*

1917-1947



The Palestine problem became an international issue towards the end of the First World War with the disintegration of the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Palestine was among the several former Ottoman Arab territories which were placed under the administration of Great Britain under the Mandates System adopted by the League of Nations pursuant to the League's Covenant (Article 22) .

All but one of these Mandated Territories became fully independent States, as anticipated. The exception was Palestine where, 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".

During the years of the Palestine Mandate, from 1922 to 1947, large-scale Jewish immigration from abroad, mainly from Eastern Europe took place, the numbers swelling in the 1930s with the notorious Nazi persecution of Jewish populations. Palestinian demands for independence and resistance to Jewish immigration led to a rebellion in 1937, followed by continuing terrorism and violence from both sides during and immediately after World War II. Great Britain tried to implement various formulas to bring independence to a land ravaged by violence. In 1947, Great Britain turned the problem over to the United Nations.

See also the study: The Origins and Evolution of the Palestine Problem Part I

The map collection
The Question of Palestine and the United Nations

1947-1977


After looking at various alternatives, the UN proposed the partitioning of Palestine into two independent States, one Palestinian Arab and the other Jewish, with Jerusalem internationalized (Resolution 181 (II) of 1947). One of the two States envisaged in the partition plan proclaimed its independence as Israel and in the 1948 war expanded to occupy 77 per cent of the territory of Palestine. Israel also occupied the larger part of Jerusalem. Over half of the indigenous Palestinian population fled or were expelled. Jordan and Egypt occupied the other parts of the territory assigned by the partition resolution to the Palestinian Arab State which did not come into being.

In the 1967 war, Israel occupied the remaining territory of Palestine, until then under Jordanian and Egyptian control (the West Bank and Gaza Strip). This included the remaining part of Jerusalem, which was subsequently annexed by Israel. The war brought about a second exodus of Palestinians, estimated at half a million. Security Council resolution 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 called on Israel to withdraw from territories it had occupied in the 1967 conflict.

In 1974, the General Assembly reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty, and to return. The following year, the General Assembly established the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The General Assembly conferred on the PLO the status of observer in the Assembly and in other international conferences held under United Nations auspices.

See also the study: The Origins and Evolution of the Palestine Problem Part II

The map collection
The Question of Palestine and the United Nations

1977-1990
Events on the ground, however, remained on a negative course. In June 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon with the declared intention to eliminate the PLO. A cease-fire was arranged. PLO troops withdrew from Beirut and were transferred to neighboring countries after guarantees of safety were provided for thousands of Palestinian refugees left behind. Subsequently, a large-scale massacre of refugees took place in the camps of Sabra and Shatila.

In September 1983, the International Conference on the Question of Palestine, which was widely attended, adopted inter alia the Geneva Declaration containing the following principles: the need to oppose and reject the establishment of settlements in the occupied territory and actions taken by Israel to change the status of Jerusalem, the right of all States in the region to existence within secure and internationally recognized boundaries, with justice and security for all the people, and the attainment of the legitimate, inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

In December 1987, a mass uprising against the Israeli occupation began in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (the intifada). Methods used by the Israeli forces during the uprising resulted in mass injuries and heavy loss of life among the civilian Palestinian population.

See also the study: The Origins and Evolution of the Palestine Problem Part III Part IV

The map collection
The Question of Palestine and the United Nations

The Peace Process
A Peace Conference on the Middle East was convened in Madrid on 30 October 1991, with the aim of achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace settlement through direct negotiations along 2 tracks: between Israel and the Arab States, and between Israel and the Palestinians, based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) (the "land for peace" formula). A series of subsequent negotiations culminated in the mutual recognition between the Government of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian People, and the signing by the two parties of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements in Washington on 13 September 1993, as well as the subsequent implementation agreements, which led to several other positive developments, such as the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, the elections to the Palestinian Council and the Presidency of the Palestinian Authority, the partial release of prisoners and the establishment of a functioning administration in the areas under Palestinian self-rule. The involvement of the United Nations has been essential to the peace process, both as the guardian of international legitimacy and in the mobilization and provision of international assistance. In 2000 and 2001, Israelis and Palestinians held talks on a final status agreement, which proved inconclusive.

See also: The map collection
The Question of Palestine and the United Nations

2000 -
The controversial visit by Ariel Sharon of the Likud to Al-Haram Al-Sharif (Temple Mount) in 2000 was followed by the outbreak of the second intifada. A massive loss of life, the reoccupation of territories under Palestinian self-rule, military incursions, extrajudicial killings of suspected Palestinian militants, suicide attacks, rocket and mortar fire, and the destruction of property characterized the situation on the ground. Israel began the construction of a West Bank separation wall, located within the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which was ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004. In 2002, the Security Council adopted resolution 1397 affirming a vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side within secure and recognized borders. In 2003, the Middle East Quartet (US, EU, Russia, and the UN) released a detailed Road Map to a two-State solution, endorsed by Security Council resolution 1515. In 2005, Israel withdrew its settlers and troops from the Gaza Strip as part of its ôDisengagement Plan,ö while retaining effective control over its borders, seashore, and airspace. Following the Palestinian Legislative Council elections of 2006, the Quartet concluded that future assistance to the Palestinian Authority would be reviewed by donors against the new GovernmentÆs commitment to non-violence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements.




* Based on United Nations documents and sources

May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. The new country's victory in the subsequent Arab-Israeli War expanded the borders of the Jewish state beyond those in the UN Partition Plan. Since then, Israel has been in conflict with many of the neighboring Arab countries, resulting in several major wars and decades of violence.

I will never think Bushs reputation is worth almost four thousand American lives. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" /> F-ing! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" /> Thats dictator mentality and it has to stop. So now we are there to protect our masters legacy. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> Thats not even F-ing funny. Soldiers die for there country NOT ther president.

Not true. We have been involved in the middle east for many decades before 911. I cant believe we just act like we were minding our own business. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> We all need to read up on our involvement before we even talk about this. To claim that we were isolationists and thats why we were attacked is proposterous. We have armed both sides of conflicts Iran/Iraq, made deals that we have not honored, armed Israel, We removed the democratic elected president of Iran and intalled the Shaw. They took their country back by supporting the Ayahtolah Mousavi Khomeini so we made them all out to be a terrorist state when they were in fact already practicing democracy.

Not true. We have been involved in the middle east for many decades before 911. I cant believe we just act like we were minding our own business. We all need to read up on our involvement before we even talk about this. To claim that we were isolationists and thats why we were attacked is proposterous. We have armed both sides of conflicts Iran/Iraq, made deals that we have not honored, armed Israel.

We removed the democratic elected president of Iran and intalled the Shaw. They took their country back by supporting the Ayahtolah Mousavi Khomeini so we made them all out to be a terrorist state when they were in fact already practicing democracy.

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I will never think Bushs reputation is worth almost four thousand American lives. F-ing! Thats dictator mentality and it has to stop. So now we are there to protect our masters legacy. Thats not even F-ing funny. Soldiers die for there country NOT ther president.


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You misunderstood what I stated. You said Bush had nothing to lose by invading Iraq and everything to gain financially. I pointed out that his legacy as President is what he was risking by invading Iraq. You want to believe that it was all about money because that is what it appears to be today w/Haliburton, when in reality you have no evidence showing that WMD's weren't the real reason in the beginning. No one not even France spoke up to say that WMD's weren't in Iraq, everyone was under the impression that Sadam had them at his disposal, and WMD casing and residual chemical were actually found. The believed arsenal wasn't found but that doesn't mean they weren't in existance, Sadam had plenty of time to move them out of the country or simply burry them in the desert

One huge obvious truth is. Israel was invented and given carte blanche of the middle east through our weapons. I believe it was a huge mistake to introduce Zionism to the middle east, let alone dropping them in the middle. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> We should have just let them have Florida. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I'm always impressed with your retorts snowtoy. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

I actually know Sadaam had OUR chemical weapons but this administration said Sadaam supports Al Queada and is building a nuclear bomb or close to building one. The WMDs in question were supposed to be nukes not some old canisters of nerve agent. Again this administration changed the definition of WMD midaway through the war like I would not notice. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

It is about money Snowtoy C'mon! On the level ou have to know that. Between you and me, I'd almost be alright with it if they would just do it for us. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

I pretty much agree with your history lesson but mine was from the enemies point of view. I firmly believe that you have to TRY to understand why they are so volatile to understand how to defeat them. Most of these "terrorist groups" were political parties at one time and most of them have explained their mission plainly. They want us out for arming Israel. Israel has occupied land that was not agreed upon back in 47. They have occupied it with robust force I might add.

One thing I keep in my mind no matter what buzzwords are being thrown around is these are people we are dealing with. People tend to fight back when occupied against their will. People remember seeing made in USA on the ejected casings of the rounds that killed their kids. They remember. Only we seam to forget and that could be our downfall.

People tend to fight back when occupied against their will. People remember seeing made in USA on the ejected casings of the rounds that killed their kids.