ISREAL Pales-ne Issue

Current Affairs By Sir Umair Hassan

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ‘ISRAEL’ AND ‘PALESTINE’

‘Israel’

“Israel” first appears near the end of the 13th century BC within the Egyptian Merneptah
Stele, referring apparently to a people (rather than a place) inhabiting what was then
“Canaan.” A few centuries later in that region, we find two sister kingdoms: Israel and Judah
(the origin of the term “Jew”). According to the Bible, there had first been a monarchy
comprising both, apparently also called “Israel.”

In about 722 BC, the kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Neo-Assyrian empire, centred
in what’s now Iraq. As an ancient geographic term, “Israel” was no more.

Judah alone

Less than a century and half later, Judah was overthrown. Its capital Jerusalem was sacked,
the Jewish Temple destroyed and many of Judah’s inhabitants were exiled to Babylonia.

Following the exile’s end a little under 50 years later, the territory of the former kingdom of
Judah served as the heart of Judaism for almost seven centuries (although the rebuilt
Temple was again destroyed in AD 70, by the Romans).

‘Palestine’

In AD 135, following a failed Jewish revolt, Roman Emperor Hadrian expelled the Jews from
Jerusalem and decreed that the city and surrounding territory be part of a larger entity
called “Syria-Palestina”. “Palestina” took its name from the coastal territory of the ancient
Philistines, enemies of the Israelites (ancestors of the Jews).

Subsequent to the Islamic conquest of the Middle East in the seventh century, Arab peoples
began to settle in the former “Palestina.” Apart from about 90 years
of Crusader domination, the land fell under Muslim control for just under 1,200 years.
Although Jewish habitation never ceased, the population was overwhelmingly Arab.

Zionism and British control

In the second half of the 19th century, the longstanding yearning of Jews in the Diaspora to
return to the territory of their ancestors culminated in the nationalistic movement
called Zionism.

The Zionist cause was driven by steeply rising hatred toward Jews in Europe and Russia.
Immigrating Jews encountered a predominantly Arab populace, who also considered it their
ancestral homeland.

In 1917, the land came under British rule. In 1923, “Mandatory Palestine,” which also
included the current state of Jordan, was created. Its Arab inhabitants saw themselves
primarily not as “Palestinians” in the sense of a nation, but instead as Arabs living in
Palestine (or rather, “Greater Syria”).

Source: Na-onal Newspaper

ISREAL Pales-ne Issue
Current Affairs By Sir Umair Hassan
The State of Israel

Zionist leaders in Mandatory Palestine strove hard to increase Jewish numbers to solidify
claims to statehood, but in 1939 the British strictly limited Jewish immigration.

Ultimately, the Zionist project succeeded because of global horror in response to the
Holocaust.

In November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 181,
partitioning the land into “Independent Arab and Jewish States.” The resolution met
immediate Arab rejection. Palestinian militias attacked Jewish settlements.

On May 14, 1948, the Zionist leadership declared the founding of the state of Israel.

‘The War of Independence’/Al-Nakba

The new Jewish state was immediately invaded by the armies of several Arab countries,
alongside Palestinian militants. By the time the fighting ended the next year, the
Palestinians had lost almost four-fifths of their United Nations allotment. Seven hundred
thousand of them had been driven from their homes, with no right of return to the present
day.

For Jewish Israelis, it’s known as the “War of Independence.” For Palestinians, it was al-
Nakba — “the Catastrophe.”

On November 15, 1988, the Palestinian National Council issued a declaration of

independence, recognised a month later by the UN General Assembly. Approximately three-
quarters of the UN’s membership now accepts the statehood of Palestine, which has non-
member observer status.

Diverging fortunes, constant hostilities

Despite multiple wars with Arab states and militant groups, Israel has flourished.
Palestinians have struggled to establish functional governance and economic stability.

In the Six-Day War of June 1967, Israel repelled a true existential threat, routing a heavy
Arab military force massed at its borders. Israel’s seizure of East Jerusalem, the West Bank
and Gaza during the war has left Palestinians under various forms of painful Israeli
occupation or control.

Throughout the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, many more Palestinians than Jewish Israelis have
been killed and wounded, in part due to Israel’s advanced military capability but also to the
well-documented Hamas strategy of situating command centres within civilian areas.

Jewish Israelis have experienced two violent Palestinian Intifadas (1987–1993; 2001– 2005),
the second of which saw a wave of deadly suicide bombings and ambushes.

Since the 1990s, there have been several failed attempts to negotiate a two-state solution.

Source: Na-onal Newspaper

ISREAL Pales-ne Issue
Current Affairs By Sir Umair Hassan
Under Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jewish settlement in
the West Bank and East Jerusalem, viewed as illegal by much of the world, accelerated —
making any future talks even more difficult.

Second-class citizens

About 20 percent of Israel’s citizenry is Arab. Unfortunately, Arab Israelis are largely treated
as second-class citizens within the officially Jewish state.

By more than 1,000 years, “Israel” predates “Palestine”. The land then became home
primarily to an Arab population, again for more than a millennium. Both Jews and Arabs
thus have a legitimate claim to the land.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has seen myriad wrongs and brutalities on both sides. No act
of vengeance, however extreme, could now allow one party to say that accounts had been
settled on their side.

UAE-ISREAL AGREEMENT

On August 13, 2020, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced a historic
agreement to normalize relations. The agreement, brokered by the United States, was the
first of its kind between Israel and an Arab country in over 25 years.

The agreement was met with widespread praise, with many leaders calling it a major
breakthrough in the Middle East peace process. However, it was also met with some
criticism, with some Palestinians arguing that it would undermine their own efforts to
achieve statehood.

The agreement was signed at the White House on September 15, 2020, by Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and
US President Donald Trump. The agreement called for the establishment of full diplomatic
relations between Israel and the UAE, the opening of embassies in each other's countries,
and cooperation on a number of issues, including security, trade, and tourism.

The agreement was hailed as a major breakthrough in the Middle East peace process. It was
the first time that an Arab country had agreed to normalize relations with Israel without
preconditions. The agreement was also seen as a victory for US President Donald Trump,
who had made it a priority to achieve peace in the Middle East.

The agreement was not without its critics. Some Palestinians argued that it would
undermine their own efforts to achieve statehood. They argued that the agreement would
legitimize Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and that it would send
the message that Palestinians could not achieve their goals through negotiations.

Despite the criticism, the agreement between Israel and the UAE is a significant step
forward in the Middle East peace process. It is the first time that an Arab country has agreed

Source: Na-onal Newspaper

ISREAL Pales-ne Issue
Current Affairs By Sir Umair Hassan
to normalize relations with Israel without preconditions. The agreement is also seen as a
victory for US President Donald Trump, who had made it a priority to achieve peace in the
Middle East. The agreement is a positive development, and it is hoped that it will lead to
further progress in the peace process.

There are currently 5 Arab countries that have normalized relations with Israel:

• Egypt (1979)
• Jordan (1994)
• United Arab Emirates (2020)
• Bahrain (2020)
• Morocco (2020)

In addition, Sudan agreed to normalize relations with Israel in 2020, but the agreement has
not yet been ratified by the Sudanese parliament.

Middle East Peace Plan by Trump

The Trump Middle East Peace Plan, also known as the "Deal of the Century", is a peace plan
for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that was announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on
January 28, 2020. The plan was met with mixed reactions, with some praising it as a bold
and innovative attempt to resolve the conflict, while others criticizing it as biased in favor of
Israel and unrealistic.

The plan calls for the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with
East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel would retain control of the Jordan Valley and major
settlements in the West Bank. The plan also calls for the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a
Jewish state and to disarm Hamas.

The plan has been criticized by Palestinians for failing to meet their demands for a sovereign
state in all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The plan has
also been criticized by some Israelis for being too generous to the Palestinians.

Despite the criticism, the Trump administration has continued to promote the plan. In
November 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution that rejected the
plan. However, the U.S. Senate has not yet taken up the resolution.

The future of the Trump Middle East Peace Plan is uncertain. It is possible that the plan
could be revived if a new U.S. administration is more willing to work with the Palestinians.
However, it is also possible that the plan will remain a dead letter.

Here are some of the key elements of the plan:

Source: Na-onal Newspaper

ISREAL Pales-ne Issue
Current Affairs By Sir Umair Hassan
• The creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East
Jerusalem as its capital.
• Israel would retain control of the Jordan Valley and major settlements in the West
Bank.
• The Palestinians would recognize Israel as a Jewish state and disarm Hamas.
• The plan would provide $50 billion in economic assistance to the Palestinians.
• The plan would create a $1 billion fund to compensate Palestinian refugees.
• The plan would establish a joint Israeli-Palestinian security force.
• The plan would establish a mechanism for resolving disputes between Israel and the
Palestinians.

The plan has been praised by some for its boldness and ambition. However, it has also been
criticized by others for being unrealistic and biased in favor of Israel. It remains to be seen
whether the plan will be successful in achieving its goals.

SOLUTION

Balfour declaration (1917) which was forwarded by the then British foreign secretary. the
declaration paved the way for Jews settlement in the holy land of Palestine. As a result,
after the promulgation of the act the Jews rose to 30% from 3%. Furthermore, UN
resolution created the state of Israel after World War II. However, This man-made conflict
has claimed thousands of lives.

PLO- affiliated organization Al fateh, Hamas, Israel and United Nations. these measures
would help if taken seriously.

First, Egypt, Jordan and Gulf Cooperation council(GCC) must be party to the reconciliation
process. Second, the UN has to play active role as i had recognized the Israel a state on
world map. Third, All rockets from both sides must be stopped as it affect civilians as well
tunnel digging shall be ceased. Fourth, both stakeholders will have to scratch out
parameters for border management, refugees, settlement, land and natural resources etc.
Fifth, on both sides hawks and doves are present. they should show flexibility in their tactics
for peace of more than 20 million people. Sixth, hopelessness and endless conflict can be
replaced if this is taken as the Arab- Israel conflict.

Source: Na-onal Newspaper