Download Lecture 7 - Jordan Palestine Israel File

Politics of the Middle East
Jordan, Palestine, Israel
People
• Population, 7,930,491
• Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
• Muslim 97.2% (predominantly Sunni),
Christian 2.2%
History
• Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan, Trans-Jordan,
Emerit of Jordan
• 1946 Independence
• 1948 – 1967 Gained control
of the West Bank
• 1951 Abdullah I killed
• 1957 End of security pact
with UK
• 1958 Arab Federation of
Iraq and Jordan
• 1965 Land exchange with SA
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1967 Six day War, loss of West Bank
1970 Black September
1973 War, 1 Brigade to Syria,
1980s Protests resulting in expanded freedoms
Did not participate in Gulf War 1, Iraq
Israel Jordan Peace Pact October 26, 1994, ending 46year state of war.
1996 Food riots, IMF ends subsidies, 25%
unemployment, 50% public sector employees,
1999 Death of King Hussein
King Abdullah II, political reforms economic
cooperation with Egypt, Syria, Israel
2011 Arab Revolutions, protests quelled by some
reforms, extended subsidies, reappointment of
ministers and early parliamentary elections.
Government
• Parliamentary Multi Party Monarchy
• King Abdullah II
• King is the executive, signs and vetoes laws, may
suspend or dissolve parliament. A veto by the
king may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of
both houses of parliament at his discretion
• appoints and dismisses judges, approves
constitutional amendments, declares war, head
of the military
• Bicameral assembly
• Chamber of Deputies 150 members, elected
to 4 year terms by the electorate
• 15 seats reserved for women, 9 seats for
Christians, 3 for Chechens/ Circassians.
• approves, rejects legislation with little power
to initiate laws.
• Assembly of Senators 60 members appointed
by the King, 4 year terms
• Can be removed by Chamber of Deputies
• 2013 Talal al-Sharif tried to shoot a colleague
with an assault rifle.
Palestinian Question
• At Present, 1,951,603 Palestine refugees in Jordan
338,000 are still living in refugee camps
• 1946 Jordan had two towns with more than 10,000
people: Amman (65,754) and Salt (14,479).
• 1952 After refugee crisis, Amman 108,412 Irbid and
Zarqa more than doubled their population from less
than 10,000 each to respectively, 23,000 and 28,000
• 1951 King Abdullah I assassinated at the al-Aqsa
Mosque by a Palestinian
• 1966 -1967 Six Day War, 1 Million Refugees
Black September
• Fedayeen: Loose collection of Palestinian resistance
• 1967 United under the PLO
• actions in Jordan including the destruction of three
hijacked international airliners and attempted
assassination of the king prompted military response
• Jordanian victory in July 1971, Fedayeen expelled
• Syrian intervention threatens to start regional war
• Center of Palestinian militancy relocates to Lebanon
Foreign Relations
• Pro-Western, close ties
US, UK
• Neutrality Gulf War I
• European Neighbour
Policy, Non-NATO
member ally
• Iraq, received significant
oil subsidies until 2003,
now hosts large ex-pat
community
Palestine
Economy
• Primarily agricultural
• Employs 90% of the population
• Challenges: confiscation of land for military
and settler use, blockades restrict export and
import of materials
• GDP 6.8 Billion 1600 per capita
People
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West Bank 2.5 Million
Gaza I.8 Million
E. Jerusalem 1.6 Million
Muslim 85%, Jewish, 13%, Christian 2%
Government
• 1994 Palestinian Authority established by the
Oslo Accords as an interim government
• semi-presidential multi-party republic, with a
Legislative Council, an executive President, and a
Prime Minister
• President and parliament elected by the people
• PM is appointed by the President2006 Hamas
wins decisive election in parliament
• Refusal to abide by conditions placed on the PA
Hamas members removed from West Bank
positions, Control taken of Gaza
Hamas
• Islamist organisation founded 1987 First
Intifada
• Goals: Liberate Palestine, Establish and Islamic
State
• Wings: Social Welfare, Political and Military
• Governed by a Consultative Council
• 15 Member Political Bureau elected by the
Council
Israel
People
• Populations 8,230,000
• 76% Jewish, 21% Arab,
3% other
• Hebrew and Arabic
Language
Origins of the Idea
• 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
lead the Exodus.
Zionism
• nationalist movement that
supports the creation of a Jewish
• Zionist Congress
• Aliyah, Immigration waves,
(1884), (1904–14), (1919–
1923), (1924–1929)
• 1903, declined a British offer to
establish a homeland in Uganda.
• WWII 33% increase of Jews in
Palestine
• fear that American Jews would
encourage the USA to support
Germany in WW I resulted in
Balfour Declaration
Mandatory Palestine
• Balfour Declaration 1917, “His Majesty's
government view with favour the establishment
in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish
people”
• Influx of Jewish Migrants,
• Jerusalem Riots 1920
• White Paper 1922. Limited Jewish immigration
• 1929 Riots
• 1931, 17% of Palestine Jewish
• 1936-39 Arab Revolt
• 1948-49 Civil War
Government
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Unitary Parliamentary Republic
Knesset 120 members
Universal Suffrage
PM is Head of Government
President performs ceremonial duties
Basic Law of Israel, un-codified constitution
Unstable coalitions
Judicial System - English Common Law and Jewish
Law
• Marriage and divorce are under religious
courts: Jewish, Muslim, Druze, and Christian
20th Knesset
Coalition Government
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30 Likud
6 United Torah Judaism
7 Shas
10 Kulanu
8 Jewish Home
Settlement
382,031 West Bank, 300,000,
East Jerusalem 20,000 in the
Golan Heights
Considered illegal by
international community
UN Vote, 158 of 166, 160 of
171
Military
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Israeli Defence Force
3rd highest ratio of GDP to military spending
Mossad and Shaback
Conscription Men 3 years, Women 2
176,500 active troops and an additional 445,000
reservists
• US is expected to provide the country with
$3.15 billion per year from 2013–2018
• Global Peace Index, ranking 145th out of 153
• Has not signed Non-proliferation treaty
Foreign Affairs
• US has provided $68 billion in
military assistance and
$32 billion in grants since 1967
• diplomatic relations with 157
countries,
• 3 members of the Arab
League Egypt and Jordan,
Mauritania recognise Israel