Download the effect of the israeli occupation on the palestinian people

Simran Bindra
EDGE
Professor Bruce Lusignan
Friday, March 11, 2005
THE EFFECT OF THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION ON THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
Background
The issue of Palestine and Israel is one
that has been hotly contested for over a
thousand years. The last fifty years have been
especially important in the history of the Jewish
people and Palestinians. Since the death of
Yasser Arafat on the 11th of November 20041,
and the election of Mahmoud Abbas as his
successor as leader of the Palestinian Authority,
significant steps have been taken towards a
lasting peace. This will hopefully lead to a
conclusion of the second Palestinian intifada,
which began in late September 2000, and to an
end of the oppression of the Palestinian people
1
Yasser Arafat - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasser_Arafat
1
by the Israeli Defense Forces. Both Jews and Arabs have suffered heavily from the
conflict, thousands of innocent civilians have died on both sides, and peace is in the
interests of all.
History of the Conflict
The disputed territory that has been alternately referred to as Palestine and Israel
is relatively small, the total area is only roughly 22 000 square kilometers. It is bordered
by Jordan on the East, Lebanon on the North, Egypt and the Mediterranean Ocean on the
West, and shares 76 kilometers of border with Syria in the North East. The two disputed
territories that are occupied by the Israeli Army but under the autonomous control of the
Palestinian Authority are the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. These two territories amount
to roughly 6400 square kilometers, the West Bank makes up the majority of this area – it
amounts to 6000 square kilometers in the Eastern part of the country and borders the
nation of Jordan.
Jews have long considered Israel to be their national home. They consider it to be
a Holy Land, or a Promised Land – they believe it to be their right from God to live in the
region. The area is also considered the birthplace of Christianity, Bethlehem the city
where Jesus Christ was supposedly born is located in the region. It is also regarded as one
of the most sacred sites for Islam. The fact that all three of these major religions claim the
area as their own is one that makes conflict almost inevitable.
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Archaeologists have unearthed evidence that inhabitants of the region were
cultivating domesticated crops from as far back as 8000 B.C. The area was home to a
series of Jewish kingdoms for over a thousand years until the Roman Empire expelled the
Jews from the region in 73 A.D. after the Great Jewish
Revolt.2 The country was under the control of the Roman
Empire until the 7th century when the Muslim Caliphate
conquered the land. This first attracted Arab settlers to the
region. In fact before the birth of Zionism there were only
10 000 Jews living in what is now called Israel.
The Zionist movement was formally started at the
end of 19th century it was started by Theodor Herzl and
Theodor Herzl
called for the creation of a Jewish homeland in the Middle
East. In 1917 the British passed the Balfour Declaration,
which called for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish
people.” 3 After the Agreement, immigration by Jews to Palestine increased substantially
but Arabs still made up the vast majority of the population. The Zionist movement did
not attract the attention of most of the international community until after the Second
World War. The Holocaust, led by Nazi Germany, resulted in the deaths of over six
million Jews and after the end of the war the world realized the desire of the Jewish
people for a historic homeland of their own where they would be free from discrimination
and persecution. The end of World War Two saw a dramatic increase in levels of
2
The Great Jewish Revolt - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Jewish_Revolt
The Balfour Declaration – Jewish Virtual Library http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/balfour.html
3
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violence carried out by both Jewish and Arab militant groups intent on the creation of a
Jewish state and the removal of Jews from the area respectively.
On May 14, 1948 the State of Israel was proclaimed as a result of a United
Nations Partition Plan. The Arab-Israeli war of 1948 – referred to as the ‘War of
Independence’ by Israelis and ‘The Catastrophe’ by Arabs broke out immediately with
Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, Egyptian, Jordanian, Saudi, and Yemeni troops invading the
fledgling Israeli state. The Israelis successfully thwarted the Arab invasion and gained
territories that remained Israeli until the new borders were drawn up in 1967. The war
resulted in the creation of 600 000 Jewish refugees from Arab states, the majority of
whom fled to Israel, and 750 000 Arab Palestinian refugees. Many of these Arab refugees
were denied citizenship in neighboring nations and to this day many still remain in
‘temporary’ refugee camps where they have started families and created a second, and
even third generation who have known nothing but life inside a refugee camp. Only
around 20% of the existing Arab population remained within the new state of Israel4. The
population of Israel doubled within the first year of formation as a result of Holocaust
survivors who no longer felt comfortable living in their existing homelands, and Jewish
immigrants from Arab countries.
War broke out between Israel and its Arab neighbors (Egypt, Syria and Jordan) on
June 5th 1967. Israel successfully defeated the Arab forces after just six days and as a
result of the short-lived war, Israel gained control of the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula,
the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. The newly conquered territory increased the size
of Israel by a factor of four and placed one million more Arabs under the control of
Israel. In addition to the Arabs under Israeli control, one million Arab refugees were
4
Israeli War of Independence - http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/israel-inde.htm
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created to join the refugee camps in neighboring countries. The 1967 war had huge
political significance. Israel showed the world that it was able to defend its territory and
that it was able, and prepared to launch strategic strikes that could result in gaining
territory and upsetting the balance in the region. The Arab nations did not appear to learn
strategic lessons. They launched a third war in 1973 in the hope of regaining their
territory lost to Israel, but they were able to adjust their military techniques, and so were
hopeful that they would be more successful in future conflicts against the Jewish state.
On holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, of 1973 Egypt and Syria
launched a surprise attack together the aim of which was to regain the territory that they
had lost in the Six Day war of 1967. This war was supported by a number of other Arab
nations in the region. After the 1967 war, Israel had spent hundreds of millions building
up her military and fortifying her borders with her neighbors. Because of this intensive
defense work Israel was again able to hold back the Arab armies and eventually managed
to push back her enemies to beyond the original lines established after the Six Day War.
This war was especially controversial because of the timing of the Arab invasion – Yom
Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement, it is regarded as the holiest and most serious day
for all who follow Judaism. Jews are forbidden to work on Yom Kippur and so an attack
on this day was seen as being incredibly disrespectful by most of the international
community.
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Peace Processes and Intifadas
Since the end of the
Yom Kippur War there have
been numerous attempts to
achieve peace, many of these
were bilateral agreements
between Israel and leaders of
the Arab world, but the more
Sadat (left), Carter (center), and Begin (right) congratulating each
other on the success of the Camp David Accords
effective efforts were
multilateral attempts
involving other nations. The first significant attempts at peace were the Camp David
Accords in September of 1978. These were signed by President Anwar Sadat of Egypt,
and the Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The agreements were moderated by
President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, and were held at the White House. The
agreements dealt with the future of the Sinai Peninsula and establishing autonomous
regions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The conclusions achieved at the Camp
David Accords were highly unpopular in the Arab world as they resulted in an Arab state
officially acknowledging the right of Israel to exist, and eventually led to the
assassination of Sadat in 1981. Unfortunately, concessions promised by both sides failed
to materialize and led to the “spontaneous outbreak of demonstrations in 1987”5. These
demonstrations rapidly escalated and evolved into the first Palestinian intifada (the
Arabic word for uprising). It was the start of a bloody campaign led and carried out
5
Beitler – The Path to Mass Rebellion: An analysis of two intifadas
6
mainly by armed Palestinian militant groups calling for an end of Israeli occupation of
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and with a larger goal of removing the Zionist
presence in the Middle East. The levels of extreme violence died down in 1991 and
eventually came to an end in 1993 with the signing of the Oslo Accords.
The Oslo Accords were a peace effort that was more focused on the needs and
wants of the Palestinian people than previous efforts. The counter part of the Israeli
Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin was not a leader from one of Israel’s Arab neighbors but
was the head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Yasser Arafat. These talks were
initiated by the Norwegian government as they were seen as being impartial – it is
unlikely that Norway had any ulterior motives in the Middle East, they were about as far
removed from the situation as is possible. The Oslo Accords called for a removal of
Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and for the two areas to be placed
under Palestinian government through the creation of the Palestinian Authority – under
the leadership of Yasser Arafat. This new Authority would be in power for half a decade
before the possibility of permanent independence for the Palestinian people would be
discussed. The Accords were praised by the international community and Arafat, Rabin,
and Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres were all awarded Nobel Peace Prizes.
Unfortunately, the proceedings that were supposed to come into effect as a result
of the Oslo Accords failed to become actualized and the peace process stalled. American
President Bill Clinton attempted to keep the process moving forward. In 2000, the
conference referred to as the Camp David 2000 Summit took place. The Summit ended in
failure with both sides refusing to come to any conclusions and the Second Intifada
known as the al-Asqa Intifada sprung up. This uprising saw a huge increase in the
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number of Palestinian suicide bombers targeting Israeli citizens. The level of violence
peaked in 2003. Suicide bombings were happening on an almost weekly basis, and the
Israeli Army moved back to reoccupy the West Bank.
The Actions of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
The actions of the IDF since the start of the al-Asqa Intifada have been criticized
by the majority of the international community with the notable exception of the United
States. The IDF operates beyond the reach of international law in the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip. Israel argues that her military should not be subjected to international
legislation, as the conflict in the region is not an international one. However, the majority
of the rest of the world disagrees. Most believe that the Second Intifada, in effect since
late September of 20006, is an armed struggle between two neighboring states, and, as a
result, should be subjected to legislation that is normally in place in times of war between
two different countries. Israel’s belief that her army is not subject to these international
laws is apparent in the IDF’s policies, which target civilians, and in other procedures that
are regarded as illegal by most of the world. The doctrine of the IDF states that the
purpose of their existence is: “To defend the existence, territorial integrity and
sovereignty of the state of Israel. To protect the inhabitants of Israel and to combat all
forms of terrorism which threaten the daily life.”7 However, the IDF’s actions in the Gaza
6
Hellman, Ziv
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history_community/Israel/Overview_IsraeliPalestinian_Relations/Intifa
da_I/Intifada2.htm
7
Israeli Defense Force - www.idf.il
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Strip and the West Bank have nothing to do with the defense of Israel and instead amount
to a form of government-sanctioned terrorism. The IDF says that it carries out actions
that are bound by human rights legislation; however, there is strong evidence that the
opposite is the case and that the IDF frequently and knowingly breaks international laws.
There have been reports of the IDF engaging in the indiscriminate targeting of
innocent Palestinian civilians, journalists and foreign aid workers; the use of civilians as
human shields; the haphazard destruction of Palestinian homes; the disruption of daily
life for thousands of Palestinians for no apparent reason; the interruption of ambulances
and essential medical services; targeted assassinations of Hamas figures; and many other
human rights violations that have left thousands dead and many more wounded. All of
these actions are in defiance of international human rights laws, which prohibit the
targeting of civilians, the use of excessive force and the targeting of medical personnel. 89
Israel argues that these actions are a legitimate response against Palestinian terrorists and
that they should not be subjected to criticism as they are simply defending themselves
against terrorists. The actions of Palestinian terrorists are also criticized by the
international community, a major difference is that Israel is a legitimately recognized
international state and as such has obligations to obey international laws.
B’Tselem: The Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories Information Sheet: May 1993 – House Demolition During Operations Against Wanted Persons.
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9
Human Rights Watch – Israel, the Occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Authority
Territories Series: In a dark hour: the use of civilians during IDF arrest operations
9
The Effect of Israel’s Occupation on Palestinian Agriculture and Labor
The seizure of Palestinian lands has allowed Israel to develop settlements in the
West Bank in what would otherwise be considered wilderness zones used for raising
livestock. Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip are located in the most fertile land in the
area depriving Palestinians of prime agricultural land and denying access to wells by
Palestinians. Israeli settlements do not have adequate sewage facilities and sewage is
allowed to drain out into areas adjacent to Palestinian villages without treatment. The
seizure of Palestinian agricultural lands has resulted in a significant decrease of
Palestinian Gross Domestic Product and a huge increase in unemployment.
However, the greatest obstacle to Palestinian agricultural development is not
scarcity of land due to the land-grab carried out by Israel, but rather access to water.
Almost the entire Israeli increase in the demand for fresh water since 1967 has been met
by pumping in water from the Occupied Territories. Israel has only permitted Palestinians
to increase their water use by 20% since 1967 – and this increase is only for personal use
not agricultural and economic development10. This is restraining the Palestinian economy
from reaching its full potential. Environmental regulations for Israeli firms located in the
Occupied Territories are much laxer than the rest of Israel resulting in increased pollution
that affects mainly the Palestinian people.
An example of the abuse of lax environmental regulations within the Occupied
Territories is that of Geshurei Industries, a manufacturer of pesticides and fertilizers. The
main factory belonging to Geshurei Industries was originally located in the Israeli town
10
The Socio-economic Impact of Settlements on Land, Water, and the Palestinian Economy http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/cahier/proche-orient/colonies-2
10
of Kfar Saba. However, anxiety over the quality and quantity of air and water emissions
in addition to the waste produced by the factory, forced the Israeli courts to issue an order
for the closure of the plant in 1982. However, a mere five years later, the plant reopened
across the Green Line in the town of Tulkarem located in the West Bank. There are in
effect no controls on either air pollution or waste disposal here and the factory has been
operating since 1987 with pollution levels exceeding previously existing standards.
Palestinian civilians complain that the presence of this factory is having detrimental
effects on their health and quality of life but the Israeli governments refuse to issue a
court order calling for either the closure of the plant or for it to follow stricter
environmental regulations.
In 1987, 35% of the Palestinian workforce from the West Bank, and 45% of the
Gaza Strip’s were employed in Israel. The majority of these Palestinian workers
performed menial jobs. The total number of Palestinian workers in Israel fell from an
average of 116 000 at the start of the 1990s to under 28 000 by 199611. After the start of
the Second Intifada Israel began using access to work as a form of collective punishment
towards Palestinians. Every suicide bombing resulted in a closure of check points and a
denial of Palestinian access to employment. This resulted in a surge of unemployment
levels among Palestinian communities and thousands of families found themselves
without a major breadwinner. Palestinians that were still allowed access to work in Israel
were forced to pay income tax to the Israeli government. Before the al-Aqsa Intifada
these income tax revenues were returned to the Palestinian Authority, however, when the
Second Intifada began, Israel began withholding these tax revenues as an “incentive” to
Yasser Arafat to stop the violence. As well as denying Palestinians labor, the Israeli
11
Beitler – The Path to Mass Rebellion: An analysis of two intifadas
11
government controlled Palestinians’ access to important commodities such as cement,
flour, cigarettes and gasoline. This led to a huge increase in the quantities of commodities
dealt with on the black market. Many of these products were smuggled into the Occupied
Territories from neighboring nations, the revenues from these operations went towards
financing illegal activities, including but not limited to supporting groups with links to
terrorist organizations.
The Israeli government has began construction of
a giant barrier surrounding many Palestinian settlements
on the reasoning that it helps prevent Israel from acts of
terrorism. While there is evidence that the wall has
indeed helped decrease the number of attacks on
Construction of the Israeli wall
Israel, it has been condemned by the majority of
the international community as being little more than a land grab. The United Nations
General Assembly requested that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) determine the
legal status of the wall. The ICJ found the existence of the wall to be breaking
international law and called for it to be dismantled; they reported that it was “tantamount
to de facto annexation”.12 The construction of the wall has resulted in the destruction in
hundreds of olive trees that provided employment to thousands of Palestinians. The wall
has made it much harder for Palestinians to move freely and so has forced many
previously employed Palestinians to join the ranks of the unemployed.
The Current Situation
BBC News – What is the West Bank barrier? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3111159.stm
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Both Israelis and Palestinians have grown extremely tired of fighting and many
have realized that there is no viable solution that can be solved by violence. There is no
doubt that the current situation is resulting in thousands of lost lives and the loss of
millions of dollars through lost productivity. The newly elected Palestinian leader
Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon recently held yet another round
of peace talks known as the Sharm al-Sheikh Summit. Abbas has argued that diplomacy
and talks are a better solution than
violence as a means to end the
Israeli occupation of the West Bank
and Gaza Strip. The latest round of
peace talks has been regarded by
many as one of the most productive
yet. Sharon agreed to release
US President George W. Bush (center) looks on as
Abbas (left) and Sharon (right) shake hands
Palestinian militants that were held
in Israeli prisons; end the IDF’s
practice of demolishing the houses of families of suspected suicide bombers; stop any
and all offensive operations targeting Palestinians, the release of 500 Palestinian
prisoners; and perhaps most importantly, it has agreed to remove settlements from the
West Bank, starting with the removal of Israeli settlements in five major cities, and to
hand control of the area back to the Palestinian Authority.
The Future
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The removal of Israeli checkpoints and settlements, and the dismantling of the
wall will allow the Palestinian economy to resume growth provided Israel is willing to
allow aid to Palestinians and not place unfair restrictions on Palestinians. Removing
restrictions on Palestinians will also help the Israeli economy as it will give them
increased access to relatively cheap labor. There is little doubt that if a separate
Palestinian state emerges, the Palestinians will need a great deal of aid and assistance to
boost their economy to sustainable, functional levels. If Israel were to provide legitimate
assistance, and the Palestinians were to accept this aid graciously it would show the
world that peace really is on top of the agenda for the two nations and that they are
willing to exist peacefully side by side. The majority of Israelis and Palestinians have
now accepted that a two state system is the only viable solution to end the conflict and
right wing parties on both sides need to stop dragging their feet and accept that they will
both have to make serious concessions peace is possible. However, the actions of primary
importance that need to take place are an end to the violence on both sides. Abbas must
do his best to prevent terrorist activities and condemn with utmost force any terrorist
actions taken by groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and al-Asqa Martyr’s Brigade. At
the same time Sharon must ensure that no Palestinian civilians are targeted by the IDF,
and that any suspected militants are arrested and tried under the guidelines set out by the
United Nations. Any soldiers who break this agreement and shoot at innocent
Palestinians who are not posing a threat must be arrested and court-martialed – something
that the IDF and Israeli government are loath to do at the moment. Whilst the two groups
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will always have their differences the world hopes that they can live side-by-side in peace
and allow everyone to travel across the beautiful region regardless of their religion.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Websites:
Yasser Arafat - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasser_Arafat
The Great Jewish Revolt - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Jewish_Revolt
The Balfour Declaration – Jewish Virtual Library http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/balfour.html
Israeli War of Independence - http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/israelinde.htm
Hellman, Ziv http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history_community/Israel/Overview_IsraeliPalestinia
n_Relations/Intifada_I/Intifada2.htm
Israeli Defense Force - www.idf.il
The Socio-economic Impact of Settlements on Land, Water, and the Palestinian Economy
- http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/cahier/proche-orient/colonies
BBC News – What is the West Bank barrier? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3111159.stm
Books:
Beitler, Ruth Margolies – The Path to Mass Rebellion: An analysis of two intifadas
B’Tselem: The Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories -
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Information Sheet: May 1993 – House Demolition During Operations Against Wanted
Persons.
Human Rights Watch – Israel, the Occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the
Palestinian Authority Territories Series: In a dark hour: the use of civilians during IDF
arrest operations
17