The Arab-Israeli Conflict

Part 2

CFR Crisis Guide: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict –

What’s the Message Here?

Daly Show on Arab-Israeli Conflict

Current Status of All Territories Occupied by Israel in 1967

What are the Unresolved Issues?What are the unresolvedissues preventing a final peace agreement betweenIsrael and the Palestinians?

President Obama with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and

Palestinian President Malmond Abbas.

Unresolved Issue # 1

The Permanent Borders of a Future Palestinian State

Palestinians want Israel to with- draw to pre-1967 borders and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel still occupies parts of the West Bank and has annexed some parts that it insists it will never give up.

Protests Against Israeli Occupation of West Bank Territory

The Issue of Israeli Settlements• 300,000 Israeli settlers now

live in West Bank along with 2.2 million Palestinians.

• Israel has annexed some West Bank territory and insists on keeping its major settlements.

• These Israeli settlements in the West Bank complicate peace negotiations.

Israel continues to expand old settlements and construct new ones today.

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Israeli West Bank Settlements

News report on settlement issue Helecoptor Tour Over West Bank

Israel’s Security Barrier (Wall) Also Complicates Negotiations

Israel’s Security Barrier

Unresolved Issue # 2

Palestinian Refugees and the Right of Return

Four million displaced Palestiniansliving in refugee camps today inoccupied territories and neighboringArab states.

Palestinians want refugees or theirdescendants to be able to return tohomes and land they lost in 1948.

Israel rejects right of refugees toreturn to Israel. Would threaten theexistence of Israel as a Jewish state.

Unresolved Issue # 3

Control of East Jerusalem

Palestinians want East Jerusalemas the capital of their future state.

Israel’s annexed East Jerusalem and vows it will never give it up.

Residents of East Jerusalem aremostly Palestinians, but 250,000 Israelis now live there as well.

Unresolved Issue # 4

Israel’s Security

How to guaranteesecurity of Israel’sborders if radicalgroups like Hamas and Hezbollah refuse to recognizeIsrael’s right toexist ?

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Obama and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

September, 2010

Obama Convened New Peace Talks

•First direct talks between Israel and Palestinians in two years .

•Stated goal was to “create a sovereign Palestinian state beside a secure Israel within one year.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

with Palestinian President

Mahmoud Abbas

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September, 2010

Peace Talks Quickly Broken Down

Peace talks broke down within weeks over the settlement issue.

Talks remain stalled today.

Palestinians insist they won’t return to talks until Israel halts building of new settlements.

Israel insists on talks without any preconditions.

May 2011

Palestinian Rapprochement

• Fatah and Hamas signedreconciliation agreement.

• Cited their common goal of resistance to Israeli occupation.

• Reflects Fatah’s growingfrustration with stalledpeace process.

U.S.-Israeli Relations

Tension Over Settlements

• Obama opposes expansion ofexisting Israeli settlements or the building of any new ones.

• Israel refuses to stop building new housing in East Jerusalem or the West Bank.

U.S.-Israeli Relations

Tension over Borders

Obama endorsed the Palestinian position that borders should be based on 1967 lines

with “mutually agreed swaps” of land.

Led to tense meeting b/Netanyahu and Obama at White House and Netanyahu publically rejecting the idea.

PBS Report on May 2011 Meeting (5:00)

September, 2011

Palestinians Seek UN Recognition

• Palestinians sought UN’s recognition of Palestinian as a full-member state.

• Wanted recognition of state consisting of all of West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

• Bid failed because it lacked of support in the UN Security Council (+ U.S. veto threat).

November, 2012

UN General Assembly Recognizes Palestine as Non-member Observer State

• Move strongly opposed by Israel and the US.• Vote was 138-9 in favor, with 41

nations abstaining. • Palestinians can now take part in

UN debates.• Opponents say a Palestinian state

should emerge only from bilateral negotiations with Israel.

CNN report on meaning of UN Vote (3:21)