Background presentation: The Middle East Peace Negotiations Gilead Sher August 2011

Concise History of the Conflict Introduction

1947  UN General Assembly Resolution 181 is passed, partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. Resolution is rejected by Arab League. UN General Assembly Resolution 181

1948  Israel declares statehood. the armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq invade, thus starting the Arab-Israeli War  War results in a divided Jerusalem and ~650,000 Palestinian refugees. UNGA Resolution 194 UNGA Resolution 194  The War came to an end with the signing of the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and each of its Arab neighbors establishing the “Green Line”1949 Armistice Agreements

1956  Suez Crisis  On July 26, 1956, Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal Company, and closed the canal to Israeli shipping  Israel responded on October 29, 1956, by invading the Sinai Peninsula with British and French support. During the Suez Canal Crisis, Israel captured the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula

1964  PLO Established  Palestinian nationalist umbrella organization  Goals:  Liberation of Palestine through armed struggle;  Right of return;  Self-determination;  The original PLO Charter (written in 1968) stated that: "Palestine with its boundaries that existed at the time of the British mandate is an integral regional unit" and sought to "prohibit... the existence and activity" of Zionism.

1967  Six Day War  Israel launches a preemptive strike and conquers the Sinai, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, which it annexed. More Palestinians became refugees. UNSC Res 242 calls for Israeli withdrawal and establishes “land for peace” principle.UNSC Res 242  Arab leaders met in response to the war to discuss the Arab position toward Israel and reached a consensus: No recognition of the State of Israel.; No peace with Israel.; No negotiations with Israel;

 War of Attrition

Israeli walks past temporary buildings at West Bank Elon Moreh settlement to his car for daily drive to his job in Israel, (United Press International ).  War of Attrition  Egypt initiated the War of Attrition, with the goal of exhausting Israel into surrendering the Sinai Peninsula. The war ends following Nasser's death in 1970; leads to the Rogers Plan which Israel rejects.Israel rejects  70’s - Settlements Established  Israel establishes settlements in occupied territories

 “Black September”  King Hussein of Jordan attempted to squash autonomy of Palestinian organizations.  After their expulsion most Palestinian organizations relocated to southern Lebanon and Syria. Palestinian fighters after the battle with Jordan forces, September 1970.

1973  Yom Kippur War  Sadat, allied with President Hafez Assad of Syria, stages a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 6, on Yom Kippur. Israel fights back and gains back most of the ground lost in the initial attack. Fighting continues for 18 days, when the war ends again under U.N. auspices  No territorial change.  UNSC Resolution 338 calls for negotiations between the parties. UNSC Resolution 338

1978  Peace Accords with Egypt  Egyptian and Israeli leaders meet at Camp David with President Carter in 1978 to discuss a treaty in which Egypt would regain full control of the Sinai Peninsula. The treaty is signed on March 26, 1979  Israel completes Sinai pullout by 1982 Sadat, Carter and Menachem Begin

1982  Lebanon War  After the PLO resettles in Lebanon, it stages raids into Israel. In 1981, Syria, allied with the PLO, positions missiles in Lebanon.  In June 1982, Israel invades Lebanon. Israeli troops reach Beirut, cornering the PLO and Syrian fighters. The United States intervenes, and a force of U.S. and Western European troops help with the PLO and Syrian evacuation.  Months later Israel retakes Beirut, and hundreds of Palestinian guerrillas are killed. The war ends in May 1983, and Israel gradually withdraws troops. IDF Forces in Tyre (AP)

2010 © GS

 Intifada  In 1987 a Palestinian popular uprising against the Israeli occupation of the territories, begins in Gaza and spreads to West Bank  Hamas Inauguration  Yasser Arafat seeks sole leadership of the Palestinian people and declares Palestinian statehood in November 1988 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.  Many nations, including the Soviet Union and Egypt, respond with recognition of the Palestinian government, with Arafat as its leader. The United States refuses to recognize statehood but does open dialogue with Arafat.

1991  Gulf War  A conflict between Iraq and a coalition force from 34 nations authorized by the United Nations (UN) but led primarily by the United States and the United Kingdom in order to return Kuwait to the control of the Emir of Kuwait.  During the Gulf War, Iraq fired 39 missiles into Israel, in the hopes of uniting the Arab world against the coalition which sought to liberate Kuwait. At the behest of the United States, Israel did not respond to this attack in order to prevent a greater outbreak of war.

1991  Madrid Conference  Israel and Arabs begin bilateral and multilateral negotiations.

1993  Oslo Peace Process  The agreement between the two sides to make gradual steps towards a final settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, begins; signing of the “Declaration of Principles.”

Israel-Palestinian Negotiations: Diagram

1994  Jordan Peace Treaty  1994, Israel and Jordan sign a peace agreement, which stipulated mutual cooperation, an end of hostilities, and a resolution of other issues.peace agreement

1995  Rabin's Assassination  Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin assassinated by right-wing Israeli fanatic Yigal Amir in November. Rabin is replaced by Shimon Peres

1995  Oslo II Interim Agreement  Establishes 3 areas in West Bank: Area A direct Palestinian control. Area B jointly controlled: Palestinian civilian control and Israeli security control. Area C exclusive Israeli control.

 Hebron Protocol Hebron Protocol Signed in 1997 dividing Palestinian city of Hebron. Israel starts building a settlement, Har Homa, on a hill overlooking East Jerusalem resulting in widespread protests. Peace process frozen. CLICK FOR MAP CLICK FOR MAP

1998  Wye River Memorandum Wye River Memorandum  The summit ends with a land-for-security deal on Oct. 23.  Arafat agrees to crack down on terrorism, and Israel agrees to withdraw from a percentage of occupied land. Palestinians agree to withdraw elements of its charter that are hostile to Israel, and both sides agree to a third phase of redeployment. Within two months, Netanyahu accuses the Palestinians of failing to honor security commitments and steps away from the deal.

1999  Sharm el Sheik Memorandum Sharm el Sheik Memorandum  Labor Party Leader Ehud Barak campaigns for Israeli prime minister, guaranteeing a move forward toward peace. He is elected and soon signs a deal with Arafat to implement part of the Wye Accords and sets a deadline of Sept. 13, 2000, for a final treaty.

2000  Camp David II  Tensions mount as the September deadline approaches with no treaty in sight. Clinton begins a last-ditch peace effort by hosting Arafat and Barak at Camp David. The summit lasts two weeks, but persistent issues, such as the status of Jerusalem and the relocation of Jewish settlers and Palestinian refugees, block an agreement.

2000  Lebanon Disengagement  Israel pulled all its troops out of southern Lebanon on May 24, 2000, ending a 22-year military presence there. All Israel Defense Force and South Lebanon Army outposts were evacuated.

2000  Intifada II  Sharon makes provocative visit to Temple Mount/Haram al- Sharif. Protesting Israeli-Arabs shot by Israeli police. Second Intifada, a violent and sustained uprising, begins, and lasts until 2004.

Clinton’s Parameters  December 23,

2001  Taba Talks  Israeli Position on Three Main Points (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser )Three Main Points 1. Israel will never allow the right of Palestinian refugees to return to inside the State of Israel. 2. Prime Minister Barak will not sign any document which transfers sovereignty over the Temple Mount to the Palestinians. 3. Israel insists that in any settlement, 80% of the Jewish residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza will be in settlement blocs under Israeli sovereignty.

2003  Roadmap  A Performance-Based Roadmap to a Permanent Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict  Following the Camp David Summit in July 2000 bilateral peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians ceased for seven years. In 2003, talks were supposed to resume under the framework of the Roadmap for a permanent two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict put forward by US President George BushRoadmap

The Arab Peace Initiative March 28, 2002

API’s 2008 campaign

2003  The Security Fence

 Gaza Disengagement  Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon initiated a policy of unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in December This policy was implemented in August CLICK FOR MAP CLICK FOR MAP

Disengagement from Gaza Strip CLICK FOR SAMARIA

Disengagement Northern Samaria RETURN TO GAZA MAP

 Annapolis Peace Conference  Organized by Condoleezza Rice and attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and U.S. President George W. Bush  The conference marked the renewal of talks towards a two- state solution as the mutually agreed-upon outline for addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conference ended with the issuing of a joint statement by all parties. 2007

Peace Initiatives  The Saudi Initiative 2002/ The Arab Peace Initiative  The Road Map to Peace in the ME and President Bush’s Speech  Pt. Obama’s May 2011 Statements  The Van Leer Institute Policy Paper 2002  The Geneva Initiative  The Ayalon-Nusseibe Initiative  The Israeli Peace Initiative Official InitiativesUnofficial Initiatives

Samples of informal works Getting to the Territorial Endgame of an Israeli- Palestinian Peace Settlement A special report of the Baker’s Institute

Netanyahu-Abbas 2010  The Iranian Threat The Iranian Threat  The internal Palestinian Hamas-PLO Rift and possible 2011 reconciliation The internal Palestinian Hamas-PLO Rift and possible 2011 reconciliation  Proximity Talks between Israel and the Palestinians via the US P  Direct negotiations  Settlement Freeze  The regional approach

Wikileaks: The Palestine Papers January 2011

Spring 2011  eature=topvideos_mp eature=topvideos_mp 

PM Netanyahu in Congress, May 24, ,00.html

Obama, May 2011  NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD RESULT IN TWO STATES.  THE BORDERS OF ISRAEL AND PALESTINE SHOULD BE BASED ON THE 1967 LINES WITH MUTUALLY AGREED SWAPS, SO THAT SECURE AND RECOGNIZED BORDERS ARE ESTABLISHED FOR BOTH STATES.  THE PALESTINIAN STATE SHOULD BE SOVEREIGN AND CONTIGUOUS.  ISRAEL MUST BE ABLE TO DEFEND ITSELF – BY ITSELF – AGAINST ANY THREAT.  PROVISIONS MUST ALSO BE ROBUST ENOUGH TO PREVENT A RESURGENCE OF TERRORISM; TO STOP THE INFILTRATION OF WEAPONS; AND TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE BORDER SECURITY.  THE FULL AND PHASED WITHDRAWAL OF ISRAELI MILITARY FORCES SHOULD BE COORDINATED WITH PALESTINIAN SECURITY RESPONSIBILITY IN A SOVEREIGN, NON-MILITARIZED STATE.  THE DURATION OF THIS TRANSITION PERIOD MUST BE AGREED, AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS MUST BE DEMONSTRATED.

August 2011 Thank you, Shalom, Salam