CNCMUN IV Background Guide Council of Leaders COL Presidents: Gabriel Hernández and Isabella Ospina Gabriela Conde and Tomás Ortiz Executive editors Gabriel Hernández Isabella Ospina Sub-editor Sub-editor Table of contents I. Letter from the chair II. Introduction to the committee III. First agenda: Middle East and Israel Conflict A. Introduction B. History C. Current Situation i. Right of return ii. Security and Terrorism D. Different Perspectives IV Second agenda: Iran and USA crisis A. Introduction B. History i. Precedents of the Iran-U.S.A. relation ii. Incidents iii. Nuclear weapons development C. Current Situation D. Different Perspectives V. Information of Mandatory Revision VI. QARMA’S (Questions a Resolution Must Answer) VII. Bibliography I. Letter from the chair Estimated delegates, We are Gabriel Hernández and Isabella Ospina, and as presidents of the committee of Council of Leaders, we’d like to extend to you a warm welcome to the 4th edition of CNCMUN. This time, the topics to be discussed are related to the Middle East conflict with other countries such as Israel and the United States - Iran crisis. We are appreciative to receive delegates that are open to an active participation and take this as learning and enriching experience. We are looking forward to achieve this committee's goals and make this a joyful experience for everyone. We are expecting to see you soon. II. Introduction to the committee Council of leaders is an experimental committee in the Model of United Nations that consists in setting out a scene in which world leaders with greater significance discuss and debate about current controversial and important issues. The delegates will have to represent presidents, prime ministers and other important mandataries, in order to give a prompt solution to problems following democracy parameters as well as human rights. III. First agenda: Middle East and Israel Conflict A. Introduction The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians that began in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, with only partial success, as at the end of 2019. The origins of their enmity can be traced back to Jewish immigration and sectarian conflict in Mandatory Palestine between Jews and Arabs. It has been referred to as the world's "Most intractable conflict", with the ongoing Israeli occupation of the West Bank1 and the Gaza Strip2 reaching 53 years. Despite a long-term peace process and the general reconciliation of Israel with Egypt and Jordan, Israelis and Palestinians have failed to reach a final peace agreement. The key issues are: mutual recognition, borders, security, water rights, control of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, Palestinian freedom of movement, and Palestinian right of return. The violence of the dispute, in a region full of sites of historic, cultural and religious interest worldwide, has been the object of numerous international conferences dealing with historic rights, security issues and human rights, and has been a factor hampering tourism in and general access to areas that are hotly contested. Many attempts have been made to broker a two-state solution, involving the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel. In 2007, the majority of both Israelis and Palestinians, according to a number of polls, preferred the two-state solution over any other solution as a means of resolving the conflict (Rivers, 2019). A majority of Jews see the Palestinians' demand for an independent state as just, and think Israel can agree to the establishment of such a state. The majority of Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have also expressed a preference for a two-state solution. Yet, within Israeli and Palestinian society, the antagonism generates a wide variety of views and opinions. This highlights the deep divisions which exist not only between Israelis and 1 Area of Palestine, claimed from 1949 to 1988 as part of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan but occupied from 1967 by Israel. Also known as Judea. 2 Is a self-governing Palestinian territory that borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north. Palestinians, but also within each society. A hallmark of their enmity has been the level of violence witnessed for virtually its entire duration. There are prominent international actors involved in the conflict. The two parties engaged in direct negotiation are the Israeli government, currently led by Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Palestine Liberation Organization, currently headed by Mahmoud Abbas. Since 2006, the Palestinian side has been fractured due to the animosity between the two major factions: Fatah, the traditionally dominant party, and it's later electoral challenger, Hamas. After Hamas's electoral victory in 2006, the Quartet conditioned future foreign assistance to the Palestinian National Authority on the future government's commitment to nonviolence, recognition of the State of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements. Hamas rejected these demands, which resulted in the Quartet's suspension of its foreign assistance program, and the imposition of economic sanctions due to the Israelis. The division of governance between the parties had effectively resulted in the collapse of bipartisan governance of the PA. However, in 2014, a Palestinian Unity Government, composed of both Fatah and Hamas, was formed. B. History The confrontations between Israel and Palestine commenced with a religious controversy, with the jewish migration to Palestine after World War II, and the rivalry between jews and arabs. Following the war and the Holocaust, in 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, which called for the creation of two separate Jewish and Arab states. The other eastern Arab nations refused to recognize Israel as a legitimate state. Therefore, a day after Israel declared itself an independent state, in May 1948, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq attempted to invade it. Israel was able to repel the invasion, but took land that was originally reserved for Arab Palestinians in the process, creating a large Palestinian refugee crisis. Later, in 1967, there was an attack from the United Arab Republic3, it was called the Six-Day War because it only took Israel 6 days to win and take over even more territory. Afterwards, in 1973, Egypt, Syria and Jordan invaded them again, but this time, after Israel claimed victory, they signed a peace treaty with Egypt. 14 years later, particular episodes of violence led to a Palestinian uprising, also known as the first Palestinian intifada4, in territories occupied by Israel on December 9th. The first intifada started when an Israeli army truck ran into a group of Palestinians near a refugee camp in the 3 Political Union between Syria and Egypt between 1958 and 1961. 4 Intifada is an Arabic word derived from a verb meaning "to shake off," and is the term used to describe the two major uprisings against Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Gaza strip, leaving four deaths and 7 wounded. Two days later, a jewish salesman was found stabbed to death in Gaza. Mutual blaming between Israelis and Palestinians rose tensions and caused the riots that persisted for a long time. Eventually, the violence escalated on different territories, but especially in the city of Gaza. Later in 1993, it ended (Neff, 1997). Then, in September 2000, the second intifada, also known as al-Aqsa Intifada, started. After Ariel Sharon5's visit to Jerusalem, next to a thousand armed personnel, the Palestinians saw “an attempt to take control of the Noble Sanctuary, the third holiest site in Islam” (Neff, 1997b) . The founding of Israel was followed Later in decades of fighting and terrorism, from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the 1967 Six-Day War to the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the First and Second Intifadas. As a result of these, thousands of people have died and millions more have suffered, with an entire population becoming refugees. Attempts were made to end the disputes and bring peace to both sides. 5 An israeli general and politician In 1993, Israeli and Palestinian leaders met to negotiate a potential peace agreement called the Oslo Accords. Although this did not bring peace, it did kick off years of diplomatic efforts to end the hostility, which is referred to as the peace process. The international community has taken many actions to assist Israel and Palestine find peace. In the UN Security Council, the most recent resolution adopted on the situation was in 2009, Resolution 1860, which “called for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.” More recently, in September 2012, the President of the Security Council issued a statement describing the latest efforts to restart peace talks. With the larger UN family, the UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) is responsible for delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees. UNRWA provides education, health, relief and social services to over 5 million Palestinian refugees living in countries across the Middle East, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, and areas of Palestine, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In addition to the UN, numerous NGOs address the Israeli-Palestinian animosity. For example, Breaking the Silence is one NGO that comprises “veteran combatants who have served in the Israeli military since the start of the Second Intifada, and have taken it upon themselves to expose the Israeli public to the reality of everyday life in the Occupied Territories.” C. Current Situation Today, the peace process revolves around negotiations between Israeli leaders, led later in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian leaders, led later in President Mahmoud Abbas. Within Israel, Netanyahu faces problematic pressures from his own political party, opposing political parties, and Israeli citizens.