Arab-Israeli Essay Plans

ESSAY PLANS: ARAB – ISRAELI CONFLICT [Responsibilities of players] It was primarily because of Israel’s provocative actions that aggravated the AIC from 1948-2000. Thesis •  AIC 50 years of regional instability that saw 4 wars, prolonged period of violence involving Israelis, Palestinians and Arabs •  While Israel’s provocative actions contributed aggravated and escalated the conflict, its actions were partly in response to the hostility of the Arab states and uncompromising actions of the Palestinians, who must also be held responsible for exacerbating the AIC. Argument 1 Israel’s uncompromising goal to maintain the Jewish character of Israel has led to the continued denial of a Palestinian Right of Return and persistent dispossession of Palestinians and obstructed possible resolution to the conflict, prolonging it. •  Since 1948, Israel has insisted that the state should retain its ‘Jewish Character’ à Promoted the Law of Return which asserts the undeniable right of all Jews to Israeli citizenship while denying Palestinian RoR, leaving them stateless •  Particularly after seizing the OT in 1967 (East Jerusalem, West Bank) à completion of full extent of Eretz Israel also completed al nakbha for the Palestinians •  Israel has held on to the OT and refused to grant Palestinians citizenship as it feared a ‘demographic time bomb’; that more Palestinians would dilute and undermine existence of Jewish character •  Made the conflict more intractable as it has made a two-state solution even more impossible with Israeli unwillingness to come to a compromise or give up the land Argument 2 Israel’s provocation against Palestinians, through the use of violence especially in the Occupied Territories, has led to the escalation and radicalization of the conflict, making it even more destabilizing. •  Since 1967, Israeli settler movement Gush Emunim, encouraged by the governments, has committed to establishing Jewish settlements in OT, sometimes seizing land and property from Palestinians by force •  Violence provoked Palestinians, further increased Palestinian antagonism towards Israelis to the point that they resorted to retaliating with violence •  Lebanon invasion in 1982: massacred Palestinian refugees there à worldwide condemnation reflects that it was an unnecessary/unjustified act of aggression/provocation •  1987-1991 First Intifada direct result of Palestinian oppression in the OT à Palestinian masses including women and children engaged in mass civil disobedience, stone-throwing, Molotov cocktails, etc. •  Post Oslo, Israeli government abrogated the treaty, continued to encourage expansion of Jewish settlements •  Use of more violent and radical means represented a radicalization of the conflict hence escalating it and making it more difficult to resolve due to the intensification of hostilities

•  + AGGRESSIVE expansion of Jewish settlements in the OT made the creation of a contiguous viable Palestinian state even less likely à decreas