SKYMUN IV Chair Research Report
Committee:​ ECOSOC
Issue:​ Securing the social and economic safety of Palestinian residents in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories
Student Officer:​ Ryan Bohyun Choi, Deputy Assistant President
1. Description of Issue
The current Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back to the 20th century, during the era
of anti-Semitism, in which the European Jews were persecuted for their ethnicity. This
wanton sentiment resulted in the massive Jewish emigration out of their past European
homes, fleeing unjustified persecution, and seeking a “national homeland, ​in what was then
an Arab- and Muslim-majority territory in the Ottoman and later British Empire.” Arguing
their rightful entitlement of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Arabs resisted, leading to
the 1948 Israeli-Arab war, when the Israelites declared their sovereignty in the “​Declaration
of the Establishment of the State of Israel​.” With foreign nations promoting negotiations and
facilitating peace, the two states were able to come to an agreement on boundaries; yet,
tensions failed to be resolved.
Recently, in an attempt to expand their geographical and political influence, the
Israeli state has disregarded past agreements to construct settlements in the Palestinian land
(particularly the West bank, which entails Jerusalem). Here, although nominally controlled by
the Palestinian government, the Israelites have positioned troops, thereby limiting the land to
Palestinians. And in light of these Israeli encroachments, major multifaceted issues arise
which can be distinguished into threefold categories: the economic exploitation of Palestinian
territory, the social impact on the Palestinian population, and the religious disputes between
Judaism and Islam.
42% of the West Bank is under control by the Israelites (​Farsakh)​. Land that is
regarded to be rightfully Palestinian has been alarmingly invaded, as the Israelites establish
more settlements, and entrench upon the agreements made. Based upon the economic
exploitation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), the Israeli illicit actions have been
keenly documented. In their confiscation of large areas of Palestinian lands, Israelites have
gained control over valuable economic assets such as natural resources, tourist attractions,
and strategic geographic locations, thereby resulting in unprecedented losses. With this, the
Israelites have also prohibited development of hospitals, educational facilities, and denied
access to essential necessities like water, electricity, and fuel. Resulting in $918 million
losses, the statistics fail to lie; Israeli occupation is detrimental to the Palestinian government,
and is negatively​ affecting the welfare of its inhabitants (​The Impact).
The social facet of this controversy is especially injurious to the Palestinian residents.
Since the 1960 migration of the Jewish community, myriads of Muslim communities have
been displaced in consequence of the Israelite territorial gains. And after the 1948
Arab-Israeli War and the 1967 six day war, more than 700,000 Palestinians fled (or were
expelled) from their homes in 1949, and an additional 350,000 in 1967. Homeless and with
high unemployment rates, the social aspect is a contentious component of the Palestinian
crisis.
The modern day Israeli-Palestinian conflict does not simply entail social and
economic disputes, rather the religious differences have been an integral factor of their
tensions. The West bank encompasses Jerusalem, an important setting for 3 major religions:
Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. The argument (mainly between the Islamic, and Judaists)
perceive this city as rightfully theirs, and this debate has been a driving force that affects this
conflict.
And in sum, regarding the Israeli entrenchment upon the Westbank and their recent
developments in constructing more settlements, myriads of sizeable problems start to appear
that are negatively affecting the welfare of the Palestinian citizens. And with this, such
actions aggravate already tense relationships between these two political entities, and truly
questions the outcome of this situation.
2. Definition of Key Terms
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a major religious city that appears in many of the Islamic and Judaic religious
narratives, and retains many holy sites pertaining to each individual religion. As it is a border
state between Israel and the West Bank, Jerusalem has been an integral component of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To satisfy both ends of the argument, Jerusalem has been divided
into 2 parts: East Jerusalem, which refers to the non-Israeli sector, and West Jerusalem,
which refers to the Israeli possession after the 1948 Israeli-Arab war.
Zionism
Zionism is the national Israelite ideology that Judaism is a religion as well as a state. It was
the driving belief for migration in the 20th century, after the racial prejudice of
anti-Semitism. It is similar in that the Chinese believe China to be rightfully theirs because it
is their homeland; Judaists believe that Israel is theirs as well.
Nakba
The 1948 Palestinian exodus, also known as Nakba, is the Arabic term for the aftermath of
the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, when over 700,000 Palestinians were displaced from their
residency. Its literal meaning in Arabic is “catastrophe” and is perceived as a tragic event in
Palestinian history.
West Bank
The West Bank is the territory east of Israel, which homes more 2.6 million Palestinians.
Although Israel determined the West Bank as theirs, much of the international community
and the Palestinians view this chunk as Palestinian due to the fact that it retains a large
portion of the Palestinian state. The West Bank, as it holds many religious sites, has been a
major platform of this conflict.
Gaza
Inhabited by a diverse concoction of peoples and governments, the Gaza strip is a densely
populated area on the Mediterranean coast that is surrounded by the Israeli state. It is a small
Palestinian state that has experienced a major portion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Settlements
Over the course of the Israeli arrival from European nations, the Jewish community has
established a plethora of individual settlements, and have illicitly constructed much more in
Palestinian territories. The Jewish settlements are the central component of the contemporary
conflict between these two states.
Intifadas
Following the Israeli takeover of Palestinian territories, Palestinians staged two major
uprisings, called the Intifadas, to regain losses (Mcelroy). The first encompassed massive
nonviolent demonstrations like boycotts, and was received with the deployment of Israeli
armed forces. The second, in 2000, was bloodier, and a more violent happening. Such
insurrections have had a pivotal, negative impact on Palestinian/Israeli relations.
Two-state Solution
The primary resolution that much of the international community sees fit is the two-state
solution, in which the territorial disputes will be divided impartially into two distinct regions:
the Palestinian with their sovereignty, and the Israelis. And although such a solution would
resolve the body of the problem, disagreements over distribution prevent it from happening.
One-state Solution
Contrary to the two-state solution is the one state solution, where the land becomes one whole
Palestinian state or one whole Israelis. Although this alternative could bring about more
difficulties than solutions, it is becoming highly likely that the territorial disputes will become
one state due to demographic and political reasons.
Hamas
The Hamas is the major Palestinian political organization that is Sunni-Islamic. Their belief is
rather radical, calling for the destruction of “all Israel”, and leads seemingly terroristic
actions against the Israeli body. This was the organization that conducted the 21​st​ century
uprisings, and in recent times has used violent methods to achieve their goals.
Green Line
The Israeli Green line refers to the arbitrary demarcation line enacted in the 1949 Armistice
Agreements to discern firm boundaries between Israel and its surrounding countries.
Palestine
Rather than an actual political entity, Palestine is a geopolitical and historical region in the
Middle East, centered on the principles of Islam.
3. Timeline of Key Events
1948 Arab-Israeli War - May 15th, 1948
The first Arab War between the incoming Jewish migrants and the presiding Arab
community was the official beginning of the disputes between these two entities. The war
began as five Arab nations invaded the Israeli immediately after the Israeli declared their
independence in the ​Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel​. And in 1949,
Israel signed the 1949 Armistice Agreements with its opponents thereby concluding the first
of many conflicts. As mentioned, the aftermath of this war was a clear precedent for future
comings.
Six-Day War, June 5-10, 1967
After the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, aforementioned, tensions were never resolved between the
Israeli and its surrounding Arab states. Soon later, in response to the mobilization of Egyptian
troops in Sinai, Israeli took distant measures to directly attack the forces, leading to the
beginning of the Six day war, which encompassed Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. As the
Israeli expanded territories during the course of the war, Israeli negotiated, in the end, to give
back Sinai to Egypt, and the Golan heights, and other captured territories. This did not
include the Gaza strip and the West Bank, which will lead to future discrepancies.
Camp David Accords, 1978-1979
In these two years, to resolve much of the conflict between the Israelites and its surrounding
nations (in this situation the Egyptians), Israeli prime minister Menachem and Egyptian
president Anwar Sadat began a series of policies and agreements to establish a historic peace
treaty between the two states. With the US signatory President Jimmy Carter, the two nations
were successfully able to come to agreements on individual beliefs.
Oslo Accords, 1993 - September 13th, 1993
On September 13ths, 1993 the political leaders of Israeli (Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and
Palestinian negotiator Mahmoud Abbas agreed upon the Declaration of Principles on Interim
Self Government arrangements, also known as the Oslo Accords, to proceed with previously
failed attempts in establishing peace between the two main constituents of the Middle East
conflict (​The Oslo Accords ).
Palestinian Uprising - September 2000
Angered by a lack of measures to ameliorate the violations made by Israel, Palestinians
staged a series of uprisings and violent revolts to regain lost territories and strengthen their
influence in the nearby area.
Taba Summit - January 21st-27th 2001
The Taba Summit (Taba Conference) was a series of days, in which the two major positions,
the Palestinians, and the Israelites, negotiated on future relations, and peace talks. As it is
apparent, such notions have failed, and tensions are still on the rise.
4. Positions of Key Member Nations and Other Bodies on the Issue
Israel
One of the major constituents of the 5 decade conflict between Israel and Palestine, Israel,
unsurprisingly, has an opposing viewpoint towards the majority of stances of Palestine.
Currently led by a right wing coalition government, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has
been expanding efforts to gain more territorial gains, and thus, has been entrenching upon
many of the policies agreed upon between the two states. He is a critic of the two state policy,
and seeks to eradicate the land of Palestinian rule, and seeks to appropriate such territories.
Palestine
Similarly, the State of Palestine has antagonistic viewpoints on Israel, finds recent Israeli
entrenchments alarming. Not only has the Israeli displaced thousands of the Palestinian
residents, but the Israeli has been detrimental to the Palestinian economy. Hindering much
progress and aggravating the status quo, the current Israeli state is not viewed favorably by
the Palestinians. Currently, Palestine seeks independence and recognition as a singular entity,
but due to geographical dilemmas, political recognition is currently unobtainable.
United States of America
Over the years, the United States has viewed Israeli quite favorably, and as Israeli was one of
the more stable democracies in the Middle East, relations between these two nations have
been amicable. With tremendous annual support by the US towards the Israeli, the United
States have provided the commodities to facilitate the Israeli operations. Yet, in recent times,
regarding the Israeli settlements, antipathic sentiments toward the illicit settlement policies
were apparent. Last December, in the Security Council vote to effectively stop Israeli
settlements in the Palestinian territories, the United States abstained, acquiescing with the
admonishment of the global community. This fired dispute between the two nations, and
although the United States have amiable relations with the Israelites, antagonism towards
their actions is apparent.
France
France has strong relationships with both the State of Palestine and Israel; however, France,
too, are opposed to the recent development in Israel’s encroachment into Palestinian territory,
and reprimands their actions. (​Israel/Palestine) France is in favor in the creation of an
independent Palestinian state has provided much support for Palestine. Regarding recent
developments, France is entirely opposed to any acts of unjustified violence, and condemns
terrorism as a means of obtaining goals. France also condemns all settlement building, which
is illegal by international law, and concrete actions have been made to obstruct such
developments
5. Suggested Solutions
Since the Oslo accords in 1993, there has been little progress towards peace. It has
been two decades since the Oslo accords, which strived to implement a two state solution,
and yet, the dispute remains, and boundaries are disregarded. Thus for a long-term solution to
ensure the safety of the Palestinian residents of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OCT),
firm agreements must be made between the Palestinians and the Israelites. Effective
negotiations to resolve disputes, and geographical, political, and religious elements must be
taken into consideration. Likewise, a firm implementation of the negotiations must be made,
and agreements adhered to. In the past, although new policies have been erected, there has
been a disregard by the Israelites to follow up on agreed terms, which has led to more
discrepancies between the two political entities.
All in all, to immediately ameliorate the current situation, a wide breadth of
measurements must be made. The biggest issue associated with this complexion is security.
With the infringement of the Israeli state, many Palestinians are displaced, endangering their
safety from opposing Israeli individuals. A method to secure both refugees and the common
people needs to firstmost be resolved. Secondly, Israel entrenchments need to be
immediately halted. The building of settlements are widening the inequality between the two
societies, and is detrimental to the welfare of the Palestinians. And third, foreign nations, with
more power should facilitate stricter regulations to ensure the adherence of negotiated
policies. (​Solutions to the Israel)
6. Bibliography
Farsakkh, Leila. ​How Israeli Settlements Stifle Palestine’s Economy, Al Shabaka,
https://al-shabaka.org/briefs/how-israeli-settlements-stifle-palestines-economy/​ .
Accessed 15 Jan. 2017.
Israel/Palestine: Understand France’s position in nine points, France Diplomatie ,
www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/israel-palestinian-territories/peace-process/
article/israel-palestine-understand-france-s-position-in-nine-points. Accessed 15 Jan.
2017.
Israel profile - Timeline, BBC, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29123668. Accessed
15 Jan. 2017.
Mcelroy, Damien. ​Israel-Gaza conflict: What is an intifada?, Telegrah,
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/10990699/Israel-Gaza-confi
ct-What-is-an-intifada.html. Accessed 15 Jan. 2017.
Shah, Anup. “Palestine and Israel Introduction.” Global Issues. 20 Dec. 2000. Web. 15 Jan.
2017. <​http://www.globalissues.org/article/112/palestine-and-israel-introduction​>.
The Impact of the Conflict on Daily Life , If Americans Knew,
www.ifamericansknew.org/cur_sit/daily_life.htmlwww.ifamericansknew.org/cur_sit/
daily_life.html. Accessed 15 Jan. 2017.
The Oslo Accords and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process, Offce of the Historian,
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1993-2000/oslo. Accessed 15 Jan. 2017.
Solutions to the Israel: the Oslo accords in 1993, Vox,
www.vox.com/cards/israel-palestine/hamas. Accessed 15 Jan. 2017.