Israel/Palestine
It is our hope that your study of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in your history class has provided you with an understanding of the general history of the conflict. That being said, there are many recent developments that should be considered. Some of them are listed below:
1. The continuing conflicts in Gaza. Israel pulled settlements out of the Gaza Strip but there are still over 200,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Will Israel agree to dismantle all of the settlements built after the 1967 War and withdraw to the pre-war borders?
2. The victories of Hamas in Palestinian elections have served to fracture the Palestinian political landscape. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, the two most powerful Palestinian political groups, have been struggling for power – sometimes peacefully, sometimes through armed struggle. Both parties agreed to support a “unity government” with the hopes of gaining international diplomatic recognition. Some nations (notably the U.S. and Israel) refuse to engage in negotiations with the Palestinian government until it agrees to do three key things: recognize the right of Israel to exist; denounce terrorism as a method of achieving political goals; and honor all past agreements between Israeli and Palestinian leadership. Will the Palestinian political leadership do so?
3. Israel is continuing the construction of its defense barrier/wall in the West Bank. Some argue that the barrier is justifiable and necessary to the peace, preservation, and security of Israel. Others argue that the barrier is an attempt to annex a large portion of the West Bank. They argue that it is a land grab. Will the construction of the fence continue? If so, what will its final contours be? Will those contours constitute the “final borders” of Israel or will they be a starting point for negotiations?
4. The positions of not only the Palestinian leadership but also those of other neighboring Arab states is of great concern and interest to Israel. Israel charges that much of the terrorism that has rocked Israel has its roots in Arab nations and Iran. The framing of this issue for the Eurasian Conference states that all neighboring Arab countries must recognize Israel’s right to exist, normalize trade and diplomatic relationships, and make security guarantees with the state of Israel. The question is, will they do so?
THE OPTIONS BEFORE THE CONFERENCE WILL BE:
A. Should ALL Eurasian Conference nations recognize Palestinian statehood under the following conditions?
1. Israeli withdrawal to its June 4, 1967 borders;
2. The establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital;
3. The dismantling of exclusive Jewish settlements that were built after 1967;
4. Just compensation for Palestinians dispossessed of their lands/homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War; and
5. Legal recognition of Israeli statehood by the Arab countries, which includes: full diplomatic relations, normalized trade, and security guarantees between Israel and the Arab countries
B. Should Israel and Palestine merge into a single state with the following features?
1. A democratic government with majority rule;
2. Free movement of all people within the borders of the new state;
3. Equal protection of all citizens under the law;
4. Obligation for all citizens to serve in the military at the age of 18 for at least 30 months, regardless of gender, ethnicity or religion
OR
C. A revised option drafted by the nations of the Eurasian Conference?
