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In search of statehood and security. From the Intifada to Oslo and beyond. Intifada (1987-1991): Causes. Social factors Demographics Education Economics Political Opportunity Structures Increased level of repression Divisions among Israeli elites (war weariness) Economic downturn - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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In search of statehood and security
From the Intifada to Oslo and beyond
Intifada (1987-1991): Causes Social factors
Demographics Education Economics
Political Opportunity Structures Increased level of repression Divisions among Israeli elites
(war weariness) Economic downturn Global political realignment
Background to Intifada: Political conditions
Israeli land seizures & settlements By 1985 Israelis have control over 52% of the West Bank’s land and at least 40% of
the Gaza Strip. 1977-’85: 119 new Israeli settlements
Israeli military administration (courts, laws, etc.) Detention: Pal’s could be held for 6 months without trial (only 62 such cases in 1980-
85; 131 in last five months of 1985) torture
Dismissal of Palestinian mayors Freezing of Palestinian building permits, new limitations on freedom of expression Collective Punishment
Over 15,000 houses destroyed between 1967-1980 Curfews School closures checkpoints
Deportations Around 1,100 people deported between 1967 and 1977 Most targeted groups: educators, professionals, students (included President of Bir
Zeit University in 1974). Less than 1 percent allowed to return*
Source: Ann Lesch, winter 1979 J. of P Studies
Typical West Bank checkpoint to Israel, 1990. Photo by Ian Lustick.
Home destruction.
Intifada Structure
Decentralized Unified National Leadership “Intifada elite”
Guided through leaflets, word of mouth Mass participation
Women, men, young, old Struggle for leadership:
Hamas PLO
Hanan Ashrawi, a leading figure in the planning of the Intifada. Photo: www.womenforpalestine.com
Mainstream Intifada: Goals & Strategies Goals
Israeli withdrawal from the territories and creation of Independent Palestinian state
Other issues: Jerusalem Right of return End of settlements Hamas: Eradication of Israel
Strategies Humanize Palestinian suffering and through this, induce
Israelis to want to compromise (Ashrawi) Reduce Palestinian economic dependence on Israel Undermine authority of Israeli rule by civil revolt that would
force withdrawal and create a Palestinian state
Repertoires
Violent: Throwing stones & fire
bombs Building barriers Burning tires Knife & gun attacks Attacking
“collaborators” Attacks on busses, etc.
Repertoires: Nonviolent Severing of economic ties with Israel:
Not working in Israel Boycotting Israeli products Withdrawing deposits from Israeli owned banks Developing a home based economy: develop
economic self sufficiency Civil disobedience:
Nonpayment of taxes and fines Partial commercial strikes
Building solidarity Day long strikes for solidarity with prisoners Memorials Sit-down strikes reducing doctor’s fees Helping farmers with olive harvest
Israeli responses Deportations
69 leaders of the Intifada sent into exile between 1987 and 1991 B’TSELEM-- December 1992, 415 deportations Palestinians advocating nonviolence seemed especially targeted
Arrests By end of 1989 35,000-40,000 Palestinians arrested 75,000 Palestinians arrested during the first three years of the Intifada.
Of these, about 15,000 were actually charged each year. Assassinations of PLO officials associated with the Intifada Collective punishment, intimidation
Intifada as “terrorism” Beatings, tear gas Curfews Raiding of Palestinian homes and gardens Closure of schools & universities
Casualties 1987-1989: 626 Palestinians and 43 Israelis killed. 37,439 Palestinians wounded Total casualties in the Occupied Territories and Israel from
December 9, 1987 to September 30, 2000: Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli forces - 1,407
33% below the age of 18 (usually 14-18) Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli civilians - 140 Israeli civilians killed by Palestinian civilians - 270 Members of the Israeli forces killed by Palestinian civilians -
135 Hundreds of Palestinians killed by other Palestinians as
collaborators
Why did the first Intifada end? (circa 1991)
Exhaustion & suppression Palestinian economic problems PLO centralization & Israeli eradication of
leadership 1990-91 Gulf War 1991 Madrid conference/negotiations
1st Intifada: Effects Seriously challenged the Israeli belief in the sustainability of
occupation. Deeply affected public opinion in Israel. Forced discussion and a search for an alternative. New
recognition of Palestinians in Israel and idea that partition was necessary.
New & more pragmatic goals: local leadership pushed the PLO towards a two-state solution and acceptance of Israel.
Helped force new rounds of negotiations (Madrid, Oslo) New images of Palestinians, internally, in Israel and &
internationally More self-sufficiency- classrooms, education, dairy farming
Why didn’t the 1st Intifada achieve Palestinian goals? Difficult to sustain:
Israeli use of increased repression and encirclement of refugee camps.
Isolation of communities Palestinian economic problems: 30-40% unemployment.
Families lost as much as three-quarters of their income Decimation of Palestinian leadership
Use of violence Intransigent factions on both sides Palestinian lack of leverage: Imbalance of power between Israel
& the Palestinians Palestinian lack of influential external allies
Negotiations
Palestinians & Israelis come to the negotiation table for the 1st time. Why? End of Cold War Gulf War US pressure Intifada
1991 Madrid negotiations 1993 & 1995 Oslo Accords
Main tenets of the Oslo Accords
Interim settlement NOT a final agreement PLO recognizes Israel’s “right to exist” and
forswears use of violence Israel allows creation of Palestinian National
Authority under leadership of the PLO to govern some parts of the Occupied Territories in some administrative & economic spheres. Total territory transferred to sole Palestinian control is 3-4% of the West Bank & Gaza.
Oslo Accords: Control over Land
Palestinians get modicum of self rule for the 1st time in their history, but highly circumscribed. Israel retains right to patrol all borders & control airspace Israeli military, Jewish settlers, and Israeli citizens retain all
rights to enter all territories Palestinian area divided into more than 100 enclaves
Land in the Occupied Territories divided into 3 zones Area A zones: full PA civil and security control Area B zones: PA civil control, Israeli military & security control Area C zones: Israeli civil and security control Ultimately gave PA control over most of the territories’
population but only over about 5 % of land
http://www.fmep.org/novpg5.gif
Collapse of peace negotiations, rise of the 2nd Intifada, 1995-2001
1995 Assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by Israeli assassin
Bombings within Israel by Palestinian Islamic groups, 1994 and especially after 1996
1996 Election of more conservative Israeli government (Netanyahu) Delays in implementation of the
Oslo accords End of Oslo, 2001 and after
Election of Ariel Sharon 2nd intifada, post-2001
More violent, mostly young men
Summer 2002 Israeli army moves back into PA areas
Underlying causes of collapse of the Peace Process
Oslo “frontloading” of Israeli benefits but “backloading” of Palestinian benefits- gave Israel little reason to negotiate and Palestinians little leverage
Domestic weakness on both sides that gave Oslo rejectionists undue influence Palestinian bombings & PA
authoritarianism Israeli settlements Failure to take “society” into
consideration Hardliners on both sides increasingly
frame conflict in religious terms Use of violence on both sides
Assassination of Rabin, Nov. 1995
Absence of Arbiters Imbalance of power