austraLasia #3476
67 Year Conflict - an OverviewJERUSALEM: July 27, 2014 -- Fr Andrew Wong arrived in Jerusalem on Monday last to take up his role as Rector of the Ratisbonne community. Fr Ivo Coelho, former Rector, now Salesian Councillor for Formation, was not so lucky - his flight was caught up in the temporary embargo my many airlines refusing to fly into Tel Aviv. It is 'holiday' period there for students from Ratisbonne, who include at least half a dozen from our EAO Region. Most will be away. For Fr Wong, the situation must be reminiscent of another conflict zone he found himself in back in 1999, in East Timor. For Fr Gianni Caputa, long-time member of MOR and witness to many years of difficult Israeli-Palestine, even Israeli-Holy See relations, "the situation here is really depressing"! The former set of relations are almost all about conflict, the latter, an attempt to take the 'Fundamental Accord' signed in 1993 to another level which would deal with property, tax and other issues complicated over a very long history, which includes the Ottoman Empire and the British Mandate. The original Vatican plan for an 'international city' , and then the UN 1997 resolution, seem long-shelved.
As they say, history often depends on when you set your clock ticking - with the last 'device' to fall on either side of the Gaza-Israel border or long before. It might help to go back at least 67 years ...
Main events in the last 67 years: 1947-2014 (simplified, updated to July 2014)
1947, 29.11: UN resolution no. 181/II: Holy Land (Palestine) partition [see map above]
Population: 500,000 Jews 1,200,000 Palestinian Arabs
Land division: a) 54% State of Israel
b) 45% State of Palestine
c) Jerusalem and Bethlehem = corpus separatum under the UN
Inhabitants:
a) in the State of Israel
498,000 Jews
497,000 Palestinians
b) in the Palestinian State
10,000 Jews
725,000 Palestinians (Muslims, Christians)
c) in “greater Jerusalem”:
100,000 Jews,
40,000 Muslims 30,000 Christians;
d) Bethlehem:
6,000 Christians
2,000 Muslims.
Jews (except Irgùn and Stern) accept the UN resolution (but not the “corpus separatum”), Palestinians reject it. Arab Countries suggested a Confederate State with two governments. The Holy See remains neutral: cf BIALER Uri, Cross on the Star of David.
1948: - 14.05 date of birth of the State of Israel.
Fundamental Law: “Complete equality of all citizens, no religious, racial or sexual distinction … freedom of religion, of conscience, education and culture”
- war between Arabs & Jews … ended with the ceasefire of May 1949. Results:
- Israelis gained 77% of the territory + 50% of Jerusalem (West)
- Palestinians: 800,000 refugees (internal & external), only 22% of land = West Bank + East Jerusalem, but these territories now came under the administration of the King of Jordan. The Gaza Strip passed to Egyptian administration.
On Mt Zion: the Domition Abbey ... - Apostolic delegation (Jer., Palest., Jordan, Israel, Cyprus) demolished and land occupied ... (see BIALER)
1964: the P.L.O. is established (Yasser Arafat and Abu Mazen, among the founders)
Pope Paul VI visits the Holy Land, in the framework of Vatican II
1967: SIX DAY WAR: - Israel annexes the Syrian Golan Heights and East Jerusalem; it occupies and administers West Bank, Gaza and Sinai
- Palestinian refugees = 1,370,000 (registered …)
1973: Yom Kippur:War: Egypt takes back the Sinai Peninsula.
1979: Camp David Agreement (USA): peace between Egypt and Israel
- President Anwar as-Sadat is assassinated by Egyptian fundamentalists
1981: Israel occupies South Lebanon, the so-called “Fatah Land” … (until 1999)
1987: beginning of the first “Intifadah” = popular Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.
- “Hamas” is established
1988: the PLO accepts the 1947 UN resolution: it is satisfied with 23% of the land; declares the independence of Palestine; recognizes Israel and asks withdrawal from occupied territories.
1991: “Gulf war” in Iraq: Saddam Hussein’s missiles hit Israel 28 times …
Madrid Peace Conference: mutual recognition between Israel-PLO (the sole legitimate representative of Palestinians, also at the UN). Beginning of peace negotiations .
1993: Oslo Agreement. Transfer of territories to the Palestinian National Authority (A,B,C)
- 30.12.93: “Fundamental Agreement” between the Holy See and the State of Israel
1995: - Peace between Jordan – Israel
- Assassination of P.M. Izhak Rabin by an Israeli right-wing extremist
1997: 24/25.04: the UN Gen. Assembly condemns Israel for annexing Palestinian territories and asks that Jerusalem be put under “special statutes with international guarantee”
1997: Holy See & Israel sign the Legal Personality Agreement (never ratified by the Knesset)
1998: Jordan’s King Hussein renounces rights over the West Bank, except Mosques
1999: Holy See and Israel start negotiating the “Economic Agreement”
2000: 15.01: “Basic Agreement” between the Holy See and PLO
- March: pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II to Jordan, Palestine and Israel
- July: failure of negotiations between Barak–Arafat on the final status (right to return for Palestinian refugees; Palestinian rule on Muslim holy places in Jerusalem, …)
- October: Ariel Sharon violates the holiest Islamic area (Dome of the Rock, Al Aksa Mosque).
- Reaction: Palestinian second Intifadah, suicide bombers …
Israeli answer: reoccupation of Palestinian territories; “political assassinations”
2002: a) Sharon’s government policy: suspension of the peace treatise; unilateral decisions on the “final status” – Construction of the “security wall” (on Palestinian territory)
b) US administration: “Road Map” towards a “two state solution”
2003: USA & allies invade Iraq …
2005 August: Israeli army & settlers withdraw from Gaza (and from some “outposts” in the West Bank).
2006: - 25.01 Hamas wins the Palestinian election (74/132 seats). Israel, USA, EU boycott
- 28.03: “Kadima” wins the Israeli election
-12.07 – 14.08: war in Galilee-Lebanon between Israel and “Hezbollah”.
2007: inter-Palestinian fight: Hamas ousts Fatah from Gaza. – US supports Fatah (Abu Mazen)
2008: peace-talks between Israel – Palestine; informal talks Israel – Syria . – Fouad Tuwal new Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Dec. 2008 – January 2009: War in Gaza. Blockade …
May 2009: Pope Benedict XVI visits Jordan, Israel, Palestinian A.T.
2010: Israel’s aggressive actions: execution of Hamas leader using fake Passports; humiliation of Turkish ambassador …;“Gaza flotilla” (30 May); failure of peace-talks at Washington and at Sharm-el-Sheikh (September); new Jewish settlements …; new law demanding pledge of allegiance to “Israel as a Jewish State”.
End 2010-beginning 2011: some Countries recognize Palestine as an independent Nation:
January – February 2011: “Arab spring” = upheaval in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Syria …
18 February 2011: USA vetos a resolution of the Security Council (backed by 130 Countries) condemning the continuing Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian Land.
11 April 2011: the new Egyptian rulers reopen the border crossing to Gaza
1 May 2011: Bin Laden is killed. Hamas protests. Fatah approves. Israel rejoices.
4 May 2011: in Cairo Fatah & Hamas sign a reconciliation agreement
2 September 2011: Turkey expels Israeli diplomats over the “Gaza flotilla” incident
September 2011: lobbying for the UN recognition of Palestine as a fully independent State
October – Nov 2012: Israel Foreign minister threatens to topple Palestinian Prime Minister if he goes on with the bid at the UN
14 – 21 Nov 2012: war between Hamas and Israel over Gaza
29 Nov 2012: UN recognizes Palestine as a non-member observer State. In retaliation, Israeli Government decides on the construction of 3,000 new housing units in Palestinian occupied territory.
6 Dec 2012: King Abdullah II of Jordan visits Ramallah;
7 Dec 2012: Khaled Meshal, Hamas leader, pays visit to Gaza after 40 years.
January 2013: Benyamin Natanyahu wins general election & becomes PM supported by far right …
As of 27.09.2013: 134/193 UN members recognize the “State of Palestine”.
End April 2014: failure of the initiative of John Kerry, US Secretary of State. Peace process is frozen. Fatah and Hamas form a government of technicians to prepare general election in 6 months. US and EU react ”Wait and see”. On the contrary, Ben. Netanyahu vows to disrupt such an attempt.
24-26 May 2014: Pope Francis visits Jordan, Palestine and Israel.
8 June 2014 at the Vatican: prayer between S.Peres, Abu Mazen, Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew.
12 June 2014: three Israeli young men are kidnapped and killed. Pretext for Netanyahu …
8 July 2014: a Palestinian young man is burnt alive. War between Israel & Hamas over Gaza.
27 July 2014 at the time of writing - a 'humanitarian truce' has been in place for 12 hours, extended by Israel to 24 hours. Hamas will not accept it .... Palestinian dead, many women and children, tops 1,000. Israeli dead 42, all but 3 being military personnel.
-----------------
POPULATION OF THE HOLY LAND IN 2010
In Israel = 7.6 million (75% Jews; 21% Arabs; 4.2% Others; 300,000 live in settlements on the West Bank);
In Palestinian A. = 3.9 million;
In Jerusalem Old City = 36,681 Arabs (18% Christians); 3,847 Jews.
ESTIMATE 2014
State of Israel: 8,146.300 = 6,110,600 Jews (75.3%), 1,686,000 Arabs (20.7%); 160,000 Christians.
State of Palestine: 4,550,368; 50,000 Christians.
Gaza Strip: 1,816,379; 1,500 Christians (130 Roman Catholic).
-----------------
Further reading - General presentations: Israel; State of Palestine; Gaza Strip: in Wikipedia 2014.
BIALER Uri, Cross on the Star of David. The Christian World in Israel’s Foreign Policy 1948-1967, Bloomington USA 2005;
CHAPMAN C., Di chi è la terra promessa? Il conflitto arabo-israeliano: alla ricerca di una soluzione, “Messaggero” Padova 1992.
Forty Christian-Muslim-Jew Experts, Message on Jerusalem, at the Inter-religious Meeting in Salonika (Greece) 25-29 August 1996, in Origins 03.10.96 p. 249;
HIRSH M., HOUSEN-COURIEL D., LAPIDOTH R., Whiter Jerusalem ? Proposals and Propositions, The Hague, London, Boston 1995;
HIRST D., Senza pace. Un secolo di conflitti in Medio Oriente, S.Lazzaro di Savena (BO) 2004. –
PIERACCINI P., Gerusalemme. Luoghi Santi e Comunità religiose nella politica internazionale, EDB Bologna 1997. –
PIERACCINI P., Palestina – Israele. I Luoghi santi e la pace negata, Regno Att. 2002/2, pp. 52-68.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR, International Religious Freedom Report 2010. Israel and Occupied Territories. [Submitted annually to the U.S. Congress].
STRANSKY Th., A Catholic views Political Zionism and the State of Israel, South Orange, New Jersey 1977, and in Teshivah Institute Papers, 2000 pp. 21-54; WASSERSTEIN B., Divided Jerusalem. The Struggle for the Holy City, Yale Un.Press 2002.
67 Year Conflict - an Overview
As they say, history often depends on when you set your clock ticking - with the last 'device' to fall on either side of the Gaza-Israel border or long before. It might help to go back at least 67 years ...
Main events in the last 67 years: 1947-2014 (simplified, updated to July 2014)
1947, 29.11: UN resolution no. 181/II: Holy Land (Palestine) partition [see map above]
Population: 500,000 Jews 1,200,000 Palestinian Arabs
Land division: a) 54% State of Israel
b) 45% State of Palestine
c) Jerusalem and Bethlehem = corpus separatum under the UN
Inhabitants:
a) in the State of Israel
498,000 Jews
497,000 Palestinians
b) in the Palestinian State
10,000 Jews
725,000 Palestinians (Muslims, Christians)
c) in “greater Jerusalem”:
100,000 Jews,
40,000 Muslims 30,000 Christians;
d) Bethlehem:
6,000 Christians
2,000 Muslims.
Jews (except Irgùn and Stern) accept the UN resolution (but not the “corpus separatum”), Palestinians reject it. Arab Countries suggested a Confederate State with two governments. The Holy See remains neutral: cf BIALER Uri, Cross on the Star of David.
1948: - 14.05 date of birth of the State of Israel.
Fundamental Law: “Complete equality of all citizens, no religious, racial or sexual distinction … freedom of religion, of conscience, education and culture”
- war between Arabs & Jews … ended with the ceasefire of May 1949. Results:
- Israelis gained 77% of the territory + 50% of Jerusalem (West)
- Palestinians: 800,000 refugees (internal & external), only 22% of land = West Bank + East Jerusalem, but these territories now came under the administration of the King of Jordan. The Gaza Strip passed to Egyptian administration.
On Mt Zion: the Domition Abbey ... - Apostolic delegation (Jer., Palest., Jordan, Israel, Cyprus) demolished and land occupied ... (see BIALER)
1964: the P.L.O. is established (Yasser Arafat and Abu Mazen, among the founders)
Pope Paul VI visits the Holy Land, in the framework of Vatican II
1967: SIX DAY WAR: - Israel annexes the Syrian Golan Heights and East Jerusalem; it occupies and administers West Bank, Gaza and Sinai
- Palestinian refugees = 1,370,000 (registered …)
1973: Yom Kippur:War: Egypt takes back the Sinai Peninsula.
1979: Camp David Agreement (USA): peace between Egypt and Israel
- President Anwar as-Sadat is assassinated by Egyptian fundamentalists
1981: Israel occupies South Lebanon, the so-called “Fatah Land” … (until 1999)
1987: beginning of the first “Intifadah” = popular Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.
- “Hamas” is established
1988: the PLO accepts the 1947 UN resolution: it is satisfied with 23% of the land; declares the independence of Palestine; recognizes Israel and asks withdrawal from occupied territories.
1991: “Gulf war” in Iraq: Saddam Hussein’s missiles hit Israel 28 times …
Madrid Peace Conference: mutual recognition between Israel-PLO (the sole legitimate representative of Palestinians, also at the UN). Beginning of peace negotiations .
1993: Oslo Agreement. Transfer of territories to the Palestinian National Authority (A,B,C)
- 30.12.93: “Fundamental Agreement” between the Holy See and the State of Israel
1995: - Peace between Jordan – Israel
- Assassination of P.M. Izhak Rabin by an Israeli right-wing extremist
1997: 24/25.04: the UN Gen. Assembly condemns Israel for annexing Palestinian territories and asks that Jerusalem be put under “special statutes with international guarantee”
1997: Holy See & Israel sign the Legal Personality Agreement (never ratified by the Knesset)
1998: Jordan’s King Hussein renounces rights over the West Bank, except Mosques
1999: Holy See and Israel start negotiating the “Economic Agreement”
2000: 15.01: “Basic Agreement” between the Holy See and PLO
- March: pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II to Jordan, Palestine and Israel
- July: failure of negotiations between Barak–Arafat on the final status (right to return for Palestinian refugees; Palestinian rule on Muslim holy places in Jerusalem, …)
- October: Ariel Sharon violates the holiest Islamic area (Dome of the Rock, Al Aksa Mosque).
- Reaction: Palestinian second Intifadah, suicide bombers …
Israeli answer: reoccupation of Palestinian territories; “political assassinations”
2002: a) Sharon’s government policy: suspension of the peace treatise; unilateral decisions on the “final status” – Construction of the “security wall” (on Palestinian territory)
b) US administration: “Road Map” towards a “two state solution”
2003: USA & allies invade Iraq …
2005 August: Israeli army & settlers withdraw from Gaza (and from some “outposts” in the West Bank).
2006: - 25.01 Hamas wins the Palestinian election (74/132 seats). Israel, USA, EU boycott
- 28.03: “Kadima” wins the Israeli election
-12.07 – 14.08: war in Galilee-Lebanon between Israel and “Hezbollah”.
2007: inter-Palestinian fight: Hamas ousts Fatah from Gaza. – US supports Fatah (Abu Mazen)
2008: peace-talks between Israel – Palestine; informal talks Israel – Syria . – Fouad Tuwal new Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Dec. 2008 – January 2009: War in Gaza. Blockade …
May 2009: Pope Benedict XVI visits Jordan, Israel, Palestinian A.T.
2010: Israel’s aggressive actions: execution of Hamas leader using fake Passports; humiliation of Turkish ambassador …;“Gaza flotilla” (30 May); failure of peace-talks at Washington and at Sharm-el-Sheikh (September); new Jewish settlements …; new law demanding pledge of allegiance to “Israel as a Jewish State”.
End 2010-beginning 2011: some Countries recognize Palestine as an independent Nation:
January – February 2011: “Arab spring” = upheaval in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Syria …
18 February 2011: USA vetos a resolution of the Security Council (backed by 130 Countries) condemning the continuing Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian Land.
11 April 2011: the new Egyptian rulers reopen the border crossing to Gaza
1 May 2011: Bin Laden is killed. Hamas protests. Fatah approves. Israel rejoices.
4 May 2011: in Cairo Fatah & Hamas sign a reconciliation agreement
2 September 2011: Turkey expels Israeli diplomats over the “Gaza flotilla” incident
September 2011: lobbying for the UN recognition of Palestine as a fully independent State
October – Nov 2012: Israel Foreign minister threatens to topple Palestinian Prime Minister if he goes on with the bid at the UN
14 – 21 Nov 2012: war between Hamas and Israel over Gaza
29 Nov 2012: UN recognizes Palestine as a non-member observer State. In retaliation, Israeli Government decides on the construction of 3,000 new housing units in Palestinian occupied territory.
6 Dec 2012: King Abdullah II of Jordan visits Ramallah;
7 Dec 2012: Khaled Meshal, Hamas leader, pays visit to Gaza after 40 years.
January 2013: Benyamin Natanyahu wins general election & becomes PM supported by far right …
As of 27.09.2013: 134/193 UN members recognize the “State of Palestine”.
End April 2014: failure of the initiative of John Kerry, US Secretary of State. Peace process is frozen. Fatah and Hamas form a government of technicians to prepare general election in 6 months. US and EU react ”Wait and see”. On the contrary, Ben. Netanyahu vows to disrupt such an attempt.
24-26 May 2014: Pope Francis visits Jordan, Palestine and Israel.
8 June 2014 at the Vatican: prayer between S.Peres, Abu Mazen, Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew.
12 June 2014: three Israeli young men are kidnapped and killed. Pretext for Netanyahu …
8 July 2014: a Palestinian young man is burnt alive. War between Israel & Hamas over Gaza.
27 July 2014 at the time of writing - a 'humanitarian truce' has been in place for 12 hours, extended by Israel to 24 hours. Hamas will not accept it .... Palestinian dead, many women and children, tops 1,000. Israeli dead 42, all but 3 being military personnel.
-----------------
POPULATION OF THE HOLY LAND IN 2010
In Israel = 7.6 million (75% Jews; 21% Arabs; 4.2% Others; 300,000 live in settlements on the West Bank);
In Palestinian A. = 3.9 million;
In Jerusalem Old City = 36,681 Arabs (18% Christians); 3,847 Jews.
ESTIMATE 2014
State of Israel: 8,146.300 = 6,110,600 Jews (75.3%), 1,686,000 Arabs (20.7%); 160,000 Christians.
State of Palestine: 4,550,368; 50,000 Christians.
Gaza Strip: 1,816,379; 1,500 Christians (130 Roman Catholic).
-----------------
Further reading - General presentations: Israel; State of Palestine; Gaza Strip: in Wikipedia 2014.
BIALER Uri, Cross on the Star of David. The Christian World in Israel’s Foreign Policy 1948-1967, Bloomington USA 2005;
CHAPMAN C., Di chi è la terra promessa? Il conflitto arabo-israeliano: alla ricerca di una soluzione, “Messaggero” Padova 1992.
Forty Christian-Muslim-Jew Experts, Message on Jerusalem, at the Inter-religious Meeting in Salonika (Greece) 25-29 August 1996, in Origins 03.10.96 p. 249;
HIRSH M., HOUSEN-COURIEL D., LAPIDOTH R., Whiter Jerusalem ? Proposals and Propositions, The Hague, London, Boston 1995;
HIRST D., Senza pace. Un secolo di conflitti in Medio Oriente, S.Lazzaro di Savena (BO) 2004. –
PIERACCINI P., Gerusalemme. Luoghi Santi e Comunità religiose nella politica internazionale, EDB Bologna 1997. –
PIERACCINI P., Palestina – Israele. I Luoghi santi e la pace negata, Regno Att. 2002/2, pp. 52-68.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR, International Religious Freedom Report 2010. Israel and Occupied Territories. [Submitted annually to the U.S. Congress].
STRANSKY Th., A Catholic views Political Zionism and the State of Israel, South Orange, New Jersey 1977, and in Teshivah Institute Papers, 2000 pp. 21-54; WASSERSTEIN B., Divided Jerusalem. The Struggle for the Holy City, Yale Un.Press 2002.
