THE SPECIAL POLITICAL & DECOLONISATION COMMITTEE STUDY GUIDETABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction History of the Committee Topic Area: The Israel Palestine Conflict The Special Political & INTRODUCTION This year SPECPOL will be looking at the highly contentious and controversial topic of the IsraeliPalestine conflict. The issue still tethers on the brink of disaster and no side looks like it will yield to any significant compromise in the near future. Besides the six core issues to be dealt with – the territory of Jerusalem, refugees from both countries, settlements, securities, border and resources - committee must pursue an end to the animosity and violence. On some level this topic coincides with the special functions associated with our committee. The Israel-Palestine issue correlates to the ‘Special Political’ part. On one side we have the State of Israel and on the other Palestine. Attempts to peace and a viable solution have been made only to be forgotten and left to historians. Since this problem has remained in deadlock ever since the Independence of Israel in 1948 and also since this issue constitutes one of the few longstanding political dramas of modern society, there can be doubt that it is best left under the auspices of the Fourth Committee. We at the United Nations stand for all that is just, viable and good in the world. There can be no doubt that SPECPOL will find a solution befitting the seriousness and complexity of the issue. But in addition to the political ramifications of the problem, special care must be taken to take into account ethnic and moral considerations. The Israeli-Palestine conflict is but a part of the larger Arab-Israeli and the still larger Jewish-Arab conflict which dates back almost a hundred years. Some call it a ‘clash of civilizations’, others a ‘political drama’. Dear delegates, the choice are yours. We can create history and be hailed as some of the greatest decision-makers of our time or be confined, yet again, to some forgotten corner in the annals of time. HISTORY OF THE COMMITTEE In 1945, the United Nations Charter was signed by 51 countries and officially replaced the League of Nations which had been the main organization working towards international peace and collective security. From the beginning then, the General Assembly of the United Nations has been envisioned as a sort of international parliament where each member state receives representation in the form of one vote. In 1946, the first full session of the General Assembly was called. There were six standing committees of the Assembly. In fact, it was not until 1947 when the Special Political Committee was created as an ad‐hoc body to advise the First Committee and take on some of its obvious work overflow. The First task for the Special Political Committee was to mediate over the creation of new Jewish and Arab states in Palestine. Despite its growing influence, the General, Assembly still regarded the Special Political Committee as an ad hoc body until 1978. During that year, it was formally established as a permanent committee. At the same time, the First Committee was renamed to the Disarmament and International Security Committee in order to reflect the limiting of its jurisdiction. This shift thus left SPECPOL responsible for all other general political disputes above and beyond disarmament and security. It is also charged with reviewing the peacekeeping operations which the United Nations has outstanding. However, due to the broadness of its defined jurisdiction, SPECPOL has often times held overlapping mandates with other GA committees. In addition, the Security Council may also refer matters to SPECPOL when it feels as if the topic should be discussed by a larger international body. (For further information please see the official website of SPECPOL http://www.un.org/ga/58/fourth/) TOPIC AREA: THE ISRAEL PALESTINE CONFLICT STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Land disputes are nothing new in the course of international relations. For as long as countries have existed, there have been wars over land, resources and sovereignty. This present scenario deals with the land of Palestine and the claims made to it by two sets of people, Jewish and Arab. Although by and large the Arabs have come to terms with the fact that Israel is here to stay and it would not be possible to drive them out and have claim over all the land, an increasingly important sector of Arabic society still harbors the belief that Palestine is their land and that Israel has no claim to it (Most notably ‘Hamas’. For a profile of Hamas please visit the following website - http:// www.cfr.org/publication/8968/) The present conflict between the State of Israel and Palestine is multi‐faceted and contains a multiplicity of issues to be resolved. The reasons for conflict are numerous and, unfortunately, are not backed by sufficient political will or international attention. That, coupled with a fragile domestic political situation in both the involved parties and an everprevalent sense of hatred and tension can make even the most optimistic depressed. But, nonetheless, we will attempt to bring a semblance of sanity in the region. In a nutshell, the conflict revolves around the six core issues of-Jerusalem, refugees, resources, borders, settlements and security. Other bones of contention include the virtual blockade of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian hostility and the reciprocal Israeli severity, the status of the West Bank, and most importantly the future of a Palestinian state. The list is extensive but you can be sure that it is not exhaustive. There will most definitely be a number of issues which crop up during debate which have not even been mentioned in this study guide. HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM The present day conflict has its roots in events that took place more than 3000 years ago. History is witness to frequent wars that have been waged over Palestine and its ownership has passed from the first Jews to the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Romans and finally the Turks. But in all the mayhem, the Jews never gave up their hope of the ‘Promised Land’ which they believed was their ancient homeland given to them by God. They continued to migrate there in small numbers. Palestine remained central to Jewish culture and worship even if it wasn’t theirs. Thus, about 100 to 150 years ago the Jews never even dreamt of actually establishing their homeland there. The Jewish connection was mostly messianic redemption and a vague notion of ‘deliverance’. When Anti-Semitism took a violent streak (at about the end of the 19th century) a large number of Jews had left their earlier places of stay and had migrated elsewhere. It was during this time, in the year 1914, that the concept of Israel actually evolved. This was strongly promoted by men such as Theodor Herzel a leading proponent of the Zionist movement. Arab rights over Palestine arise from the fact that they were the last conquerors of Palestine (albeit it was the Turkish Empire but since the Arabs had been practically absorbed in the Turkish Empire we can treat them synonymously). Thus by 1914, two rival groups had settled in Palestine with each of them beginning to view the territory as their homeland. The Arabic population had been estimated to be around 650,000 and the Jews at 85,000 (a significant minority). Excerpts from the Israeli Declaration of Independence, ‘The land of Israel is the birthplace of the Israeli (i.e. Jewish) people. Here their identity was made. Here they gained independence and created a culture. Here they wrote and gave the Bible to the world…….It is the right of the Jewish people to be a nation, like other nations, in its own country.’ An excerpt from a modern Arabic writer explaining the Arabic point of view, ‘The problem is the story of people who lived peacefully in their own homes for generations. Then came along total strangers from across the sea that turned the people out of their country Arthur Balfour and occupied their homes. The Arab case is based on the principle that the only people who can claim ownership of their country are those who are born there and have had long and continued possession. It is the same case as that which gives the British the right to Britain.’ In the sunny year of 1915, a series of letters were exchanged between the then Sharif of Mecca and Sir Henry McMahon, the British High Commissioner in Egypt. The subject of the letters was the future division of the Ottoman Empire territories with regard to the Arab land. These were later known as the famous Hussein‐ McMahon correspondence. The Turks had just allied with Germany in the First World War and the British were looking for help from the Arabs to topple them. Hussein demanded land for the Arabs where they could form their own independent nations. McMahon responded in kind stating that after the War would get over their demands would be met, subject to certain conditions. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussein‐McMahon Correspondence) It is this that forms the basis of Arabic argument for Palestine. However, when, through the Bal four Declaration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bal four _Declaration_of _1917) Britain supported the establishment of Jewish homeland in Palestine the Arabs cried foul. The British countered by saying that they had not included the territory of Palestine in the correspondence. The Arabs had no choice but to accept the rising influx of Jewish people (remember this was the time when the idea of Israel was gaining popularity). Earlier in 1916, the French and the British had made secret plans for dividing the Ottoman Empire after the First World War for their own benefit. This was known as the Sykes‐Picot Agreement. When this came to light, it further deteriorated the image of Britain. The Arabs were particularly angered with this because they considered this in direct violation of the Hussein‐McMahon correspondence. Many historians consider this the turning point of Arab‐ Western relations. The Palestine problem became an international issue towards the end of the First World War with the disintegration of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The League of Nations was established at a historic meeting in the French suburb of Versailles. Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations established the Mandates system and the area of Palestine, promised to both the Jews and the Arabs by the British were eventually returned to the British. The primary aim of the Mandates system was to facilitate the movement towards freedom of the Mandatory Territories, and, as expected all but one achieved their goal. The exception was Palestine. Instead of being limited to "the rendering of administrative assistance and advice" the Mandate had as a primary objective the implementation of the "Balfour Declaration" issued by the British Government in 1917, expressing support for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people". The period between the two World Wars was one of unrest, violence and hostility. Arabic and Jewish communities openly fought against each other and between the years of 1936‐39 a massive Arabic rebellion took place against the British. The extremist Jews too were frustrated with Britain’s double‐standards and targeted the British. Inter‐communal fighting broke out with Arabs targeting Jews and the Jews forming a Jewish Defense Force. Despite the upheavals and increasingly fragile political situation, the British continued to try to find a situation. However each of their proposed solutions either managed to anger one of the conflicting sides or make no difference at all. Adding to all this was the ever-increasing influx of Jewish immigrants trying to escape Nazi persecution which only worsened the situation. By 1947, the British decided it had enough. It abruptly decided to hand over the problem to the United Nations. The UNO decided to partition the land of Palestine into two nations one Jewish and the other Arabic. The Arabs rejected the idea because they were given lesser territory despite being the majority. On the last day of the mandate, that fateful day of the 15th of May 1948, Israel declared its independence. Israeli Independence Immediately after this proclamation, Israel was attacked by five Arab countries‐Lebanon, Syria, Transjordan, Egypt and Iraq. Despite the nascent nature of the State of Israel, it managed to win a resounding victory against all five nations and captured more territory than what was originally allocated to them. The Arabs were humiliated. The Israeli victory and the establishment of a Jewish state did not put a rest to the Palestinian issue. A colossal amount of Arab Palestinians (estimated at about 726,000) fled Israel to form refugee camps in the neighboring countries. The refugee crisis exists till the present day. Further, these camps became centers for anti‐Israeli movements and recruitment of fighters. More about this issue in subsequent articles. Besides the above mentioned War, a number of similar crises cropped up between the periods 1956‐1973. Most notably these included the Suez Canal crisis, the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War. Knowledge about these issues is of paramount importance, however due to space constraints they have not been included here. Links to the following websites should prove to be useful: Suez Canal Crisis - http://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/0472108670‐06.pdf Six-Day War- http://www.sixdaywar.org/ Yom Kippur War - http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/yom_kippur_war_of_1973.htm After such a long period of aggression came an uneasy peace from 1973 to 1993. The United States of America played a crucial role in calming tensions in the region (primarily because it realized the value of oil the Middle East was providing). It began with Henry Kissinger who traveled tirelessly between Tel Aviv, Cairo and Damascus to bring peace. The first peace talks were held in the December of 1973 in Geneva. Following that were the Camp David Accords, a momentous occasion which culminated in the signing of a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. It was the first such treaty ever signed between an Arab country and Israel. However this still did not resolve the issue of Palestine. A number of organizations of the Palestinian Arabs had been formed during the years in exile. The most important of which was the Palestinian Liberation Organization or the PLO. The PLO carried out its struggle against Israel using techniques aimed at terrorizing Israel to give up the conquered lands. They included the hijacking of airplanes, kidnappings, raids and even bombings. Israel too responded in many ways. Although PLO still represents the Palestinian people, its significance is less as compared to Fatah and Hamas. Hence, a detailed study of the political parties is more important. (For a detailed profile of Fatah see - http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_1991to_now_plo_fatah.php/) The First Intifada began in 1990. Intifada literally means uprising and it was a response of the Arabs in the occupied territories against Israel. Israel resorted to a brutal suppression of this. In the early months of 1993 as many as 14 secret meetings were held in Oslo, Norway. This concluded in the signing of the Oslo Accords, an incredible step forward towardsthe resolution of the issue. (http://palestinefacts.org/pf_1991to_now_oslo_accords.php) According to the Declaration of Principles enshrined within, Israel would allow the creation of a Palestinian Authority which would be elected and have administrative responsibilities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Israel would gradually remove all of its settlements from the above mentioned areas. However, as seen in many things of this conflict, the Oslo Accords were too put under strain and eventually forgotten by 2000, primarily due the opposition by Hamas. In 2003, Ariel Sharon implemented a highly controversial disengagement plan whereby Israel removed all of its civilian and military presence in the Gaza Strip. However, it still maintains a high degree of control over it by controlling its sea access, its airspace, immigration and emigration and even its imports and exports. But, yes, it has no presence in it. The West Bank however is an Israeli-occupied territory. In 2006, Hamas won the elections to the Palestinian Authority. This created a major setback to the peace process as it is considered a terrorist organization by many countries. In fact, its stated aims are to ’wipe Israel off the face of the map’. Indeed, chances for meaningful negotiations seem bleak. The situation in Palestinian territories was, and still is, bleak. After the elections, violent fighting broke out between the two major political parties, Fatah and Hamas. Hamas drove Fatah out of the Gaza Strip while Fatah maintains its position in the West Bank (known as the factional violence in Palestine in 2006-07) Fatah is only body which the international community deals with (technically it is the PLO and not Fatah but since Fatah is the largest faction in the PLO, the PLO virtually reflects the will of Fatah. Hamas is not a part of it) and its loss to Hamas was seen as catastrophic. We thus have a very tenuous political situation in Palestine. In addition to the massive ‘mini civil war’ in Palestine, we have the fact that the two main parties in Palestine have divided it into two spheres of influence. Hope for reconciliation seem bleak and a change in ideology even dimmer. As if internal conflict wasn’t enough, another conflict arose. This conflict, known as the Gaza‐ Israeli conflict of 2007‐08 was the result of the Firing of Quassam rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip by various Palestinian militants. Israel retaliated severely and after a year of retaliation and counter‐retaliation, an end to the issue seems near. CURRENT SITUATION The current situation in Israel and Palestine is this: Factional violence in Palestine still rages on, albeit with less violence and more tension. The positions have been consolidated but a solution is still not in sight. The Gaza‐ Israel conflict is almost at a close with both sides wanting peace. Hamas maintains its hostile attitude towards Israel which is reciprocated likewise. A long‐term, viable and permanent solution is as far-fetched as ‘claiming that pigs can Ely’. Peace in the region may come in the short-term, but it will be an uneasy peace, constantly fractured by various acts of hatred. The closest Hamas has come to a peace solution is the offering of a ten‐year ‘hudna’ or truce with the Israeli’s (subject to conditions) and that to a temporary one. They seem, or rather are, hell-bent on removing every trace of Jewish inhabitance. To make matters worse, Israel too suffers from the vagaries of coalition politics. Its political situation is also very unstable. The six core issues have never been so far from resolution and establishment of an Arab state is extremely unlikely. Before we go on, let us describe the six issues:- Jerusalem ( Also see ‐ http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/jerutoc.html ) “No city in the world, not even Athens or Rome, ever played as great a role in the life of a nation for so long a time, as Jerusalem has done in the life of the Jewish people.” — David Ben‐Gurion, 1947The area Jerusalem is a particularly delicate issue, with both Arabic and Jewish claims. It is central to the religions of Islam and Judaism and compromise would be difficult to achieve. The very fact that Jerusalem plays a dominant role in religious and historical narratives of these two religions underlines its importance. Israel asserts that the city should not be divided, and should remain unified within Israel's political control. Palestinians claim at least the parts of the city which were not part of Israel prior to June 1967. As of 2005, there are more than 719,000 people living in Jerusalem; 465,000 are Jews (mostly living in West Jerusalem) and 232,000 are Muslim (mostly living in East Jerusalem). Israel has grave concerns regarding the welfare of Jewish holy places under possible Palestinian control. When Jerusalem was under Jordanian control, no Jews were allowed to visit the Western Wall. In 2000, a Palestinian mob took over Joseph's Tomb, a shrine considered sacred by both Jews and Muslims, looted and burned the building, and turned it into a mosque. There are unauthorized Palestinian excavations for construction on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which could threaten the stability of the Western Wall. Israel, on the other hand, has seldom blocked access to holy places sacred to other religions, and never permanently. Israeli security agencies routinely monitor and arrest Jewish extremists that plan attacks, resulting in almost no serious incidents for the last twenty years. Moreover, Israel has given almost complete autonomy to the Muslim trust (Waqf) over the Temple Mount. Palestinians have grave concerns regarding the welfare of Christian and Muslim holy places under Israeli control. They point to the several attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque (Masjid al Aqsa) since 1967, including a serious Eire in 1969, which destroyed the south wing, and the discovery, in 1981, of ancient tunnels under the structure of the mosque which some archaeologists believe have weakened the building structures on the Al Aqsa Mosque. Some Palestinian advocates have made statements alleging that the tunnels were reopened with the intent of causing the mosque's collapse. Israel considers these statements to be totally baseless and unfounded, and to be deliberately intended to incite aggression and public disorder, and stated this in a 1996 speech at the UN. The Israeli government claims it treats the Muslim and Christian holy sites with utmost respect. Palestinian refugees The Palestinian refugee crisis is possible one of the worst humanitarian problems of our times. During 1948 over half of Palestine’s Arab population fled their homes to live in refugee camps in other countries. At that time they numbered a little above 700,000, now it is estimated 4 million have been made refugees. There are many versions as to why exactly this refugee crisis originated. The Arabs believe that the Jews deliberately terrorized them into leaving in order to seize their land for the new Jewish state. The Jews on the other hand contest that it was the Arab leaders who encouraged the Arabs to leave, promising them that after the Jews were ousted they would get back their property. Either way, the crisis has reached gigantic proportions. It no longer matters what the causes of the crisis were, but how to resolve it. The UNO has played a stellar role in averting a humanitarian crisis and it is expected of member states to continue their support. Another controversial aspect of the refugee problem is the ‘Right to Return of Palestinian refugees’. Proponents of this right argue that Palestinians who had been displaced during the various wars should be allowed to return to their homes (currently in both Israeli and Palestinian territories). Naturally, Israel refutes this right with respect to Israeli territories as this would lead to massive influx of Arabs into Israel (estimated to become 40% of the population). They feel this right is limited to the areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. However, Israeli double‐standards are clearly evident. Under the Israeli ‘Law of Return’ any Jewish person of any nationality, anywhere in he world can gain citizenship in Israel if he or she wishes. Palestinians view this Act as deeply offensive and discriminatory. Palestinian refugee camps are filthy, bear with a severe lack of resources and are inhumane to say the least. They have been the breeding ground for many terrorists (it is important to note that the PLO and Fatah were started from these very refugee camps) and also cause a huge burden on the host nation. If we are to truly resolve the issue we must deal with the refugees first and look into their rights. Do they have the right to return? Must Israel be held responsible or the Arabs? Must they continue to survive of the generosity of the international community? Security A major reason behind the reluctance of Israel to recognize Palestinian independence is its security. Without the West Bank, Israel would be extremely vulnerable to attacks from hostile nations. Similarly the Gaza Strip also acts a buffer zone and the recent conflict has further underlined its importance. Most importantly, with the advent of Hamas, Israeli fears have nearly doubled. Hamas’s avowed intent to destroy Israel leads to fears that in giving concessions to the Arabs, Israel is progressing on a ‘self‐destruct’ path. It remains to be seen whether Fatah can deliver on its promise and maintain peace. Division of resources One of the most important, and rightly so, concerns of Palestinian society is that it must be given sufficient resources to manage itself. Water is as precious as gold in the Middle East and Israel draws most of its water from two aquifers present in Palestinian territory. However it must be noted that about 40% of this water is diverted towards the West Bank. While water is a contentious issue with many legal ramifications, especially with regard to the Oslo Accords, care must also be taken over the exploration and development of other resources. Israeli Settlements The Israeli settlement problem began immediately after the Six‐Day War. Israeli settlements are defined as settlements in territories captured after the War. After Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan in the Gaza Strip in 2005, the only places with Israeli settlements are the West Bank and the Golan Heights. Construction in East Jerusalem is also seen as violation of international law. It is Gush Katif was a block of 16 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza Strip. Its 8,000 residents were forced to leave and had their homes demolished in August 2005 as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan important to note that a number of international bodies such as the ICJ, EU, UNSC, Amnesty International and even Human Rights Watch view these settlements as illegal. In 2007 Israel decided to further construction near Bethlehem and was severely criticized by both the USA and the EU. Further the continued existence of Jewish settlements in the West Bank has lead to a lot of resentment among the Arabs. Their expansion, protection (as in the case of the building of the West Bank Wall) and even existence have led to widespread condemnations. It is for the Special Political and Decolonization Committee to decide what exactly should be done with these settlements, subject to Israeli approval of course. Borders and issues of sovereignty As we have already seen, Israel manages to keep a tight noose over Palestinian territories, either by direct presence or indirect border control. The issue of borders and international status is mainly concerned with the Oslo Accords, which visualized Palestinian control for the cities and Israeli for the rural countryside. This resulted in a divided state with Israeli checkpoints increasing in number. Palestinians argue that it is impossible to create a viable state when separated areas exist within the nation. Israel has built additional highways to allow Israelis to traverse the area without entering Palestinian cities. The initial areas under Palestinian Authority control are diverse and non‐contiguous. Due to the exponential rise of violence and of the Hamas this issue had remained dormant for quite some time. However it must be resolved if we are inch closer to a final solution. Bloc Positions and proposed solutions A number of parties have been involved in the issue. It makes sense to include the proposed solutions with the blocs as each bloc has come up with its own unique solution. The Quartet: This includes the countries of Russia, the USA, the UK and the United Nations. This body is the primary and singularly most important force in the Middle East process. It precedes the Arab League in importance as it represents the international community as a whole and enjoys the confidence of both the negotiating parties. These countries want an end to the almost centurylong violence and actively seek a solution. However they do not recognize Hamas as representing the Palestinian people and the USA and UK also classify it as a terrorist organization. It must be noted that Israel is the USA’s most important strategic partner in the Middle East. The solution proposed by them is known as the ‘Road Map for Peace’. Details of the Road Map can be found on‐ http://www.un.org/media/main/roadmap122002.html With regards to its acceptance, the Israeli government had first listed its 14 reservations against it. The Palestinians had found these reservations unacceptable. Up till now only the First Phase has been implemented which made certain critics deem it a failure. However negotiations for it resumed in the Annapolis Conference late in 2007 and have continued to this year. The Arab World: The Arab countries, represented by the Arab League have for years been at loggerheads with Israel. They sympathize with Palestine and although tensions have watered down considerably with Israel, they have never fully disappeared. With regards to the present conflict the Arab countries have proposed the ‘Arab Peace Initiative’ formulated by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (http://www.al‐bab.com/arab/docs/league/peace02.htm) at first, Israel rejected it outright but now Prime Minister Olmert has welcomed it with reservations. Clamors for its acceptance have grown both in Israel and outside it. The Arab nations however have threatened to withdraw it completely unless accepted by the Israeli’s. The States of the Arab League The Rest of the World: To the rest of the world, this issue is of paramount importance. Aside from the moral considerations, nations have realized that any crisis in the Middle East tends to destabilize the entire world, primarily because of that ‘black gold’ i.e. oil. Of course, many nations do not have a direct say or side in the matter but when Israel threatens to ‘bomb all of Gaza’ the world stands up and takes notice. A weak situation in Israel‐Palestine does not bode very well for the world. What we must keep in mind that this present conflict is but a part of the much larger Arab‐Israeli problem. Arabs in Palestine feel as threatened by Israel as the Arabs in Iran do. And they WILL stand up for each other. If suppose, the Arab states feel that the rights of Palestine are being compromised they will not hesitate to support Palestine. This could lead to ripples all around the world, considering that the Middle East supports the engine of the world economy. Another important player in this whole episode is Iran. The present Iranian government has very close ties with Hamas and its hatred for Israel and the USA is all but too well known. Iran is unpredictable and you never know what course it might take to protect its ‘Palestinian brothers’. All said and done, each individual nation has its own equation with Israel‐Palestine. It is up to the delegates to adequately represent that view and still ensure that no calamity occurs. Recent Events A fragile six-month truce between Hamas and Israel expired on December 19, 2008. Hamas and Israel could not agree on conditions to extend the truce. Hamas blamed Israel for not lifting the Gaza Strip blockade, and for an Israeli raid on a purported tunnel, crossing the border into the Gaza Strip from Israel on November 4, which it held constituted a serious breach of the truce. Israel accuses Hamas of violating the truce citing the frequent rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli cities. An explosion caused by an Israeli air strike in Gaza during the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict. The Israeli operation began with an intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip, targeting Hamas bases, police training camps, police headquarters and offices. Civilian infrastructure, including mosques, houses, medical facilities and schools, were also attacked. Israel has claimed many of these buildings were used by combatants, and as storage spaces for weapons and rockets. Hamas intensified its rocket and mortar attacks against targets in Israel throughout the conflict, hitting previously untargeted cities such as Beersheba and Ashdod. On January 3, 2009, the Israeli ground invasion began. The operation resulted in the deaths of more than 1,300 Palestinians. The IDF released a report stating that the vast majority of the dead were Hamas militants. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reported that 926 of the 1,417 dead had been civilians and non-combatants. Suggestions for further research The Israel-Palestine problem is a dynamic problem, one that is constantly changing. It is not possible to chronicle all its events in a single document or through a single media. Delegates must refer to all possible sources of information‐news channels, the internet, books, magazines and newspapers to garner an idea of the situation. It is also imperative that you seek your own country’s views on the issue and considering this issue is so large, every single country has some or the other say on it. You must also look up all relevant UN actions on the issue. Space constraints have led us not to include them in this study guide but you must be sure to look them up. A number of resolutions have been passed on the subject, both in the Security Council and the General Assembly. Of course, with the ever‐changing scene it is difficult to apply these today, but they should give you a general idea as to what the UNO is aiming at. This webpage gives you all the key UN documents you might require. http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/israel‐palestine/docindex.htm A word of caution‐Wikipedia is not always right. Use it by all means, but be sure to supplement it with other sources. Also, a basic understanding of the situation in the Middle East is a must. Aside from the variety of links provided in the study guide, a number of other websites are excellent sources. They include http://www.globalpolicy.org http://domino.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/frontpage3!OpenPage http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=70&Body=Palestin&Body1= www.economist.com www.cfr.org/ www.foreignaffairs.org/ www.mideastweb.org Books and magazines are probably the best Source:Failed States-Noam Chomsky with respect to the chapter on the ‘Middle East’. The Oxford History textbook for the GSCE on the ‘Arab-Israeli conflict’-Tony Rea and John Wright The Clash of Civilizations-S.Huntington Closing Remarks Congratulations, either you have finished reading the study guide sincerely or you have done what I have for so many years done, which is to say jumped to the conclusion to get the answers. Delegates please keep in mind that you will definitely have to put in a lot of effort and do a lot more research outside the boundaries of this study guide as it JUST a basis of your topic and in no way will do justice to the entire scope of the topic. Please do come prepared with your material and be on the lookout for study guide updates that will be posted onto the site. (If there are any that is) You must also form your own bloc positions and we will be in a position to help you in every way and for every doubt you have. There are just a number of things to remind you of before you step into committee: • You do not represent your school or yourself in any way once you step into committee for you are a representative of your given country. • For that purpose you must know your countries stand thoroughly and adhere to it at all times without for a second shifting out of policy or practical sense. • A good delegate is one who does not create enemies but is diplomatic and manipulative at the same time and places himself in a position to make others do what he so wishes to in a very subtle manner. Basically I mean being cunning is what will get you ahead. 15
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