HSMUN 2020 Security Council 2020 Topic 1: Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 1.1 Background Information Historical Background (1516-2000) It is impossible to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without first understanding their complex history. For centuries, the area which we now consider Israel and Palestine was dominated by the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire allowed certain amounts of religious freedom, but disallowed any form of sovereignty or national agency. During World War One, Britain and France created the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement in 1916 with the expectation that the Ottoman Empire would fall following the conclusion of the war. This agreement dictated that Britain and France, with assent from Russia and Italy, would divide the Middle East for themselves and reap the rewards of the fallen empire. Furthermore, in 1917, prior to the conclusion of the War, the British Government issued the Balfour Declaration which promised a national homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine. During the peace negotiations at Versailles, the defeated Ottoman Empire was divided among the victorious. Critically, Britain took control over Palestine under a League of Nations mandate, rather than as a new colony, from 1920 until 1948. This mandate required the ruling power to create democracy and independence within the nation. During the time of the mandate, Palestine saw increasing violence between Arabs, who now considered themselves free to form an independent nation, and Jews, who considered Palestine their ancestral homeland according to both the Torah and the British government. In 1947, the U.N passed Resolution 181 which partitioned Palestine into a Jewish state, an Arab state, and a small international zone around Jerusalem. Arabs rejected this idea, 1 HSMUN 2020 however, the resolution moved ahead. Britain officially withdrew from Palestine in May 1948, and the Jewish National Council proclaimed the State of Israel. Arab nations openly rejected the notion of creating a Jewish state in Palestine, therefore, they met the establishment of Jewish statehood with guerilla warfare and terrorism. As such, the War of Independence or First Arab-Israeli War began. During this time hundreds of thousands of Jewish individuals migrated into Israel and thousands of Palestinians were made refugees due to the destructive nature of the conflict. The War concluded in the spring and summer of 1949 as Israel signed armistices with Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Moreover, Jordan became incredibly supportive of the Palestinian cause following the conflict and advocated for the oppressed people internationally; domestically, they extended citizenship to Palestinians in 1949. Notably, Israel was admitted to the United Nations as a full member on May 11, 1949. The Suez Canal Crisis in 1956 was a critical moment in Arab-Israeli relations and is often labelled as the Second Arab-Israeli War. Egypt, in response to America’s and Britain's decision not to finance the construction of the Aswan High Dam due to President Nasser’s growing ties to communism, - unfavourable political connections due to the Cold War- seized the Suez Canal and declared martial law, consequently nationalizing the Canal. The Canal is critical to European and Middle Eastern trade and was owned by the Suez Canal Company, a British and French company. Britain and France feared the Canal’s closure and sought diplomatic efforts to settle the disagreements: these failed. They did, however, find an ally in Israel who was willing to be militarily involved. Therefore, on October 29, 1956, Israeli brigades invaded Egypt and advanced towards the canal, temporarily gaining control over the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula. Britain and France demanded the withdrawal of both Israeli and Egyptian troops and intervened in order to enforce a cease-fire; this was unpopular both 2 HSMUN 2020 domestically and internationally. Through a U.N negotiated cease-fire, British and French peacekeepers, alongside Israeli troops, withdrew, relinquishing control over the gained territory, in March 1957. Another crucial conflict occurred in 1967 and is entitled the Six Day War or the Third Arab-Israeli War. This war was a result of increasing tension and border skirmishes, particularly at Israel’s northern border with Syria. Syria was attempting to divert the River Jordan away from Israel’s national water grid and sheltered Palestinian guerilla fighters. On June 5th, Israel launched a pre-emptive air assault against Egypt which destroyed the majority of its air force; similarly, Israel launched an attack on the Syrian air force. Within three days of fighting, Israel had achieved victory and had captured the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula up to the Suez Canal. Jordan had begun to bomb West Jerusalem, but by June 7th, Israel had succeeded in driving the Jordanian forces out, not only of Jerusalem, but also a majority out of the West Bank. The U.N called for a cease-fire on June 7th and Egypt accepted the following day. On June 9th, Israel launched an attack on the Golan Heights and captured it from Syrian forces; Syria accepted the cease fire on June 10th. This war marked Israel’s dominance in the region with particular respect to the command of territory. This conflict also created hundreds of thousands of refugees and brought approximately over a million Palestinians into Israeli occupied territories. Additionally, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), a terrorist organization which seeks Israel’s destruction through militaristic violence, was formed in 1964. The PLO, with the support of Israel’s Arab neighbours, has become the governing body for the stateless nation of Palestine. Notably, in 1974, PLO leader Yasir Arafat addressed the U.N General Assembly, becoming the first stateless government to do so. 3 HSMUN 2020 The Yom Kippur War, or the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, had inconclusive results. The war began with Egypt and Syria simultaneously launching an attack on Israel on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur and during Ramadan, a holy month for Islam, in October 1973. Egypt crossed the Suez Canal into the Sinai Peninsula and Syria broke through Israel’s defenses in the Golan Heights. Israel asked for American assistance which was provided by President Richard Nixon. Following intense and sporadic fighting, Israel and Egypt agreed on a ceasefire on January 18th, 1974, which included Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula and Egypt's reduction in military forces on the east bank of the Suez Canal. A U.N peacekeeping force established a buffer zone between the two armies. On May 31, 1974, Israel and Syria signed their own cease fire agreement which likewise resulted in a U.N buffer zone, as well as an exchange of prisoners of war. A moment of peace occurred in November 1977 when Egypt's President Anwar Sadat declared his willingness to discuss reconciliation with Israel. Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin invited the Egyptian leader to address Israel’s parliament (Knesset). Following two years of discussions, on March 14th, 1979, the Knesset approved the final peace treaty and twelve days later Begin and Sadat, alongside President Jimmy Carter, signed the final document in a White House ceremony. Thus, Israel began to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula which Egypt subsequently annexed on May 25th, 1979. This peace, however, did not last long. It was officially broken on June 9th, 1982 when Israel launched a massive assault on southern Lebanon, where the PLO were stationed. Israel began to destroy PLO strongholds, however, a U.S mediated peace accord was negotiated between Israel and Lebanon which was signed on May 17th, 1983; this required Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. While Israel did not fully withdraw, 4 HSMUN 2020 they remained near the border in southern Lebanon. Lebanon, under Syrian influence, cancelled the accord in March 1984. In 1987 the intifada, or rebellion, began, otherwise known as the Gaza Strip Riots. These began due to the killing of four Palestinian civilians by Israeli’s at a checkpoint in the Gaza Strip, as well as the murder of a seventeen-year-old Palestinian by an Israeli officer. More than 20 000 individuals were killed in the fighting. Critically, in 1988, PLO leader Yasser Arafat acknowledged Israel's right to exist and his willingness to enter negotiations to create a Palestinian political entity that would coexist with the Israeli state. Three years later in 1991, the U.S and Soviet Union organized the Madrid Conference in order to establish a framework for peace negotiations between Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Palestine. Discussions included Palestinian self-rule of the Gaza Strip as well as the West Bank, the future of Palestinian refugees and a plan for economic development in the region, which had been forestalled due to decades of violent conflict and rebellion. By 1993, the PLO and the Israeli government agreed on the Oslo Accords. The Accords stipulated the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from six West Bank cities and approximately 450 towns. As well, the Accord outlined a timetable in order to develop Palestinian self-governance including a timetable for elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council. As a result, the Palestinian Authority, with Arafat as elected leader, took control of newly non-Israeli occupied territories and assumed government duties. Unfortunately, the progress to peace was halted and reversed with the election of a new hard-line Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who argued that the Oslo Accords offered too many quick concessions to Israel's enemies and jeopardized the nation's safety. Yet, another attempt at peace was held in 1997 through the Hebron Accord, however, actions from the Israeli government regarding the continued construction of Jewish settlements on the West Bank 5 HSMUN 2020 nullified progress. As a result, Netanyahu authorized right-wing Israeli’s to build even more settlements in primarily Arab East Jerusalem; additionally, Arafat was both unwilling and unable to curb violence of Arab extremists, including Hamas.