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Israel & Palestine, 4/1/09
Overview:
Join Active Minds as we look at one of the most persistent regional conflicts of our time. We will review the origins of mid-east tensions dating back to the creation of the state of Israel (and before) and bring the story up to date, including the most recent events. The role of the rest of the world, including the United States ' support for Israel, will be addressed as well as what prospects for peace might look like in the region.
Key Lecture Points:
• The already tenuous peace process between Israel and Palestine was further jeopardized in December 2008, when Hamas began launching rocket attacks into Israel and Israel retaliated with airstrikes and a ground war in Gaza that killed about 650 Palestinians. Egypt sealed its border with Gaza, angering Palestinians who were attempting to flee the attacks and seeking medical attention.
• Contributing to the instability, the February 10, 2009 Israeli Knesset election resulted in a split vote. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni’s Kadima Party received the most seats, but rival Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party was a close second, and given that other right wing parties acquired more seats in the Knesset, President Shimon Peres invited Netanyahu to try to form a government. He faces an April 3, 2009 deadline.
• The resulting government may find strains with the US due to several factors - one is over the accelerating growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Another is over how to deal with the Palestinian government if the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, tries again to form a unity government with the rival Hamas faction controlling Gaza. In January 2009, President Obama called for Israel to open the Gaza strip, stating that it needed to be open to allow the flow of aid and commerce, with an appropriate monitoring regime, with the international and Palestinian Authority participating." Together with his new secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, Obama named George Mitchell as the special U.S. envoy for the Arab-Israeli conflict.
• The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is one of the longest standing ethnic/religious conflicts in the world. Among the issues in this conflict are: 1. Israel’s right to exist as a nation/legitimacy of Israel’s claim on the land; 2. Radical Islam and the failure internal politics of Palestinians between Hamas and Fatah; 3. The internal politics of Israelis between Likud, Kadima and Labor; 4. The treatment of the native Palestinian population and refugees displaced at various points in the history of the conflict; 5. The status of the city of Jerusalem and its Holy sites.
• The conflict in Israel is tied to the United State’s war on terror. Al Qaeda’s formal declaration of War against the US, which was publicly released by Osama Bin Laden in 1998, was entitled “Declaration of Jihad against Zionists and Crusaders.” At the same time, Palestinians argue that US defense of the Israeli presence in the West Bank and Gaza exacerbates the Arab and Muslim world’s distrust of the US.
Exploration Questions:
• Can peace effectively be found for Israel and Palestine? What are the necessary elements for that to happen?
• In light of the December 2008 conflict and the inconclusive February 2009 elections, how can the international community help bring stability to the area? Is such a thing possible?
Reflective Questions:
• What is your perception of Israel? Palestine? Is there a clear “good guy” vs. “bad guy”?
• Do you believe peace can be accomplished in the area?
More to Explore:
• Overview of the area and the basis for conflict: http://news.bbc.co.uk
• U.S. State Department overview of Israel: www.state.gov
Books For Further Reading:
• Morris, Benny. One State, Two States: Resolving the Israel/Palestine Conflict. Yale University Press, 2009. 256 pages. Morris turns his attention to the complicated and acrimonious relationship that exists between Palestine and Israel. Click here to order.
• Dershowitz, Alan. The Case for Israel. John Wiley and Sons, 2003. 264 pages. The author presents a passionate look at what Israel's accusers and detractors are saying about this war-torn country. Click here to order.
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