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There are Palestinian communities in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. These areas were occupied by Israel during the 6 Days War. These communities as a result of the Oslo Peace Process are self governing under the Palestinian Authority. There was great hope for the Palestinians as a result of the Oslo Agreements. There was general hope that this would lead to a two-state sollution and an indepndent and properous Psalestine. Little political process was made. Analysts dispute who was responsible for this. Living conditions have declined disatrously, especially since the Interfada. This means essentially that living conditions were substatially higher during Isreali occupation. Many issues concerning the Isreali-Palestinian issue are in dispute. The decline in living standards is an undisputable fact. There are also Palestinian communities spread throughout the Arab world. These are largely the descents of the refugees from the 1948 War. The size of these communities vary from country to country as well as national law and policies which affect the refugee population.
The Six Days War changed the dynamic of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The United Nations for 8 years patrolled the Isreali-Egyption border in the Siani. Nasser backed with an infusion of Soviet weapons decided to cibfront Israel militarily. Nasser otganized an alliance with Syria and Jordan. He moved 100,000 troops to the border armed with 1,000 tanks. He ordered the United Nations out. An audacious Isreali air attack destroyed the Egyptian Air force on the ground. Egyptian Air Firce commanders were at first afraid to tell Nassar wjat had happened. Nassar spoke on radio and television claiming that the Isreali Air Firce had been destroyed. The Arab public was estatic. Nassar urged the Syrians and Jordanians to joun the war with Isreal. He assured them that Egypt was winning the war in the Siamai. Israli armor desimated the Egyptians and pushed to Suez. The Isrealkis then turned on the Jordanians and Syrians that had invaded. The Isrealis managed to seize the rest of Jeruselum.
The Oslo Peace Process seem to offer the possibility of peace. The official name of the Oslo accords was the "Declaration of Principles On Interim Self-Government Arrangements". It was the foundation of the Oslo Process--peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians between 1993 and 2000. They were signed at a Washington ceremony hosted by President Bill Clinton (September 13, 1993). Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin famously shook hands, seemingly ending decades as sworn enemies. The foundation of the process was the idea that Israel would trade land for peace. The Oslo Process envisaged that the Israelis would proceed to transfer portions of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip to the control of the Palestinian Authority, a quasi-state organization. The Palestinian Authority would in exchange guarantee Israel's security by ending Palestinian Organization (PLO) terrorism and supressing armed Palestinian groups that failed to comply. After progress was made in these areas, Israel and the PA would negotiate a final agreement involving a mutual recognition of each other's territorial claims. The "land for peace" transfers were seen as building mutual trust and confidence. Finally the two sides would negotiations the "final status" issues that were left unresolved at Oslo. These included some of the most difficult issues: Palestinian statehood, the status of Jerusalem, Jewish settlements, and the right of return. Although the Oslo Accords were signed with great optimism, there was considerable opposition to the agreement, especially among various Palestinian groups.
There are Palestinian communities in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. These areas were occupied by Israel during the 6 Days War. These communities as a result of the Oslo Peace Process are self governing under the Palestinian Authority.
There are also Palestinian communities spread throughout the Arab world. These are largely the descents of the refugees from the 1948 War. The size of these communities vary from country to country as well as national law and policies which affect the refugee population.
There was great hope for the Palestinians as a result of the Oslo Agreements. There was general hope that this would lead to a two-state sollution and an indepndent and properous Psalestine. Little political process was made. Analysts dispute who was responsible for this.
Living conditions have declined disatrously in the Palestinian Territories since the Oslo Peace Accord led to turning over the administration of the occupied territories to the Palestinian Authority (1993). The decline has been particularily preciptious since the Second Iterfada following the failed Camp David Talks (2000). This means essentially that living conditions were substatially higher during Isreali occupation. Many issues concerning the Isreali-Palestinian issue are in dispute. The decline in living standards is an undisputable fact. This decline has been seen in jobs, wages, nutrition, education and many other areas. Children in particular have suffered. An important question here is why have living conditions declined. One reason that living conditions were higher during the Isreali occupation was that many Palestinians had access to jobs in Israel. The Palestinians hold Israel responsible, butthis is a little hard to accept because standards were much higher durin the occupation when Israel was in charge of the adninistration of the occupied territories.
The Israeli Government after the withdrawl from Lebenon decided to withdrawl unilaterally from Gaza which it had occupied in the Six Days War (1967). Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon proposed the withdrawl. The plan was approved by the Government and enacted (August 2005). The plan called for the Israeli withdrawl from the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the northern West Bank. The Government
offered compensation packages to Isreali settlers who voluntarily vacated their homes and farms prior to the deadline (August 15, 2005). Most settlers accepted the author, a few did not. The oldouts were evicted bu Isreali Security forces after the deadlinre passed. The Isrealis subsequently demolished residential buildings and evacuated security personnel. The withdrawl was completed by September 12. A comparable evacuation of the four settlements in the northern West Bank was completed 10 days later.
Sharon hoped thsat the withdrawl would be considered a step toward peace and might lead to Palestinian steps toward peace. He conceeived this as essentially a continuation of the land for peace approsch. Sharon also hoped that separation from the Palestinians would reduce incidents and help desescalate the violence. This has not been the case. The Palestinians, both Fatah and Hamas, seemed to have preceived the Isreali withdrawl as a military victory. And since the withdrawl have stepped up rocket attacks on Israel. Isreali critics thus charged that the Palestinian approah was not land for peace, but land for rockets. The Palestinisans with some accuracy claim that while the Isrealis did pull out from Gaza, but maintained tight controls on access through naval patrols and control of border crossings and the airport. They chsarge that the Isrealis have turned Gaza ito a ghetto. These charges would seem to have some validity if after thre Isreali withdrawl the Palestinisns deescalted the violence and began negoitisating with the Isrealis to loosen the border controls. This did not happen. The Isreli withdrawl was met with an escalation and greatly increased rocket attacks. Thus it seems unreasinable for the Isrealis to loosen border controls which would make it easier for the OPalestinins to obtain more sophisticated rockets and heavier weapons.
Qassam rocket attacks on Sderot have become daily.
Fatah is a national liberation movement. Critics have accused it of monetary corruption.
Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas) translates as the Islamic Resistance Movement. The Arabic acronym means "zeal". Hamas was founded by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin during the First INterfada (1987). He was at the time head of the Gaza wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas became known for its suicide bombings and other attacks on Israeli civilians, military and security forces. It was these attacks that led to the Isreali decession to build a security wall. The Hamas' charter was adopted the following year (1988). Hamas in the charter calls for the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in all of Palestine, including Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.
Hamas rejects any peaceful or negotiated solution to the Isreali-palestinian conflict. Article 13 reads, "Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement. .... There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors." [Hamas] Hamas strikes against Israel and charitable activities in Gaza and the West Bank have won it considerable support among Palestinians. While corruption in Fatah has siphoned off aid funds, Hamas has built an extensive welfare programs, funding schools, orphanages, and healthcare clinics in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Hamas has been listed as a terrorist organization by Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, and the United States. Hamas has obtained funding from Iran, Palestinian expatriates, benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other oil states. Sine the Palestinian elections (January 2006), Hamas has been trying to obtain access to funding from the United States, the EU, and other coutries that had been provided the Palestinian Authority.
Hamas won the Palestinian elections making them the majority party of the Palestinian National Authority. (January 2006). Hamas won 76 of the 132 seats in the chamber. Fatah party took 43 seats. The Hamas victory was a considerable suprise. It represents the growing appeal of the group and the fact that Fatah ran a dismal election campaign and was preceived by many Palestinians as corupt. In several constiuencies multiple Fatah candidates competed, virtually guaranteeing the Hamas victory.
Since the Hamas electoral victory (January 2006), violence has intensified between Fatah and Hamas militias. The fighting escalated in 2007. This has become known as Fauda (anarchy). Many Palestinians have been killed in the internecine fighting. After several days of intensive fighting, Hamas seized control of most of Gaza (June 13, 2007). A press report indicated, "Hamas forces consolidated control over much of Gaza on Wednesday, taking command of the main north-south road and blowing up a Fatah headquarters in Khan Yunis, in the south. In northern Gaza and Gaza City, Hamas military men, many of them in black masks, moved unchallenged through the streets as Fatah fighters ran short of arms and ammunition and abandoned their posts. Hamas controlled all of Gaza City except for the presidential compound of Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and the Suraya headquarters of the National Security Forces, the Palestinian army. Hamas has surrounded Al Suraya, calling on the occupants to surrender." [Erlanger]
Erlanger, Steven. "Hamas seizes broad control in Gaza" International Herald Tribune (June 14, 2007).
Hamas. "The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement," (August 18, 1988).
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