Violence and the Middle East
Increasingly conflict is not defined as a problem solely between states but also involving non-state actors
Terrorist organizations
International cooperative organizations
National Groups
Hamas
- Formed in the late 1980s
- Origins with the Muslim Brotherhood
- Organization banned in Jordan and regarded as a terrorist organization by Canada, US, EU and Australia
- Hamas is a democratically elected group with Palestinian Politics.
- Alternative to the P.L.O.
Center: Khaled Mashal
How do we get Hamas? What are they a reaction to?
Israel founded in 1948
negotiations to locate a Jewish State begun in the aftermath of Ottoman Fall.
The newly founded Jewish state receives international diplomatic support as well as resources from departing British forces.
Jewish Non-state actors
The Haganah: Before the founding of Israel and the state led creation of the IDF, the Haganah served as a paramilitary defense force for Jewish communities in Palestine
The Irgun: Launched reprisal operations against Arab civilians and British Mandate personnel. Menachem Begin lead the organization from 1943-1948
The Stern Gang: Led attacks against Arabs and the British. In 1944 assassinated British Minister of state Lord Moyne
UN Resolution 181: The partition of Palestine into a Jewish and Arab State
- Jerusalem an International city
- Zionists supported this partition plan, Arabs did not.
- British unable and unwilling to assist UN or continue their control over the Mandate.
1948-1967:
Plan D: Israel Grabs additional land given to Palestine after the departure of British
Jordan is the primary administrator over the West Bank Including Jerusalem.
Egypt controls Gaza Strip
1967 war results in loses for Syria, Jordan and Egypt
Palestinians have little say in their own political affairs
The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)
The founding on Israel creates a refugee problem within West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt
PLO founded in 1964 via the Arab League.
In its beginnings, the PLO was a structure to help Arab state control resistance activity.
After 67' war PLO becomes an independent resistance organization
Yasser Arafat
head of Al-Fatah and Chair of the PLO (1969-2004)
Palestinian Liberation Organization
Chair Yasser Arafat
(leader of Fatah)
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(PFLP)
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(DFLP)
AL-Sa'iqah
(Thunderbolt)
Fought for: 1. The end of Israel, 2. a democratic state and 3. a secular state.
Actions of the PLO:
- PFLP highjacked four planes
- The Lod Airport Massacre
- Launched attacks from Jordan into Israeli territory
- Actively began a diplomacy campaign to get international support
Black September (1970): Jordan kills 3,000 Palestinians. PLO moves to Lebanon.
Life for Palestinians between 1967 and the First Intifada
Implementation of settlement policy to place Jewish communities in locations around the Jordan River and to break up areas with Arab majorities.
Menachem Begin central in promoting settlements
How?
Appropriated private Arab Land
seized 'unregistered land'
40% of West Bank and 30% of Gazan land taken by Israel
Life for Palestinians between 1967 and the First Intifada
Economically, Palestinians prevented from building a national economy.
- Israel placed tariffs on goods coming from the Palestinian territories into Israel while no tariffs were placed on Israeli goods
- Palestinians largely a pool of cheap unskilled labor for the Israeli economy
- Checkpoints and ID system made movement and business development difficult.
The Beginnings of the Intifada
(11.27)
Hamas emerges out of the Intifada in 1988.
- In contrast to the leadership of the Intifada and the PLO, Hamas supports an Islamically guided movement
- A branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza
- Hamas demands:
- The historic lands of Palestine are sacred and must be returned.
- against 2-state solution
The End of the Intifada results in the Oslo accord negotiated between the PLO and Yitzak Rabin.
- PLO recognized the state of Israel and its right to exist, renounced violence
- Al-Fatah of PLO in charge of political administration of west bank
- OSLO was not a plan for a Palestinian state. Ultimately, Palestinians were left overseeing their own occupation in 3% of the occupied territories while Israel was formally allowed to have an occupying presence in the remainder
PLO leadership after OSLO seen as ineffective and corrupt
Mahmoud Abbas
- Yasser Arafat dies in 2004
- Mahmoud Abbas elected in 2005 to lead the Palestinian Authority
- hasn't undergone an election since
- widely unpopular
- in 2015, roundly criticized for building a 13.1 million dollar palace
- As a result anger with the PA and the PLO, Hamas gained in popularity
- Hamas fundamentally against OSLO and the Palestinian Authority.
- Launched suicide bombing campaigns in the mid-1990s to disrupt the peace process.
- By the early 2000s, Al-Fatah and the PA in disarray. Yasser Arafat under house arrest in Ramallah.
- West Bank routinely sealed by Israeli forces to combat terror
- political split between West Bank and Gaza
- spread in check-points and Israeli Settlements
- In 2006 Hamas wins 76 parliamentary seats for the Palestinian Authority.
Organizational structure of Hamas
Military wing: Officially, this wing is cut off from communication with other parts of government. Responsibly for launching Qassam rockets into Israeli cities. Some rockets have the capacity to reach Tel Aviv.
Leadership in partial exile:
- Khaled Meshaal lives in Qatar (in exile for 37 yrs)
- Mousa Abu Marzouk lives in Cairo
Political and social service wing: Administers the Gaza Strip and provides social services
Class proposal:
For week 13-14 I propose replacing the reading for that week with Talal Asad's Book 'On Suicide Bombing.'
