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MIDDLE EAST ACCORD: ANOTHER BID FOR PEACE Introduction

On October 23, 1998, a gathering of important people assembled in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. awaiting the arrival of the figures responsible for the recently concluded Middle East peace agreement. After a few anxious moments, the ornate French doors finally opened, and the audience of politicians, diplomats, and other dignitaries was relieved to see the major players enter the room for the signing ceremony. U.S. President , who had played a key role in brokering the deal, led the way, flanked by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and National Security Advisor Sandy Berger. Accompanying them were 's King Hussein, Palestinian leader , and Israeli Prime Minister . These were the leaders who had just spent nine wearying and suspenseful days at a beautiful plantation on the banks of the Wye River in Maryland, just outside Washington. During that stressful time, they had succeeded in negotiating an agreement that would revive the imperilled Middle East peace process, and set the stage for the even more difficult talks that still lay ahead.

The Wye River Agreement was the product of nine days of painful, around-the-clock negotiations, but it was also the unexpected culmination of many months of mutual distrust and conflict between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Ever since Netanyahu's hard-line government had been elected in May 1996, fears had mounted that the peace process that had begun so promisingly with the signing of the historic Accords three years previously was becoming seriously unravelled. Netanyahu had encouraged the establishment of more Jewish settlements in the and Gaza, two areas claimed by the , and had demonstrated a pronounced lack of enthusiasm for pursuing the peace process initiated by his assassinated predecessor, Yitzhak Rabin. For their part, many Palestinians were becoming impatient with Arafat's perceived weakness and unwillingness to stand up to , and were turning to violent groups like the militant Islamic fundamentalist organization to take up their people's cause against the hated Zionist enemy. In the months leading up to the Wye River Agreement, and as violence escalated, it seemed that the Middle East peace process was being kept alive only by a tenuous diplomatic life-support system. Until just before the talks at Wye Plantation began, many observers were almost ready to pronounce it dead.

The Wye Agreement injected new hopes for progress into what had appeared to be a terminally stalled peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. But in reality, it only reiterated commitments that both sides had undertaken to fulfil at Oslo five years before. And it did not address any of the major areas of contention between the two parties, which remained to be negotiated in what were termed the "final status talks," to begin in 1999. It is important to remember that in politically volatile areas such as the Middle East, peace is a process not an event, and hope is the operative word in the process. It is hoped that this latest bid for peace will advance the process.

Introduction Past, Present, and Future Two Steps Forward? Following the Process Homelands Saving the Process Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions

Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.

Comprehensive News in Review Study Modules

Using both the print and non-print material from various issues of News in Review, teachers and students can create comprehensive, thematic modules that are excellent for research purposes, independent assignments, and small group study. We recommend the stories indicated below for the universal issues they represent and for the archival and historic material they contain.

"The Middle East: A Lasting Peace?" "The Middle East: The Terror Factor," December 1994 "The Hebron Massacre: Threat to the Peace Process?" April 1994 "The Rabin : The Enemy Within," December 1995 Other Related Videos Available from CBC Learning Does Your Resource Collection Include These CBC Videos?

Children of Zapata Covering Wars Great Divide: Separatism and Partition Memories of October Remaking Canada: A Clash of Histories Road to Peace The Settlers The Seeds of Terror War Against the Indians Witness To Auschwitz

MIDDLE EAST ACCORD: ANOTHER BID FOR PEACE Past, Present, and Future

The Wye River Agreement provides an opportunity to assess the progress that has already been made in the Middle East, to weigh the significance of its terms in resolving issues currently in dispute, and to reflect on the many serious problems that still remain to be dealt with before a lasting peace can really be said to have been achieved.

Looking At the Overall Picture Watch this News in Review report, and while doing so, note any images of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East that seem particularly new, important, or revealing. Be prepared to answer the following questions.

1. Why was Wye River Agreement signing ceremony in the White House such an important formal event?

2. How do images of violent conflict shown in the video contrast with the images from the White House?

3. What images of peaceful co-operation are shown in the video?

4. Based on your viewing of the video, do you think there is a greater potential in the future for more violent conflict or more peaceful co-operation among the peoples living in the Middle East?

Considering the Circumstances Watch the video again. This time find information that defines the italicized words in the following questions. 1. Why was this agreement, like others before it created outside the Middle East?

2. Why would being party to such an agreement be a very significant moment in the political career of this prime minister of Israel?

3. What might the risks be for this leader of the PLO in accepting the agreement?

4. What is the lesson from history of this assassination?

5. Where is the city in which these previous accords take place and why would this country be a suitable location for negotiations of this nature?

6. How does this split between Jewish Israelis themselves suggest the complex nature of this agreement?

7. How do these two areas highlight the connection between history and geography?

8. In what way was this prize and its recipients part of the peace process?

9. In terms of the peace process, why does this particular year suggest that "time is of the essence?"

10. What is the importance of the Wye Agreement to this president at this time in his political career?

11. What is the power suggested in the name of the government body currently in charge of Gaza and parts of the West Bank?

12. Why does this organization represent a major dilemma for Arafat?

13. What impact might this parliament have on an agreement like this? 14. Why is this city important in terms of a national identity?

15. How do these three religions increase the international nature of the Middle East peace process?

16. In addition to its religious significance as a holy place, how does this Islamic place suggest the emotional reaction that an adherent of any religion would have?

Introduction Past, Present, and Future Two Steps Forward? Following the Process Homelands Saving the Process Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions

Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers. MIDDLE EAST ACCORD: ANOTHER BID FOR PEACE Two Steps Forward?

After carefully reading the information below, create a summary chart of the major achievements of the Wye Agreement. Then, as a class, discuss the implications of each. Suggest the impact that each achievement will have on the ongoing peace process.

What did the Wye Agreement amount to? Under the terms of the accord, both sides agreed to develop a joint security plan to crack down on violent terrorist acts launched from their respective zones of control. Israel was to remove its forces from more territory in the West Bank, and hand it over to Palestinian authority. An additional slice of this region that had been under joint supervision was to be transferred to sole Palestinian jurisdiction. The Palestinian National Charter was to be amended to remove clauses that advocated the destruction of Israel. Two safe-passage corridors between the West Bank and Palestinian- controlled Gaza were to be constructed. Israel committed itself to withdrawing even more of its troops from the West Bank in the future and to the release of 750 Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli jails. Finally, the first Palestinian airport was to be opened in Gaza, which it did to much fanfare.

To many, Israeli-Palestinian agreement on these terms, however modest and limited in scope, was welcome news after so many months of mutual recrimination and hostility between the two adversaries. But as Clinton and others pointed out at the signing ceremony, many thorny issues still remained unresolved. First of all, both Netanyahu and Arafat faced the difficult task of selling the accord to their sceptical compatriots. But even more significantly, the "final status talks," when (or if) they are convened, will have to confront problems that lie at the core of the long dispute between these two Middle East peoples. Among them are the status of , the future of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, economic issues like access of Palestinian workers to jobs in Israel, resource issues like water rights, and the willingness of Israel to finally accept the existence of a fully independent Palestinian state on its borders. Arafat has publicly stated his intention to declare the independence of a Palestinian state sometime in 1999, whatever the state of his ongoing negotiations with Israel, a move that Netanyahu has warned will result in serious consequences. While the Wye Agreement represented an important step to a lasting peace in the Middle East, it is clear that the road ahead will be very long and difficult for both Israelis and Palestinians, and that real peace between them is still very far away.

A Conceptual Agreement Suggest how each of the following played a role in this agreement and indeed in every step of the peace process to date:

• land • security • symbols

Introduction Past, Present, and Future Two Steps Forward? Following the Process Homelands Saving the Process Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions

Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers. MIDDLE EAST ACCORD: ANOTHER BID FOR PEACE Following the Process

Internet technology allows a great deal of information to be communicated rapidly around the globe. It can also personalize the process of news gathering in that to a much greater extent individuals can follow stories in more depth and receive much more factual information, views, and opinions through their own computers. However, this places a new responsibility on the news watcher—that of being more aware of his or her ability to assess the validity and quality of information received, and above all, to be able to evaluate the source of the information.

Below you will find listed Web sources for following the Middle East situation. For a period of several months, teams of students should access these sites, perhaps once a week, and maintain a group journal in which they record key information presented by each source. A comparison of information in each journal should be conducted by all the students from time to time.

The British Broadcasting Corporation has an online special report Web site that through its search engine provides news analysis of the Middle East peace process, the obstacles it still faces, the key players, the history, and the implications for the region. It can be found at www.news..co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1998/10/98/middle_east? nwsid.

Full coverage dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is updated daily on the Yahoo search engine. It includes news stories, sources, audio-video materials, related Web sites, regional information, interviews, magazine articles, and editorials. It can be accessed at http://headlines.yahoo.com.

The Web site of the Palestine-Israel Journal, a joint publication founded by an Israeli and a Palestinian journalist in 1994, can be found at www.pij.org. It is the first and only quarterly produced by both Palestinians and Israelis. It provides a platform for dialogue and promotes the current peace process as the best means to create a just and lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis. The official Israeli government Web site for the State of Israel, the , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other government bodies can be found at www.pmo.gov.il.

The official Web site of the Palestine National Authority and its various ministries and government bodies can be found at www.pna.net.

The Information System on the Question of Palestine, a collection of UN documents relating to the question of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East since 1947, can be found at http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF.

Introduction Past, Present, and Future Two Steps Forward? Following the Process Homelands Saving the Process Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions

Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers. MIDDLE EAST ACCORD: ANOTHER BID FOR PEACE Homelands

The territory that currently comprises the state of Israel and the areas under Palestinian control is an ancient and holy land, sacred to three of the world's great religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Its history stretches back to biblical times, and even beyond; prehistoric sites continue to be excavated in the region. The "Holy Land," and especially its most renowned city, Jerusalem, lies at the foundation of the historical and religious heritage of the Western world. It is the original home of the Hebraic tribes who first embraced the religion of Judaism over 5000 years ago. Since then, it has also witnessed centuries of warfare and bloodshed, as a series of foreign conquerors, including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, Romans, Saracens, Crusaders, and Turks have swept through it, seeking to control the only land access route between Arabia and Africa.

In the 20th century, the Middle East has also been a zone of conflict, between the Jewish settlers intent on establishing their own modern state on their ancient homeland, and the indigenous Arab population, which has inhabited the land for centuries. The modern history of this region has been shaped by major events in the past century that also continue to shape the collective destinies of Israelis and Palestinians today.

As you read this information, consider how each event added a new dimension to the troubled history of this area.

1880s Fleeing anti-Semitic persecution, groups of Russian and other Eastern European Jews begin to settle in Palestine, then a territory under the control of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire.

1897 At the first Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, Theodor Herzl, an Austrian Jew, proclaims the intention of his Jewish nationalist movement to seek a homeland for Europe's Jews in the Middle East.

1917 Seeking Jewish support for the Allied effort in the First World War, British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issues a declaration indicating his government's support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine, but not at the expense of the indigenous Arab population.

1917-47 After defeating the Turks, Britain rules Palestine as a military territory until 1922, and then as a League of Nations mandate. Jewish immigration from Europe increases dramatically.

1920s Resentful at the growing number of Jewish settlers, and at Britain's refusal to grant them independence, Palestinian Arabs stage violent demonstrations.

1930s With the rise of Nazism in Germany, Jewish immigration to Palestine increases even more. In 1936, the local Arab population launches a full-scale revolt against British rule and growing Jewish influence.

1939-45 During the Second World War, an underground Jewish organization, the , joins with British forces to fight against the Nazis, receiving invaluable military training. Jews in Palestine establish a "shadow government" to replace British rule, and organize every aspect of their society, including trade unions, schools, political parties, and kibbutzim (co-operative farm settlements). Two extremist groups, the Zwei Leumi and the Stern Gang, engage in violent terrorist acts against Arabs and British authorities.

1947 On November 29, the United Nations General Assembly votes in favour of a plan to partition Palestine between the Arabs and the Jews. Britain is no longer able to rule the region. Meanwhile, large numbers of Jewish refugees seek to emigrate to Palestine after surviving Hitler's death camps in Europe and are prevented from doing so by British coastal patrols.

1948 On May 14, Jewish leader David Ben Gurion proclaims the independence of the state of Israel. One month earlier, Zionist military units killed over 200 Palestinian villagers, including old people, women, and children, at Deir Yassin. Israel's Arab neighbours, , Syria, Jordan, and Iraq launch a co-ordinated invasion of the new state, but fail to defeat Israel.

1950s In the aftermath of the victorious "war of independence," the new state of Israel gains even more territory than it had been allotted under the terms of the partition plan. By this time, the Jewish population forms a majority, as most of the Palestinian Arabs flee during the fighting. In 1917, there are only 50 000 Jews in Palestine, compared with 500 000 Arabs. By 1948, 700 000 of the 900 000 Arabs have left, while the Jewish population rises to 650 000. Israel is recognized by many countries and receives significant military and economic assistance from the United States. However, not a single Arab country recognizes Israel's existence.

1956 Israel joins an Anglo-French military invasion of Egypt after its new nationalist leader Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal. Despite U.S. opposition to this intervention, Israel is able to annex the Sinai peninsula, until it is forced to withdraw a year later. A UN Emergency Force is dispatched to the region in a role, an idea proposed by Canadian diplomat Lester B. Pearson.

1960s Palestinian guerrilla forces organize a hit-and-run campaign against Israeli control, backed by neighbouring Arab states. Tension between Israel and Egypt rises as the supports the Arab states against Israel, a U.S. ally.

1967 After Nasser blocks Israeli access to the Gulf of Tiran, its only sea route to the Red Sea, war breaks out for the third time in the Middle East. Over a six-day period in June, Israel crushes the forces of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. The Six Day War results in significant territorial gains for Israel, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem, seized from Jordan, the Golan Heights, taken from Syria, and Sinai and Gaza, captured from Egypt. Israel proceeds to establish Jewish settlements in these regions, causing great resentment among the Arab inhabitants. In November, the UN Security Council passes a resolution demanding that Israel withdraw from the territories it occupied after the war, but with consistent U.S. backing, Israel ignores it. Since its creation in 1948, Israel has received over $62-billion in U.S. military and economic aid, the world's single greatest recipient of American support.

1973 Egyptian leader , who succeeded Nasser upon his sudden death in 1970, launches another military attack on Israel, coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Yom , on October 6. Unlike 1967, Israeli forces are caught by surprise, and Egyptian troops cross the Suez Canal and penetrate the Bar Lev line. Meanwhile, Syria attacks from the north. After initial defeats, Israel regroups and contains the Egyptian advance. A U.S.-brokered peace agreement results in an Israeli withdrawal from part of the Golan Heights and Sinai.

1977 In a sudden move to break the Arab-Israeli deadlock, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat travels to Jerusalem for direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister . Egypt becomes the first Arab state to recognize Israel's existence, leading to much condemnation of Sadat in other Arab capitals, and his assassination by extremists in 1981.

1979 U.S. President brings Sadat and Begin to Camp David, Maryland, to sign the , a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. In return for handing back the Sinai to Egypt, Israel receives a guarantee of peace with one of its former Arab enemies.

1970s The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, becomes the most influential guerrilla group fighting against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Arafat's former ally, King , orders the PLO out after a bloody clash in what is known as Black September. Arafat moves his headquarters to southern Lebanon, from where the PLO is strategically poised to launch border raids against Israel.

1978 Israel invades south Lebanon and creates a Christian Lebanese militia to fight against the PLO. Arafat gains greater international recognition and support for the Palestinian cause, and the UN passes a resolution equating with racism.

1982 Israel launches a full-scale occupation of south Lebanon, in an effort to crush the PLO once and for all. Christian militia units backed by Israel massacre thousands of Palestinian civilians in refugee camps at and Shatila after PLO forces withdraw. Public opinion inside Israel turns against the invasion and the Begin government that ordered it. Begin resigns and is replaced by , a one-time leader of the terrorist Stern Gang.

1985 Israel pulls most of its troops out of Lebanon but establishes a security zone in the southern part of the country. Conflict continues with radical Islamic groups like , backed by Iran.

1987 A spontaneous Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation, known as the Intifada, erupts throughout Gaza, the West Bank, and even Jerusalem itself. Israeli troops fire on groups of stone-throwing youths, causing many casualties and earning world-wide condemnation. The Intifada draws international attention to Israel's ongoing and frequently brutal occupation of these areas, and the harsh means it resorts to in order to crush it arouse considerable opposition inside Israel itself.

1990 Arafat announces his support for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein after he invades Kuwait. In the resulting Persian Gulf War (1991), a coalition of countries under U.S. direction, including some Arab states, crush Iraq. The PLO suffers a serious diplomatic reversal for supporting Hussein.

1991 The first face-to-face talks between Israel and the Palestinians begin in , but fail to accomplish much. Meanwhile, another set of secret negotiations take place in Oslo, Norway, and eventually reach an agreement involving "land for peace" and mutual Israeli-Palestinian recognition.

1993 The are signed at a ceremony in Washington, presided over by U.S. President Bill Clinton. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin shakes hands with PLO Chairman Arafat, the first time this has ever happened. Israel recognizes the PLO in return for a Palestinian commitment to accept the existence of the state of Israel. Israeli troops begin a limited withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

1995 On , Rabin is assassinated by a right- wing religious Jewish extremist opposed to the Oslo Accords. He is succeeded by , who proclaims his commitment to pursuing the peace process with the Palestinians.

1996 The radical Palestinian group Hamas launches a series of terrorist attacks inside Israel in an effort to halt the peace process. Meanwhile, an extremist Jewish settler fires on worshippers attending services at the mosque in Hebron, killing many. In an atmosphere of growing crisis and disillusionment with the peace process, Benjamin Netanyahu defeats Peres in the Israeli elections, promising to guarantee greater security for Israel, even if it means abandoning the goal of peace with the Palestinians. Construction of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank is stepped up, despite Palestinian opposition and international .

1998 Following months of vacillation and misunderstanding, Netanyahu and Arafat finally arrive at Wye Plantation in Maryland, to begin talks designed to revive the peace process under Clinton's sponsorship. At the last minute Jordan's King Hussein arrives to break the deadlock, and the Wye River Agreement is finalized. Introduction Past, Present, and Future Two Steps Forward? Following the Process Homelands Saving the Process Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions

Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers. MIDDLE EAST ACCORD: ANOTHER BID FOR PEACE Saving the Process

The Wye River Agreement rescued the faltering Middle East peace process from what had appeared to be almost certain collapse just a few months before its signing. But any relief among the major players in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute who remain committed to peace was considerably tempered by a sober awareness of the immense difficulties that still lie ahead. The Oslo Accords of 1993 stipulated that a final negotiated settlement of all the outstanding issues in contention between the two sides was to be achieved by May 9, 1999. The agreements reached at Wye broke no new ground in advancing this process. Instead, they only reiterated areas of consensus that had been reached previously but never acted upon, such as the new Palestinian airport to be built in Gaza, or added a reluctant Israeli approval to conditions both the Palestinians and the U.S. had already endorsed, like the joint security pact to be monitored by the CIA.

The issues that will form the core of the "final status talks," to be convened early in 1999, will prove immensely difficult to resolve. What are they, and why will they likely pose such a serious challenge to both the negotiating skills and the ability to compromise on the part of the Israeli and Palestinian participants? Examine the following information in order to answer these questions.

An Independent Palestine On Israel's Borders Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has made it clear that he intends to proclaim the independence of his nation in 1999, whether or not there has been any substantial progress in peace talks with Israel. To many Palestinians, this represents a symbolic culmination of their liberation struggle. While they will probably never recover all of the territory that once formed Palestine prior to Israel's creation, a state comprising the West Bank and Gaza represents at least a partial victory. But to hard-line Israelis who remain deeply distrustful of Palestinian intentions, the existence of such a state on their borders is perceived as a serious security threat. To them, the granting of limited autonomy or self-government to the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and the West Bank was the limit as far as concessions were concerned.

When the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, the issue of a future Palestinian state was left to be resolved in the final status talks. However, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, the Israeli leaders who negotiated the agreement, indicated that they were resigned to the fact that one day such a state would come into existence. However, the current Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu takes a very different and more negative view of an independent Palestine. Netanyahu's base of political support in Israel is composed of the most hard-line, intransigent part of that country's population, including the Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza who are adamant in their refusal to vacate what they believe to be their land. Netanyahu had a very difficult time overcoming the protests of these people to the Wye River Agreement. It remains to be seen how they will react to the raising of the flag of an independent Palestine in the land on which their settlements are located.

For their part, however, many Israelis who support the basic principles of a "land for peace" agreement with the Palestinians would probably accept a Palestinian state next door to them, as long as Israel's security could be guaranteed. But extremists among the Palestinian population, who want to see Israel destroyed and all the land that once was in Arab hands returned to them, may also oppose what is bound to be a painful compromise settlement.

Problems Facing A New Palestinian State The Wye River Agreement represented only a modest gain in territory and autonomy for the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Even in the areas that are now considered totally under its jurisdiction, Israel continues to control security, entry and exit rights, water, and building permits. The construction of new Jewish settlements goes on, over strong Palestinian protests, and an Israeli access road to Jerusalem is being built through land that was once in Palestinian hands. The two parts of what will probably become the Palestinian state, Gaza and the West Bank, are separated by a swath of Israeli territory, and so far there is no land route linking them.

Economic conditions are very bad in the areas currently under Palestinian jurisdiction, especially in Gaza, where 40 per cent of the adult population is believed to be unemployed. Many workers in both zones depend on jobs inside Israel for their livelihoods. Any outbreaks of terrorist violence automatically result in the sealing of Israel's borders, which prevents them from going to work and causes great financial hardship. So far, very little substantial economic assistance has come into the Palestinian zones, despite promises of aid from many nations. In the aftermath of the Wye Agreement, U.S. President Bill Clinton and others recognized that the Palestinian Authority required immediate help if it is to lay the foundations for a viable state in the future, and provide its people with some hope that their living conditions in it will improve.

At present, there are over four million Palestinians living outside the West Bank and Gaza. Many of them reside inside Israel itself, where they hold limited citizenship rights. Others are located in Jordan, Egypt, and other nearby Arab nations. Some have gone further afield to the oil-rich states of the Persian Gulf or even to Europe and North America. How many of these people may wish to return to an independent Palestine is anyone's guess. But assuming that a significant number opt for repatriation, then the already serious economic problems will get even worse. How will the new state provide jobs, housing, social services, education, and other necessities of life in a modern functioning nation with such limited economic resources? The present population of the West Bank and Gaza is already growing rapidly, and is expected to triple from its current figure of 2.6 million by the year 2025.

An increasing number of Palestinians are becoming dissatisfied with the rule of Yasser Arafat and his PLO colleagues who now comprise the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza. Some of them have turned to radical groups like Hamas as an alternative to what they perceive to be a corrupt, ineffectual, and weak leadership. Hamas is widely presented in the Western media as an extremist, Islamic fundamentalist terrorist movement whose only purpose is to wreak havoc inside Israel. In reality, it is a broadly based social and political organization that has established deep roots within the most impoverished sectors of the Palestinian population. It provides schools, labour exchanges, and other social programs for the people of Gaza and the West Bank, facilities that so far the Arafat regime has been very slow to deliver. Other more moderate Palestinian figures, such as former PLO negotiator , and U.S.-based literary critic Edward Said, have also been harshly critical of Arafat's ruling clique for its violations of human rights, dishonesty, and inability to govern effectively in the areas currently under its authority.

The Future of Jerusalem Perhaps no single issue currently in dispute between Israel and the Palestinians is so fraught with emotional overtones as the status of the city of Jerusalem. This ancient place is sacred to three religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam —and holds a special place in the world's religious, historical, and cultural imagination. Currently, all of Jerusalem is under Israeli control, and is claimed as that nation's capital, although no other nation recognizes it as such. As far as the current Israeli government is concerned, that is the final status for Jerusalem, and any compromise that might hand even part of it over to a future Palestinian state is rejected out of hand.

Most of Jerusalem's Arab population is concentrated in the eastern section of the city, and this is the part of Jerusalem that the Palestinians have declared will be their nation's capital one day. East Jerusalem touches on the West Bank, and would thus link that part of Palestine to the Arab population of the city. As far as the rest of the city and the holy places such as the , the Al Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock are concerned, the Palestinian position is that they should fall under joint Israeli- Palestinian sovereignty.

Ever since Israel captured East Jerusalem in the Six Day War of 1967, control over this city has been the focal point in the ongoing dispute. Ultraorthodox Jews regard it as the centre both of their state and their religion, arguing that the Jews have known no other capital since King David established it over 3000 years ago. But Palestinian Arabs, both Muslims and Christians, also regard it as their city, a place where their ancestors lived for hundreds of years, and where holy sites were consecrated.

Jerusalem is one of the world's great cities, a place to which many people travel for spiritual renewal or cultural appreciation. Ironically, its Hebrew name translates as "the city of peace." Today the name Jerusalem also recalls the contradictory and dualistic nature of this sacred and mysterious place. The Israeli writer Amos Elon has referred to Jerusalem as "the city of memory" in his evocative book Jerusalem: City of Mirrors. He points to its location on the boundary between Israel's fertile and desert regions, its present-day division into Jewish and Arab sectors, the ongoing tension between its past and its possible future, the juxtaposition of the secular and religious lives of its inhabitants, and the split between its concrete reality as an urban centre and its profound symbolism to three religions and Western culture. Whether it will ever be possible for Israelis and Palestinians to agree on a plan that would allow them to share this place that evokes such powerful passions and longings within their souls is a question that lies at the very heart of the long and painful conflict that has raged between them.

Follow-up Activities 1. With reference to the above information, suggest which of the three key issues identified you think poses the greatest challenge to the establishment of a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Give reasons for your answer.

2. Form groups to discuss each of these issues. In your groups, propose compromise solutions to these areas of contention between Israel and the Palestinians that might help to resolve the difficulties involved in them.

Introduction Past, Present, and Future Two Steps Forward? Following the Process Homelands Saving the Process Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions

Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers. MIDDLE EAST ACCORD: ANOTHER BID FOR PEACE Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions

1. With the aid of an atlas, almanac, or other resource, prepare a chart summarizing the information about Israel and the territories currently under its occupation, using the following headings: Geography, People, Government, Economy, Finance and Trade, Health and Education, Transportation and Communications.

2. Find out more about Israel and the position of its government on Middle East political issues by contacting the Israeli Embassy in Canada at 50 O'Connor St., Ste. 1005, , ON K1P 6L2, Tel: (613) 567-6450, Fax: (613) 237-8865.

3. Research the importance of Jerusalem as a holy city to the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. What important religious sites sacred to these three religions are located in the city?

4. Read one of the following books dealing with the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and prepare a review of it: This Side of Peace, by Hanan Ashrawi; The Fifty Years War: Israel and the Arabs, by Ahron Bregman and Jihan el-Tahri; Touching Peace, by ; O Jerusalem, by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre; The Birth of Israel: Myths and Realities, by Simha Flappan; Beyond the Promised Land, by Glenn Frankel; Battling for Peace, by Shimon Peres; Peace and its Discontents, by Edward Said.

5. Find out more about , a convicted Israeli spy now serving a life sentence for espionage in the United States, and how his fate became a major issue in the negotiations leading to the Wye River Agreement. To most Americans, Pollard is viewed as a traitor, while to many Israelis he is a hero.

6. Discuss the role of the mass media, in particular television and motion pictures, in presenting negative stereotypes of Arabs and Islam, a recent example being the Hollywood film The Siege. A good source dealing with this topic is Covering Islam: How the Media and the Experts Determine How We See the Rest of the World, by Edward Said.

7. Follow the progress of the ongoing Middle East peace process after the signing of the Wye River Agreement and into the period leading up to the "final status talks" to be held in 1999. Prepare periodic updates for your class on the state of relations between Israel and the Palestinians and monitor the chances for success in upcoming peace talks.

8. Research the current religious and cultural conflicts within Israel between the secular Jewish majority and the growing and vocal minority of ultrareligious Jews. How might this clash threaten the unity of Israeli society and affect progress toward achieving peace with the Palestinians and Israel's other Arab neighbours?

Introduction Past, Present, and Future Two Steps Forward? Following the Process Homelands Saving the Process Discussion, Research, and Essay Questions

Indicates material appropriate or adaptable for younger viewers.