Arab, interests and ambitions.18 Wealthier Arab states along the Gulf failed to fulfill their financial obligations and began to form stronger ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council. The lack of cooperative decision-making became evident when the United States moved to send troops to Iraq in 2002 and 2003; the League failed to come to any consensus regarding the matter.
2006 The Arab League summit of 2006 showed the possibility of Arab reunification and attempted to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. Starting in 2002, the Arab League began to formulate a cohesive plan for peace in the Middle East. The document referenced decisions made at an Arab summit in Cairo in 1996, when it was decided that Arab states must come together to form a comprehensive peace plan for the Middle East.19 The 2002 discussions became known as the Arab Peace Initiative and outlined a plan to restore peace in the Palestine-Israel region of the Middle East. The League called for Israelis to withdraw from all territories occupied after 4 June 1967, realized the UN General Assembly resolution 194 helped solve the refugee problem in Palestine, and accepted the sovereign state of Palestine.20
Actors and Interests Israel For decades prior to the UN resolution declaring the separation of the area of Palestine to establish the state of Israel, this region has been thought of as the Jewish 17
Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 45. 18 Ibid, page 46. 19 The Council of the League of Arab States. The Arab Peace Initiative, Summit Level, 14th ordinary session, http://www.jordanembassyus.org/arab_initiative.htm, accessed 22 November 2009. 20 Ibid.
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homeland and holy domain for Jews in all nations, yet the territory has been the center of much dispute for past centuries. Jewish religious communities have heralded the region as an important cultural center for centuries. Jews are not the only religious sect that consider the Middle East the birth place of their religion; Christians and Muslims, alike consider one or more areas in the region an essential part of their religious heritage. The diverse mix of religious influence in the region has been cause for much debate and fighting. Following the end of the Second World War the United Nations voted to partition the British operated territory of Palestine.21 The Assembly believed the people of both Palestine and Israel would be better served if the territory was spilt and each population was given its own land; many felt the establishment of a Jewish state reflected on the Western nations’ need to rebuild their bonds with the Jewish community after the atrocities of WWII.22 The support of the international community has helped build a relatively strong governmental system and a powerful military. Currently, Israel is one of the more developed states in the Middle East and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) functions as the backbone of the state of Israel. In years past, the IDF gained much of its force and power from outside assistance; weapons deals with high-power European states like France were the norm.23 The primary purpose of the IDF, similar to all national defense forces, is to protect the state of Israel and its people by all means necessary.24 Throughout the Arab-Israeli conflict, the strength of the IDF has resulted in many Israeli victories and much anguish on the part of the Arabs. Some Arab states believe international support for the IDF, both monetarily and sentimentally, is the only reason for the prosperity of the
21
Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 45. 22 Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, United States Department of State, Israel Country Profile. (January 2009), http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3581.htm, accessed 18 November 2009. 23 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 46. 24 The Israel Defense Forces. Doctrine, The IDF, (2009). http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/about/doctrine/default.htm, accessed 27 November 2009.
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Israeli state. Though the IDF functions as a solid defense force for the Israeli people, others criticize the actions of the IDF as militant organization rather than military.
Palestine Palestine is a region many religions consider the base of their religious beliefs, though this territory was never granted formal recognition until the late 1980s. The territory, holding a British mandate until 1948, is primarily the home of Jews and Arabs, though there are a considerable amount of Christians still inhabiting the land.25 The ArabIsraeli conflict that quickly followed the Palestinian partition caused great strife for Arabs and became increasingly problematic in the region. In response to the international support for the state of Israel, Arab states began to establish a system of support for Palestine. Within the borders of Palestine and through the support of Egypt and the Arab League, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was established in 1964.
26
At a
meeting in 1959 in Kuwait, a group of Palestinians formed Fatah, a group fighting for Palestinian liberty that became the principle component to the PLO.27 Hezbollah, a group with similar intent, was formed within the borders of Lebanon, where many Palestinians fled and became refugees. These groups both fight for the same cause: the liberation of Palestine and the end of Israeli aggression. However the methods that each of these groups uses vary greatly. Since the state of Palestine is newly sovereign, and much of the Arab-Israeli conflict was fought before its creation, these organizations have functioned as the driving force on the Arab side of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The PLO has a place in the United Nations as an observer group and it is internationally recognized by many leading nations.28 Originally the PLO was founded with the mission of combating Israeli forces, thereby destroying
25
Ibid, 45. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Palestine Liberation Organization, Columbia University Press, (2007), http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0837351.html, accessed 11 November 2009. 27 Palestinian Facts. Israeli 1991 to Present, What is Fatah?, Palestinianfacts.org, (2009). http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1991to_now_plo_fatah.php, accessed 27 November 2009. 28 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 56. 26
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Israel and ending the plight of the Palestinian people by restoring the land that they considered theirs. In the past decade, this mission has changed and the PLO adopted a new stance, reflected by their acceptance of the UN resolutions, recognizing the state of Israel and calling for all nations to accept its existence, while seeking representation for its own borders.29 Hezbollah was founded in 1982 in response to the continued presence of Israeli troops and their negative influences on the Lebanese people,.30 Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim political group based in Lebanon, which includes a militant wing of activists. Hezbollah is considered by states such as the United States, a terrorist organization. Though there are recorded accounts of terrorist–like activities executed by Hezbollah, the group also makes claims to providing major social services such as operating schools, hospitals, agricultural services.31 Similarly, many Palestinians view Fatah as a defense force from the Israelis. When the PLO established itself under the same mission, Fatah and the PLO became major political opponents.32 Later, the two groups merged and Fatah became a major support system for the PLO after both groups forgave political differences.
Arab League Following a series of Arab-based national liberations, a group of Arab nations came together, at the request of Egypt, to create the League of Arab States, and the Arab League was established in response to the growing Islamic revival movement. Its formation was predominately symbolic in the sense that the league would act as a unified coalition among predominately Arab states, so as to provide a forum to discuss political
29
Isseroff, Ami. The Palestinian National Charter, MidEast Web Historical Documents, http://www.mideastweb.org/plocha.htm, accessed 18 November 2009. 30 Council on Foreign Relations, Hezbollah, Backgrounder, (June 2009), http://www.cfr.org/publication/9155/, accessed 11 November 2009. 31 Ibid. 32 Palestinian Facts. Israeli 1991 to Present, What is Fatah?, Palestinianfacts.org, (2009). http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1991to_now_plo_fatah.php, accessed 27 November 2009.
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action, economic rehabilitation, and overall Arab collaboration.33 While establishing the League, many member states disagreed on the matter of sovereignty. Most of the founding member states had recently gained their independence and did not look keenly upon surrendering any newfound independence and central power. National sovereignty remained a key concern during the creation of the pact. The final decisions made in the Alexandria Protocol established a League with minimal power to control the functions of member states.34 The Arab League now predominately functions as a peacekeeping and rebuilding organization within member states. By law they may not enter a territory without the permission of the nation’s government. The Arab League acts in accordance with the stipulation agreed upon by all party members: if a conflict ensues with the region that is pervasive, the Arab League convenes and discusses what actions to take. Primarily, the League focuses on political, economic, cultural issues of importance to member states. Upon the United Nations General Assembly resolution to partition the state of Palestine, the League immediately took the side of the Palestinians and denounced the formation of Israel.35 Quickly following the denunciation, the League put into place a boycott of all things Israeli. Though the League could not enforce the boycott, it strongly encouraged all member states to enforce it as law themselves. The boycott and general Arab disapproval lasted until the 2000s. As the Arab League began to lose its strength in the international community, it began to work with a more regional focus, towards creating a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel.
33
Hassouna, Hussein A. The League of Arab States and Regional Disputes: A Study of Middle East Conflicts, Oceana Publications, (New York, 1975) page 3. 34 Ibid, page 14. 35 Weiss, Martin A. Arab League Boycott of Israel. Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress, (19 April 2006), http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/65777.pdf, accessed 22 November 2009.
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Possible Causes The Islamic Revival existed in response to increased western influence in predominately Islamic territories and the need for revised faith in the modern world.36 As globalization continues to influence non-western cultures by changing some of the basic habits and attitudes of everyday life, some Muslims have moved towards revitalizing their religious base. Religious fundamentalism has great impact on the revitalization of Islam, though fundamentalism was originally an idea held by the Protestant church.37 The primary concept which structures Islamic fundamentalism is the desire and need to return to the most basic values of Islam and hold true to all its teachings. Strict fundamentalism reached only certain sections of the Muslim population while others choose to take a less extreme, but nonetheless stern approach to revitalizing their religious faith. As the popularity of religious fundamentalism grew in the Muslim community, extremist groups began to surface. Their creation and existence led to the increase in terrorism based out of the Middle East. Most followers of Islam, even the majority of those who follow fundamentalist beliefs, took no violent approach to fight against the influx of Western thought. Some western nations, like the United States, Great Britain, and France have take measure to fight terrorism, but have also consequently grouped non-Islamic extremists together with the majority of those whom follow the Islamic faith. The misconceptions of Islamic fundamentalism have given most western nations a false understanding of the true nature of Islam. In trying to address this misconception, most of the Arab world has actively tried to dispel the stereotypes regarding their faith to the west. Misunderstandings made by both parties, those of the Arab nations and those of the western world, have caused a rift between both cultures and have further fueled the ArabIsraeli conflict.
36
Oxford Islamic Studies Online. Islamic Modernism and Islamic Revival, The Oxford University Press, (20052009). http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t253/e9, accessed 27 November 2009. 37 Ibid.
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Discrimination and Ethnocentrism Prior to Resolution 181 partitioning the British mandated territory of Palestine into the separate territories of Israel and Palestine, the mixed region functioned in a semihomogenous but not entirely harmonious way. After the state was partitioned, fighting between the two parties ensued. Israel had much more success during the wars due to international support and finance, which caused more disdain in the Arab community.38 Most Arab states, whether party to the Arab League or not, supported the plight of the Palestinian people and hatred for the Israeli people began to become pervasive throughout the area, giving rise to an increase in anti-Semitic propaganda. Likewise, the discrimination and growing hatred of Arabs in the Israeli community caused a rise in Zionist beliefs. Some Israelis began to feel their once neighbors were now enemies held ancient beliefs and lived an outdated and lesser developed way of life. Palestine became a mockery for the Israeli people who had now developed an advanced state with a highprofile military. With the small territory of the Middle East, the Israelis came to develop Zionist and ethnocentric beliefs about their state and Palestinians and other Arab states began to discriminate and develop prejudice for the Israeli people. These beliefs have separated the two communities further, severing the regional ties and further prolonging the fight. Hate and discrimination have now become the catalyst for war in the Middle East.
38
The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Short History, Israel-Palestina Informatie, (16 January 2008), http://www.israelpalestina.info/arab-israeli_conflict.html#Obstacles_to_peace, accessed 27 November 2009.
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Conclusion Over the past half-century the relationship between Israel and its Arab neighbors has been nothing short of tenuous. The United Nations General Assembly decision to partition the area of Palestine to give Israel its own sovereign state was met with much support by the western allied powers and much disdain by the Arab nations. When the borders were drawn and the resolution enacted, fighting ensued between the two parties. The United Nation quickly sent peacekeeping troops and western nations sent weaponry to help build the Israeli Army. As Israel gained support from the international community, the Arab League and other Arab nations began to collaborate on behalf of the weak state of Palestine. The Palestinians had little by way of military support and much of the Arab-Israeli conflicts were won by the Israeli Army. Currently, the antiSemitic beliefs held by the Arab people and the Zionist beliefs held by the Israelis account for many of the problems facing the Middle East. As globalization becomes more evident throughout the region, the western alliances have helped fuel the decades old conflict as well.
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Discussion Questions • Are the standing peace accords for Palestine and Israel reasonable and sufficient? How can they be improved? • How can the Arab League regain its international standing by creating such accords, while still adhering to the needs of its member states? • The history of the region and its partition plays a large role in the current status of Israeli-Palestinian relations. Can that history ever be truly resolved? • What must the Arab league do to rebuild its International status and reestablish its legitimacy? • Is there a need to revisit the Arab League Charter to create an affective peace treaty for the Israeli-Palestine problem? • Should the Arab league consult other nations involved in the crisis in order to create a peace agreement? What role does the United Nations play in this conflict? • How can the Arab League mandate control over militant groups in order to stop terrorist attacks on the Israeli people and how should the Arab League respond to terrorist attacks on Palestinians by Israeli extremists?
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Bibliography For Further Reading The Council of the League of Arab States. The Arab Peace Initiative, Summit Level, 14th ordinary session, http://www.jordanembassyus.org/arab_initiative.htm, accessed 22 November 2009. This document summarizes the actions of the League of Arab States in 2002 in creating the Arab Peace Initiative. The Arab Peace Initiative was a historic departure from the peace talks that preceded it because it was the first major proposal that accounted for the interests of both parties. Weiss, Martin A. Arab League Boycott of Israel. Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress, (19 April 2006), http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/65777.pdf, accessed 22 November 2009. This resource identifies the motivations of the Arab League during its boycott of Israel. It helps identify the major points of contention between Israel and the Arab League and further discusses the how the conflict between the two affected other regions of the world.
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Works Cited The Arab Peace Initiative, The Council of the League of Arab States, 14th Ordinary Session, (June 1996), http://www.jordanembassyus.org/arab_initiative.htm, accessed 22 November 2009. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Short History, Israel-Palestina Informatie, (16 January 2008), http://www.israel-palestina.info/arab-israeli_conflict.html#Obstacles_to_peace, accessed 27 November 2009.
Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007). Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, United States Department of State, Israel Country Profile. (January 2009), http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3581.htm, accessed 18 November 2009 The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Palestine Liberation Organization, Columbia University Press, (2007), http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0837351.html, accessed 11 November 2009 Council on Foreign Relations, Hezbollah, Backgrounder, (June 2009), http://www.cfr.org/publication/9155/, accessed 11 November 2009 The Council of the League of Arab States. The Arab Peace Initiative, Summit Level, 14th ordinary session, http://www.jordanembassyus.org/arab_initiative.htm, accessed 22 November 2009. General Assembly, A Resolution 43/177, The United Nations, (15 December 1988), http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/146E6838D505833F852560D600471E25, accessed 22 November 2009. Hassouna, Hussein A. The League of Arab States and Regional Disputes: A Study of Middle East Conflicts, Oceana Publications, (New York, 1975) Houk, Marian. The Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Lives and Land Continues – 21 Years After State Proclamation. American Chronicle, (15 November 2009), http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/128781, accessed 22 November 2009. The Israel Defense Forces. Doctrine, The IDF, (2009). http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/about/doctrine/default.htm, accessed 27 November 2009. Isseroff, Ami. The Palestinian National Charter, MidEast Web Historical Documents, http://www.mideastweb.org/plocha.htm, accessed 18 November 2009
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Oxford Islamic Studies Online. Islamic Modernism and Islamic Revival, The Oxford University Press, (2005-2009). http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t253/e9, accessed 27 November 2009. Palestinian Facts. Israeli 1991 to Present, What is Fatah?, Palestinianfacts.org, (2009). http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1991to_now_plo_fatah.php, accessed 27 November 2009 Robarge, David S. CIA Analysis of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War: Getting it Right. Central Intelligence Agency, (15 April 2007), https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-studyof-intelligence/csi-publications/csistudies/studies/vol49no1/html_files/arab_israeli_war_1.html, accessed 22 November 2009.
Roundtable Discussion: Narratives of 1948. Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics, and Culture存 Vol. 9, page 22, (30 November 2002), http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=540742451&SrchMode=1&sid=1 &Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1258749 767&clientId=16246, accessed 18 November 2009. United Nations Security Council, Resolution 242, 1373rd meeting, (9 November 1967), http://daccess-ddsny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/240/94/IMG/NR024094.pdf?OpenElement, accessed 22 November 2009. Weiss, Martin A. Arab League Boycott of Israel. Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress, (19 April 2006), http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/65777.pdf, a ccessed 22 November 2009.