SECURITY COUNCIL SC– ​ISRAEL AND PALISTINE
​ – PAGE 1 BACKGROUND PAPER: Security Council (SC) The Situation in Israel and Palistine ​
“Peace can happen in 24 hours....just like war can happen in 24 hours.” ​
― ​ Sari Nusseibe” Introduction: On May 14, 1948, the State of Isreal was founded. Throughout the decades that followed, territorial disputes led to conflict. The ongoing struggle in the region brought it to the attention of the international community. Many attempts to settle the issue have been over the years, but a lasting solution has yet to be found. Background & History: Prior to 1948, British colonial forces controled the region of the Middle East know as Palistine. In 1947, the United Nations outlined a plan for the independence and partition of the region in Resolution 181. This resolution outlined the creation of two seperate Jewish and Arab states with Jerusalam controled by an international body administered by the United Nations. The declaration of Israel’s independence, however, sparked violence and led to the Arab­Israeli war of 1948. The violence created mass refugee migration as Palistinian Arabs evacuated from their homes and Jews fled to Isreal from their home countries. The conflict ultimately led to the annexation of the west bank by Jordan and the Gaza Strip by Eygpt. Borders changed again when these regions, the Sinai Pennisula and Golan Heights, were taken under Israeli control during the Six­Day War of 1967, a Jewish preemptive strike against amassing Jordanian and Egyptian Forces. After the Yom Kippur War of 1973, a failed response to the Six Day War by neighboring Arab States, leaders from Egypt and Israel met to find a peaceful solution. The two nations signed the Camp David Accords in 1978, a series of treaties that recognized Israel’s independence, set a path toward Palestinian autonomy, and settled border disputes. An assassination attempt on the Israel Prime Minister by an extremist group brought upon a Pro­Israel attack on Palestinian camps in Lebanon. The First Infitada was an uprising by Palestinian leadership, involving strikes, riots, and boycotts, adding to pressures between the groups and slowing peace talks. SECURITY COUNCIL SC– ​
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ISRAEL AND PALISTINE – PAGE 2 The Oslo Accords were a groundbreaking attempt at a two state solution where Israel would begin to withdrawal from occupied territories in accordance to the original partition and Palestine would recognize Israel as a sovereign state. Unfortunately this failed to be enacted, in part because of the rise of Hamas and the second Infitada. Hamas had a more extreme approach to border conflicts, leading to the Gaza War. Current Situation : The Israeli Army has continued it’s occupation of Palestine in efforts to protect Jewish settlers in the regions. The Israeli government claims that this is an effort to safeguard settlers who have been shown hostility in the past. The Palestinians claim that in this occupation, which has lasted over 40 years, as a violation of many human rights. The Israeli government tightened border control limiting Palestine’s access to resources. The Problem: The key issue behind the current problem is the Israeli occupation of West Bank and Gaza and their treatment of the indigenous population. The Israeli government has been working for peace yet any true action has yet to occur. Relevant Documents: ● Resolution 181 (1947) ● Resolution 73 (1949) ● Resolution 242 (1967) ● Resolution 1860 (2009) Bloc Positions: The dispute between Israel and Palestine has been a polarizing issue throughout United Nations history. Some contries, significantly the United States and other western nations, have expressed consistent support for Israel while the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) maintains a united front against any form of Israeli agression and supports a two­state solution. Although Israel is in the geographic region of the Asia­Pacific group, its membership was blocked by Middle Eastern countries and it is now a part of the Western Europe and Others Group. Palestine is an observer in the Asia­Pacific group. Since 2013, Palestine has been an obsever in the African Union and Israel has recently sought to regain its observer status in the African Union. In addition, Israel maintains observer status in the Organization of American States. Committee Mission: The goal of this committee is to find a peaceful solution that takes into account the needs of all parties involved. Questions to Consider: 1.) Is there a forseeable path to a two state solution? 2.) Should Palenstine be voted in as a member of the UN? ​
SECURITY COUNCIL SC– ​ISRAEL AND PALISTINE – PAGE 3 3.) How can the UN ensure the protection of civilians and cultural sites? Sources for Further Research: ● https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the­world­factbook/ ● http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/73(194
9) ● http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/israel.pdf