Download Arab - Israel 101

What would you do if your brother, sister,
or other family member came into the
room later today and said that you have to
make room for them and their stuff or find
another place to sleep?
Who should get the room?
Suppose you got pressured?
How could you solve the problem
peaceably?
Palestine – Israel 101
At the heart of this conflict is a dispute over land and boarders.
The land of Palestine was inhabited by Palestinian Arabs
400,000 Muslims – 80%
75,000 Christians – 15%
25,000 Jews – 5%
1850
For centuries these groups had lived in harmony
Zionism
• In the late 1800s; Extremist European Jews
decided to colonize Palestinian land
• They wanted to create a Jewish homeland
• As more and more Zionists immigrated the
indigenous population became increasingly
alarmed
• Eventually, there was fighting between the
two groups.
1947 – The UN gets involved
• In the aftermath of WWII and the Holocaust
the UN gave 55% of Palestine to a newly
created Jewish State – Israel
– Zionist Jews were 30% of the population and
owned only 7% of the land
1948: Arab Israeli War
• 90,000 European-trained Zionist soldiers
possessing modern weaponry
VS
• 30,000 ill-equipped, poorly trained Arab
soldiers
• Israel conquered 78%
of Palestine
• Created nearly 1 million
Palestinian refugees
Nakba
• Over 400 towns and
villages were destroyed
• Every city, river, and
hill received a new
Hebrew name
• Denied the existence of
Palestine
Brief Historical Background
1967: Six Day War
• Israel conquered more land by launching a highly
successful attack
• Occupied additional 22% of Palestine – The West
Bank and the Gaza Strip
Recognizing the Two Sides
The Palestinian Side:
• Fear of Dispossession / 20th Century Jewish
Immigration
• Nakba of 1948
• The 57-year Occupation
• Spiritual connection to the Holy Land
Recognizing the Two Sides
The Jewish Side:
•
•
•
•
History of Jewish Persecution
Holocaust
Israel as Jewish ‘Safe Haven’
Spiritual connection to the Holy Land
The Composition of the Holy
Land
Source: 2003 CIA World Fact Book - Palestine data consists of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Economic Comparative Analysis
In the land between the Mediterranean sea and the Jordan river…
Israel
GDP
Per Capita
Annual Budget
UN HDI Rank
$117.4 Billion
$19,500
$45.1 Billion
22 out of 177
Palestine
GDP
Per Capita
Annual Budget
UN HDI Rank
$2.4 Billion
$700
$1.2 Billion
102 out of 177
Unemployment 1 out of 2
Growth rate -18%
Unemployment 1 out of 10
A Palestinian
has-0.8%
to work for 28 years to earn what an Israeli does in one year
Growth rate
Sources: United Nations 2004 Human Development Index (HDI), 2003 CIA World Fact Book.
Military Comparison
Israel
Main Battle Tanks
Combat Aircraft
Artillery
2001 Military Expenditures
Official Active Forces
–
–
–
–
–
3,950
438
1,542
$10.1 billion
167,600
Palestine
0
0
0
$85 million
35,000
Israel continues
to maintain tens of
thousands of troops
in the West Bank and
Gaza – Israel invaded
and occupied those
areas in the
1967 war
Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies
“We can argue with the Palestinians about who’s to blame; but about who is suffering worse – there is no
argument. They are a destitute nation living in an elaborate prison under the guns of the Israeli army.”
Jerusalem Post Editorial, March 3, 2004
Demographic Analysis
The total population today between the Jordan river and the
Mediterranean Sea is just under 10 million. This area includes Israel
and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In contrast, the census taken
in 1931 shows a total population of 1,035,821.
The 2004 population is: 4.9 million Jewish, 4.9 million Palestinian (Muslim & Christian)
Sources: Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, American Jewish Committee. CIA World Fact Book. 1931 British Census.
The Conflict has taken 4,000 lives
in 4 years
From September 29, 2000 to January 5, 2005
Population Citizens Killed
U.S. Equivalent
Israel
6,116,533
949
45,048
Palestine
3,512,062
3,538
292,487
Sources: Middle East Policy Council, The Guardian Unlimited
8:44
The Path of the Israeli Barrier
The barrier’s path has been projected
to annex between 7% – 45% of
Palestinian land. This will:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Completely surround 100,000 people
in 42 towns
Reduce the available water supply by 1
billion gallons
Confiscate hundreds of thousands of
acres of land
Severely restrict travel to jobs,
hospitals and schools
Adversely affect 4 out of 10
Palestinians
A Look at the Israeli Barrier from
Space
Before
After
CLOSE UP: Qalqilyah was a relatively rich Palestinian town, nicknamed the ‘bread basket.’ After
the Wall was constructed around it the cost of shipping goods has tripled. Consequently, 600
stores have been forced to close and now 75% of the town’s 40,000+ residents depend on
humanitarian assistance from overseas.
The Israeli Barrier on the Ground
Archbishop Pietro Sambi, of Jerusalem said the wall, “cuts in half monasteries, convents,
churches and cemeteries.” The pictures above are of the wall in Bethlehem
American National Interest
Why is it in the U.S. interest to solve the IsraeliPalestinian conflict?
“Attitudes toward the United States have gone from bad to worse”
“The bottom has fallen out of Arab and Muslim support for the United States”
The Muslim World
Population – 1.4 Billion
This one example represents
an 80% decline
Q: “What can the U.S. do to improve relations with the Arab world?”
A: Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Sources: Pew Research Study on Global Attitudes. Zogby International poll of Arabs attitudes, September 2002.
How is Current U.S. Policy
Perceived?
The U.S. Intelligence Community
The official report on Current and Projected Threats to the National
Security of the United States concluded that resolving the Israeli
Palestinian conflict will:
“Significantly
reduce negative
feelings toward the
U.S. in the region,”
It goes on to conclude that,
“Without it, the U.S. should
expect Arab and Muslim hostility
to increase further, threatening
prospects for the future.”
“Why do they hate us?.. For the most part, you get one answer, over and over again, and with little
variation. They hate us because of our policy toward Israel and the Palestinians.” An About-Face
on America, The Washington Post, August 24, 2004
Sources: U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Haaretz Daily 11/03/03. Against All Enemies by Richard Clarke 2004.
American Public Opinion
Nearly 9 out of 10
Americans
believe that a peaceful solution to the
Israeli - Palestinian conflict is an
important foreign policy goal of the
United States and 64% favor making a
major effort to be even-handed in
order to combat international
terrorism.
Sources: Mar. 2002 Gallup Poll. Oct. 2001 Newsweek. Nov. 2001 U. Md. PIPA
September 2004 Chicago Council on Foreign Relations Global Views 2004.
How Do We Resolve the
Conflict?