Palestine-Israel: More History

Eyad Alghool

Palestinian Refugees

Refugees from 1946-1948:

711,000

1948 Refugees still alive: 30,000-

50,000

Descendants: 4,950,000

Total estimated

number of refugees

alive now: 5,000,000

During 1948 War, around 85% (711,000) of the Palestinian Arab population (900,000) fled or

were expelled from their homes.Those who left, went to the countries of Lebanon, Syria and

Jordan.

Refugees who remained

● They, and their descendants (also refugees), are assisted by United Nations Relief

and Works Agency in 58 registered camps

● State of Israel claimed to have offered them equal citizenship should they stay as

citizens of Israel, which implies that the Palestinians chose to leave thereby

forfeiting their land rights, and thus have to deal with the consequences

● Many of the middle and upper class Palestinians from the cities left voluntarily,

believing that Arab militaries would gain control of the cities and they could return

o If they returned, they commonly found their home destroyed or a Jewish family

living in it

Refugees● Some of the countries that allowed Palestinian refugees entrance,

granted full citizenship. o Jordan: Palestinians have access to jobs and public services

Camps have essentially become poor city suburbs● The following places granted restricted citizenship or none at all.

o Lebanon: Denied access to over 70 jobs (reduced to 20 in 2007)

o Saudi Arabia: Denied access to citizenshipo Self-declared State of Palestine remains unable to absorb

Palestinian refugees due to lack of de facto sovereignty over claimed territories

● Countries/Officials tend to blame Israel for refugees as an excuse to ignore rights of Palestinian refugees

Israeli/Jewish Refugees

● After the establishment of the State of Israel, a plan was made for 600,000 Jewish refugees to return

● Jewish refugees were initially resettled in refugee camps known as immigrant camps and “development towns,” before adoption into mainstream Israeli society

Oslo Accords

● Oslo Accords: set of agreements between government of Israel

and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)

o Israel’s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin

o PLO’s chairman Yasser Arafat

● Oslo Process began after secret negotiations in Oslo, Norway

o Recognition of both sides by the other

Oslo I Accord

● Signed in Washington D.C. in 1993

o In presence of Yitzhak, Arafat, and U.S. President Bill Clinton

● Called for withdrawal of Israeli forces - Israeli Defense Force (IDF) - from parts of

West Bank and Gaza

● Affirmed an interim Palestinian self-governing authority, the Palestinian National

Authority (PNA)

o Palestinian rule would last for 5 years

o Free and general elections

o Transfer of authority from the Israel Defense Forces to the authorized

Palestinians

● Major issues delayed: to be decided during permanent status negotiations (at a

later date)

Prime Minister Rabin, Yasser Arafat, President Clinton signing Oslo I

Oslo II Accord

● Signed in Taba, Egypt in 1995

● Agreement: Over 300 pages, 5 chapters with 31 articles, plus 7 annexes and 9 attached

maps.

o Preamble acknowledging roots in earlier diplomatic efforts

● 5 chapters covered The Palestinian Council, withdrawal of Israeli forces and security

arrangements, legal affairs, and cooperation.

o Arrangement of safe passage for people between West Bank and Gaza

o Cooperation regarding passage to and from Egypt and Jordan

o Discussion of release of Palestinian prisoners

After Oslo

● Neither accord promised or created a Palestinian state

● Interim period ended with no comprehensive peace agreement

o Many elements of accords disappeared

o No permanent status negotiations

● At 2000 Camp David Summit, U.S. tried to save the Accords and revive

negotiations

o Ultimately failed with both sides blaming other

4 principal obstacles

● Territory

● Jerusalem and Temple Mount

● Refugees and the right of return

● Israeli security concerns

● Ten days earlier, Palestinians observed annual memorial day for the Sabra and Shatila massacre in

Beirut

o Kahan Commission (Israeli) concluded that Sharon bore personal responsibility for massacre

● Before Intifada, Camp David Summit failed and settlements were continuing to be built

● PA’s security chief assured that no problems would arise from Sharon’s visit to Temple Mount

Leading Up To the Second Intifada

The Second Intifada

● Second Palestinian uprising to Israeli

occupation

● Started in September, 2000 and lasted

until February 2005

● Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visited Temple

Mount with Likud delegation and hundreds

of Israeli riot police

o Al-Aqsa Mosque part of compound

o Palestinians saw this as highly

provocative, demonstrated, and

threw stones

o Israeli Police dispersed

demonstrators with rubber bullets

and tear gas

The Second Intifada

● Death toll among combatants and civilians:

Palestinian: 3,000

Israeli: 1,000

Foreign: 64

● Considered to end at Sharm el-Sheikh Summit, with Abbas and

Sharon agreeing to stop all acts of violence

o Violence continued into 2006, where 660 Palestinians and 23

Israelis were killed

Results of Second Intifada

● Uprising suppressed

● Construction of Israeli West Bank Barrier

● Decrease of violence in West Bank

● Israeli withdrawal of Gaza Strip (although returned soon after)

Sharm el-Sheikh Summit, 2005

Israeli West Bank Separation Barrier

● Upon completion, its total length will be approximately 700 kilometres (430 mi) and include, on the western side, approximately 9.4% of the West Bank and 23,000 Palestinians

● Israel claims the wall is for security reasons after 2nd Intifada

● Palestinians claim it’s a land grab and oppression tactic

That’s All!

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