2007:

2007: International Living: the Israeli Palestinian Conflict

The Council chose International Living with a focus on the Israel-Palestinian confllit. . Again with the support of John E. Telfer II, Editor of the Midland Daily News, dates were established for three articles to appear in the paper in three Sundays followed by a public Forum on the issue on October 21..

The conflicts in the Middle East have a far-ranging effect. We need to understand the roots of the conflict between the peoples of Israel and Palestine to move forward from hatred and violence to peace and justice in that troubled land.

"Hope for Peace" in the Middle East was the topic Jan. 17 of a speech and discussion cosponsored by the Midland Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice and the League of Women Voters of the Midland Area. Ron Perry from the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County spoke during the Jan. 17 program at Trinity Lutheran Church, 3701 Jefferson Ave. The program discussed the needs of Israelis and Palestinians, according to the Midland League's January newsletter.

As part of our efforts to raise awareness about injustices in many areas of life, we also co-hosted a presentation on April 25, 2007: “An Inconvenient Truth – A Presentation”. Other co-sponsors were League of Women Voters of the Midland Area and Chippewa Nature Center, at the Chippewa Nature Center, 390 South Badour Road.

Part I. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:History up to 1920

Norbert Bufka

This is the first of a three part series on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. This first article covers the broad background to the crisis up through World War I. The second article will be on the history of Israel-Palestine from World War I to the present. The third article will be a preview of a public gathering on Sunday October 21 at 1-4 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church at 3701 Jefferson Ave. in Midland.

Anyone who has a fleeting knowledge of the Bible and the Hebrew people knows that conflict in the Middle East stretches back thousands of years. According to tradition, it began with the migration of the Hebrew people from Egypt to an area inhabited by Caananites, Hittites, Moabites, and others. The Hebrews conquered the inhabitants and settled there between 1800 and 1500 before the common era (b.c.e.) and forged a country that grew to a powerful kingdom for a brief period under King David and his son King Solomon around 1000 b.c.e.

After the death of Solomon Israel was divided into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Jerusalem was in Judah, later called Judea. It is from these words that we get the words “Jew”.

From the eighth century b.c.e. to 132 of the common era (c.e.), the Middle East where the Jews and many other peoples lived was under foreign domination for the most part. First came the Assyrians, even though Jeremiah the prophet urged the Jews to cooperate with them. Then King Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon conquered the land in the sixth century and took all the leaders into exile, leaving Judah a wasteland. King Cyrus of Babylon, called in the Bible “the anointed one of Yahweh”, allowed the Jews to return home and rebuild the Temple. Many did not return, thus forming the first diaspora or dispersion of the Jews.

The Persians conquered Babylonia later in the sixth century b.c.e. and In the fourth century the Greek Alexander the Great conquered all of the Middle East, bringing the Greek language and culture to the area. After Alexander’s death in 323 b.c.e. the Empire was divided among his generals. One of the generals was Seleucus.

The Seleucids allowed the Jews to practice their religion freely until Antiochus tried to restrict it. The Maccabean revolt drove the Seleucids out and the Jews had an independent country with the capital in Jerusalem. The Roman Empire aided them in this endeavor but this changed when the Romans made Judea part of the Roman Empire during the reign of King Herod when Jesus was born. The Romans divided the area into four regions: Judea, Galilee, Perea, and a small transJordan area allof which came under Roman control. With rumors of insurrection and actual uprisings the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 c.e. and drove the Jews out in 132 c.e. thus beginning the second diaspora.

Palestine

It was about this time that the Romans named the area Palestine. Some Jews remained in Galilee. Roman rule ended in the fourth century c.e. when the area was taken over by the Byzantine Empire. Most of the residents were Christian by then since Christianity had become the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380 c.e. There never was an independent country called Palestine.

Islam

In the seventh century c.e. Muhammed had a series of revelations from Allah (God). He recited these to his disciples who were required to memorize them. After Muhammed’s death, the disciples recorded these revelations in the Quran (Koran).. This new religion was called Islam, meaning surrender to Allah. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims. The new religion spread rapidly across northern Africa and into the Middle East. The Muslims let the residents practice their religion freely. Although in time most of the residents became Muslim. Because of the common faith tradition with the Jews and Christians, Jerusalem is holy to the Muslims as well. Muslims built The Al Aqsa Mosque on what is believed to be the site of Solomon’s temple in the eighth century. It is the third holiest site for Muslims.

The Christian Crusades took control of a small area of Palestine including Jerusalem in the twelfth century and held it for nearly one hundred years. The Muslim leader, Saladin took control in the thirteenth century. This was a period of great revival in learning with Muslims leading the way. St. Francis of Assisi met with Saladin to learn from him. The pope had hoped it would be to convert Saladin.

In the sixteenth century the Ottoman Turks seized control of Palestine and kept it until after World War I.

Jews and other peoples continued to live in the area during all this time with various success. In 1880 about 24,000 Jews out of a total population of over 400,000 were living in Palestine. In Europe and other places outside of the Middle East, Jews lived in restricted areas from 400 to 1800, commonly called ghettos. The French Revolution and the promotion of nationalism among Europeans prompted Jews to come out of the ghetto.

Jewish migration

With the new freedom bursting out all over Europe leading to the formation of nations , the Jews began to speak out for their own country in Palestine. During the second half of the nineteenth century thousands of Jews migrated to Palestine in and around Jerusalem so that by 1914 it is believed that more than 10% of the population of Palestine was Jewish.

The migration took on a new urgency because of renewed awareness of arbitrary anti-Semitism that had plagued the Jews for centuries . it became known as the Zionist Movement in 1897. It was aided by the circumstances around World War I. Britain was unable to manufacture acetone, an essential component in arms. A scientist developed an alternative method of making acetone. This scientist happened to head the Zionist Movement.

Communication continued between the British government and the Zionist Movement that led to the Balfour Declaration, an official document that vowed British support of a Jewish homeland. This was supported by the League of Nations in 1922. The Agreement assured support of the people currently living in the area that would become modern Israel.

Mandates

After the Allied Powers defeated the Central Powers, they divided the Ottoman Empire into Mandates. Generally, . Britain had a Mandate over Palestine, France over what is today Syria and Lebanon, and Russia over Turkey.

Even though Britain was still a strong colonial power, the movement toward nationalism and ethnic identity was strong. Both France and Britain pursued a policy of freedom but Russia took control of its territory including several now independent countries into the future Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The next article will pick up the history at the end of World War I and continue to the present.

Question for reflection:

Is there any part of this brief history that sheds light on the current situation between the Israelis and the Palestinians? Is there something here that could aid in the settlement of issues dividing the two sides?

Primary source was :

Isseroff, Ami Brief history of Israel, Palestine and the Israeli Palestinian Conflict

at http://www.mideastweb.org/briefhistory.htm.

Resources used and other materials for suggested reading are on the MICPJ website.

Sidebar:

An Arab originally applied to the Semitic people of the Arabian Peninsula. It now refers to those people whose primary language is Arabic. They constitute most of the people from northern Africa throughout the Middle East, but does not usually include Arabic speaking Jews, Kurds, Berbers, Copts, and Druzor Persians (Iranians, for example) Afghans and Turks.

A Jew is an adherent of Judaism as a religion or culture or more generally a member of the widely dispersed people originally descended from the ancient Hebrews and sharing an ethnic heritage based on Judaism.

Palestine refers to the region on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, generally comprising parts of modern Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, and Egypt, also known as the Holy Land. It was never an independent country. A Palestinian was generally anyone who lived in this area, but now is restricted generally to those Arab speaking Muslims and Christians in the disputed area.

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Part II. Israel-Palestine Conflict:History 1920 to present

Norbert Bufka

This is the second of a three part series on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The first article covered the broad background to the crisis up through World War I. This article is on the history of Israel-Palestine from World War I to the present. The third article will be a preview of a public gathering on Sunday October 21 at 1-4 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church at 3701 Jefferson Ave. in Midland.

Jewish migration

The Zionist Movement was spurred on by the Jews’ desire to return to the Middle East. Anti-Semitism added fuel to this movement. Though there had always been a Jewish presence, Jews migrated in ever increasing numbers to Palestine after the British announced support of an independent Israel in the Balfour Declaration. The British also supported an independent Palestine to exist beside Israel.

The League of Nations supported the Balfour Declaration in 1922. Jordan was carved out as an autonomous nation, most of which was to be part of the mandate for Palestine. Jews began to migrate by thousands to Palestine. The Arab nations opposed any increased Jewish presence.

Under British control the military encouraged shared participation in communal efforts which failed. Under pressure from the Palestinians, the British made additional promises to the Arabs (some seemingly contradictory in the Sykes-Picot Treaty) and they limited immigration to Palestine. Some Jews lost their lives while trying risky efforts to immigrate illegally to Palestine. Other countries, including the United States, supported this restriction on Jewish immigration.

After World War II when the full atrocities of the Holocaust became known a global response opened doors to the tragic survivors. The British turned over their control of Palestine to the newly created United Nations in 1947 saying that Palestine was ungovernable.

From 1911 to 1947 the total population increased ten-fold so that there were 600,000 Jews in Palestine and 1.2 million Palestinians, much from migration. The original plan for dividing Palestine called for an international Jerusalem. This plan would have separated Jerusalem from the area where most of the Jews lived. This was unhappily accepted by the Jews who recognized it as part of the partition plan. The Arab countries boycotted the U.N. Special Committee on Palestine and rejected partition.

Israel’s independence

On January 9, 1948 the U.N. declared Israel as an independent state. Violence began almost immediately. jordan King Abdullah said, “the only thing left for us is war” and attacks by the Arab Legion began almost immediately. Egypt and Syria entered the foray but were beaten back by Israeli forces. Israel also seized control of the central portion of Palestine, inhabited mostly by Palestinians mentioned above.

When the fighting ended in 1949 Israel controlled more than the area outlined in the UN resolution. Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan. Palestinians who fled their homes with the promise that the “Jews would be driven into the sea” and with a fear of the battles found themselves trapped in refugee camps in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. The armistice lines of 1949 were the boundaries of Israel according to the UN. The Arab nations continued their pattern of refusing recognition of Israel. The Arab nations imposed trade sanctions against Israel. They were joined by many industrialized nations. Those sanctions continued until the 1990’s.

The Palestine Liberation Organization was formed in 1964 to eliminate Israel from the Middle East. It was created by the Arab League on June 26, 1964 and was originally controlled by the Egyptian government. A Palestinian state was not mentioned during the years the Palestinians remained in refugee camps in the Arab countries. The leaders were based in Jordan from 1971 – 1982 till they were driven out and they moved their headquarters to Tunis from 1982 – 1994 when Yasir Arafat returned to what was then territory under Israeli control.

Six day War 1967

Egypt blockaded the Straits of Tehran in 1967. Several countries joined Egypt in threatening war against Israel. In a pre-emptive strike Israel attacked Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and then Jordan. Within six days Israel occupied the Golan Heights, Gaza, the Sinai, and the West Bank including Jerusalem. This war established Israel as a power to contend with.

UN Resolution 242 called on Israel to withdraw from the newly occupied territories and urged all to find a peaceful way to live together as neighbors. In 1973 Egypt and Syria launched a war against Israel. This time Egypt was prepared and quickly took over the Gaza Strip. In 1974 Arab countries recognized the PLO as the only representative of the Palestinian people. Yasser Arafat spoke to the General Assembly for the first time. In 1979 at the request of President Jimmy Carter, Menachim Begin of Israel and Anwar Sadat of Egypt met at Camp David and a peace was struck between the two countries that has lasted to this day.

Civil war in Lebanon 1975-1990 between the Muslims and the Christians. Fighting was exacerbated by intervention of Syria, Israel and the PLO. A cease fire was brokered in 1990.

In 1987 a Palestinian intifada was launched against Israel. Though it was young men and boys throwing rocks, it sometimes escalated to more serious attacks but was met with harsh reprisals by Israel. Hamas was formed at about this same time.. Though accused of being corrupt, Yasser Arafat represented a charismatic leader for the Palestinians who seemed to have become orphans of the world.

Recent peace efforts

The Gulf War and the breakdown of the Soviet Union led to Oslo Accords in 1993. Both sides agreed to the terms, which recognized Palestinian National Authority and Israel would leave the West Bank and Golan Heights. Hardliners on both sides sought to undermine the agreement. Israel’s Yitzhak Rabin who worked for peace was killed by an extremist student in 1995. In 1994 Jordan and Israel signed a comprehensive peace treaty..

The peace talks in 2000 broke down and a second more violent intifada was launched. In the following year the hard liner Ariel Sharon was elected with strong opposition to the Oslo Acords.

In 2002 the Arab League supported a peace plan based on UN Resolutions 242 and 338. Israel blamed increased suicide bombings on Arafat and contained him in his Ramallah headqarters. Israel began building a separation wall in the West Bank claiming it needed to protect its citizens.

In 2003 the United States, United Nations, European Union, and Russia agreed on a "road map for peace." Israel rejected key points. Violence continued and there was widespread criticism of the wall in the West Bank. An informal peace agreement was reached called the Geneva Initiative.

In 2005 Mahmoud Abbas was elected to replace Yasser Arafat who died in 2004. Israel unilaterally withdrew its settlements from Gaza.

In 2006 Ehud Olmert was elected prime minister of Israel, replacing the stroke victim Ariel Sharon. Ehud Olmert promised to maintain the wall in the West Bank as the Israeli boundary.

Question for reflection:

Does any of this history provide a key to resolving the ongoing dispute between Israel and its neighbors?

Primary source was :

Isseroff, Ami Brief history of Israel, Palestine and the Israeli Palestinian Conflict

at http://www.mideastweb.org/briefhistory.htm.

Resources used and other materials for suggested reading are on the MICPJ website.

Sidebar:

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is a political and paramilitary organization regarded by the ArabLeague as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people". The PalestinianAuthority is recognized since the Oslo Accords to hold elections and govern theGaza strip and the WestBank.

Sykes-Picot Treaty

“The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 called for part of Palestine to be under British rule, part to be placed under a joint Allied government, and for Syria and Lebanon to be given to the France. “ Ami Isseroff

Zionist Movement is a political movement started in 1897 for Jews to encourage Jews to build a country in Palestine. This Movement included Jews of all persuasions: left/right and religious/secular.

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Part III: Perspectives on peace for Israelis and Palestinians

Norbert Bufka

On the last two Sundays two articles gave the background to the controversy that is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Next Sunday October 21,2007 all are invited to a public Forum to learn more about the conflict. To this end we have invited Dr. Marwan A. Wafa and Dr. George Kaminski to address the issues from their points of view for 25 minutes each. Then there will be table discussions facilitated by trained leaders with prepared questions. Finally there will be an opportunity to ask questions of the speakers. .

Below is an introduction to the speakers and their brief comments about their views on the conflict which will be developed further next Sunday.

Dr. George Kaminski is an Assistant Professor of chemistry at Central Michigan University. He was born in Nikolaev, Ukraine and obtained his doctorate from Yale. Dr. Kaminski was on staff at Columbia University from 1997-2002 before becoming a faculty member at CMU. He became a pro-Israel activist while living in New York, traveled to Israel, and accumulated an extensive body of knowledge about history and current conditions of the Israel-Arab conflict. While working at Central Michigan University, he has published several articles in the Central Michigan Life newspaper, has become a faculty advisor to the CMU Hillel/Jewish Student Organization (in 2004) and delivered invited talks on Judaism at Mt. Pleasant High School.

His comments:

Correct information on the Israel-Arab conflict is vital for understanding the issue. Unfortunately, much of it is obscured by anti-Israeli propaganda and double standards. For example, a misperception is that Israel’s retreat to the 1967 borders would make peace possible. But Arab countries stated their goal of destroying Israel before 1967. There is no Israel in any borders on the maps in the Palestinian textbooks. The issue is not the borders but the fundamental refusal of the Arabs to recognize that Israel can exist. Another problem is the lack of humanitarian involvement of Arab states. Hundreds of thousands of Jews fled Arab lands, but tiny Israel has long since assimilated them. Hundreds of thousands of Arabs also fled what is now Israel but are still not assimilated by Arab countries..

The above reasons are precisely what impede peace. “Peace initiatives” invariably include surrendering land by Israel for just a promise to negotiate a solution. It would be a suicidal madness on the part of Israel to expel its loyal citizens and give land to its sworn enemies in exchange for a mere promise. There can be no hope for just peace until it is not only Israel that has to make concessions, but also the Arabs – within or without the current Palestinian Authority. For as long as Israel is portrayed as an aggressor which has to pay for everything – there is no hope, and the situation has actually deteriorated considerably in the past years. For example, the recent destruction of Israeli villages and towns in Gaza did not make the situation any better.

Professor Marwan Wafa was born and raised in Kuwait, but he is a Palestinian/American. His parents were forced out of Palestine in 1948. He has given countless speeches on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, Islam, Rights of Women in Islam, and assessments of various issues in the Middle East. He has addressed Jewish audiences in Synagogues, and Christian audiences in Churches as a guest speaker. He was president of Islamic Societies in Indiana and Wisconsin. Also, he served as an Interfaith Commissioner for around seven years in Evansville, Indiana. He and his wife established an interfaith dialogue team in Wisconsin which involved Jewish and Muslim couples. He is currently part of a new interfaith team that meets monthly and in the process of establishing its identity in our region.

Professor Wafa earned his doctorate in Industrial Management from Clemson University. He specializes in strategic operations management and total system quality improvement. He has published many professional articles. He is currently Dean of the College of Business and Management at SVSU.

His comments:

The Palestinian/Israeli conflict has been a long, painful and costly problem specifically in terms of loss of human life, impact on the new generation growing in this conflict, and a drain on resources of all concerned parties. A small land, huge emotions, and a stale mate approach to genuinely solve the conflict within as well as outside the Middle East. I will present a short overview of the history of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. This will address: the Palestinian and Israeli narratives; comparisons of religions, economies, military, and populations. I will also highlight the importance of U.S. active engagement in bringing about a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. My goal is to advance the understanding of the underlying causes of the conflict in order to be able to answer the following questions:

How do we resolve the conflict – the Two State Solution
What is required? Will it work?
Is there support among Israelis for ending the occupation?
What are the challenges to the two-state solution?

The Israeli barrier
The Israeli settlements
Violence against civilians
Restarting the peace process

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Resources for the 2007 Theme: Website:

http://www.mideastweb.org/palpop.htm

Books on the above site:http://www.mideastweb.org/biblio.htm

History on the above site: Isseroff, Ami

Brief history of Israel, Palestine and the Israeli Palestinian Conflict

at http://www.mideastweb.org/briefhistory.htm.

Palestine, not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter

Madame Secretary by Madeline Albright

Wikipedia is a good source of immediate information on various topics. It is important to evaluate what is found there and check with other sources.

Comments by Ami Isseroff: Background:

Walter Laqueur's history of Zionism,

Important:

Anita Shapira's Land and Power

Keneth Stein's Land Question in Palestine.

Should read:

Rashid Khalidi and Rogan and Shlaim's "War for Palestine" all of which tell the story from the Palestinian Arab POV but are the work of fairly competent professionals rather than hacks. The book that was made out of the WGBH documentary film:

Bregman, Ahron and Jihan El-Tahri, Israel and the Arabs, An Eyewitness account of War and Peace in the Middle East, NYC, TV Books, 1998 It is easy reading and valuable because it is really balanced!!!

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