Palestine Israel Conflict

Obstacles to Solution Settler Communities Right of Return Territory Temporal nature of Israeli governance Fractured Palestinian government Ineffectiveness of international actors Self Interest of regional actors Religion

Jerusalem

Jerusalem Netanyahu "Jerusalem belongs to the Jewish people and will remain under Israeli sovereignty for eternity.“ UN international city Palestinian Authority; open city with freedom for all to worship

Temple Mount or Haram al Sharif Site of the Second Jewish Temple/ Western Wall Al Aqsa Mosque Dome of the Rock

Judaism The Dome of the Rock Represents the site where God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. The Western Wall is the remains of the second Temple built by Herod the Great and is the holiest place that Jews can pray

Islam Isra and Miraj Al Aqsa known as the farthest Mosque is the 3rd most holy site in Islam where Muhammad was taken from Mecca on the ‘Night Journey’ Prayers were directed towards this site during the Hijra The Dome of the Rock is where Muhammad ascended to heaven It is the site where Abraham was told to sacrifice Ishmael not Isaac.

Promised Land On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates…(Genesis 15:18-21) There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Genesis 28:13 “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you. Exodus 23:31

Numbers 34 “‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea, cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon, where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean Sea. “‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. your northern boundary, run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath. Then the boundary will go to Zedad, continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. “‘your eastern boundary, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee. Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.

Exodus The Prophet Moses leads the Israelites out of Slavery in Egypt after God sends 10 plagues They enter into a covenant with God based on the 10 Commandments After wandering the desert for 40 years they enter the promised land of Canaan.

Jewish Kingdoms Israel means Jacob in reference to the Patriarch "struggle with God"[ Twelve Tribes of Israel Jacob From  Canaan were forced by famine to go into Egypt for four generations until Moses led the Exodus to the Promised land

Jewish Diaspora 1st Century Great Jewish Revolt against Rome and the Destruction of the Temple 70 CE resulted in mass migration from the Roman Province of Judea

Zionism Nationalist movement emerging in the 19C that supports the creation of a Jewish state in the Middle East Zionist Congress Aliyah, Immigration waves, (1884), (1904–14), (1919–1923), (1924–1929) 1903, declined a British offer to establish a homeland in Uganda. After WWII 33% increase of Jews in Palestine

Mandatory Palestine 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement 1917 Balfour Declaration 1919Paris Peace Conference 1920 League of Nations Mandate 1948 Israel Declares Sovereignty

UN Partition Plan 1947 Following WWII large scale Jewish immigration from Germany and Eastern Europe Victorious powers keen to establish a Jewish State Un plan rejected by Arab States Israel declared uni-lateral independence culminating in the First Arab Israeli War.

Occupied Territories Six Day War 1967; Sinai, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip Sinai returned to Egypt 1979 1982 and 2000 South Lebanon Gaza considered independent by Israel West Bank under military/ Fatah PA Government. Contains settler communities