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The Roots of the Conflict
Arabs and Jews lived together in relative harmony in the Middle East for
centuries. The conflict began with the late 19th century influx of Jewish
immigrants seeking refuge in Palestine from the persecution and anti-Semitism
they faced in Europe. Anti-Semitism was not a reality in the Middle East. The
predominantly Muslim culture of the Middle East looked on Jews and Christians as
"people of the book" who shared a belief in the same God and similar prophetic
traditions. As such, Jews and Christians were to have a respected and safe place
within Muslim society. That is not to say that conflict did not ever exist, but
it was not widespread nor endemic and it did not seek to threaten the very
existence of any one community.
Jewish immigration into Palestine caused conflict because it was aimed at
creating a state for Jews, one that excluded the indigenous Palestinian
Christian and Muslim population that made up the majority of historic Palestine.
In 1948, Israel established itself on 78% of the land of Palestine. In doing so,
Jewish militias, which were to become Israel's army, expelled roughly 750,000
indigenous Palestinians from their homeland and destroyed more than 435
Palestinian villages. Palestinians who were driven off their land have never
been allowed to return. The United Nations counts roughly 4 million registered
Palestinian refugees. Most live in refugee camps to this day, only a few hours
away from their original homes. Palestinian refugees have an inalienable right
to return to their homes and lands and to receive compensation for the loss of
their property, a right based in international law.
Another 3.5 million Palestinians live today on the 22% that is left of
Palestine—the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Since 1967, they have
lived under Israeli military occupation. They are citizens of no country and are
deprived of their most basic human rights. Every facet of Palestinian civil and
economic life is controlled by soldiers of a foreign army. While Palestinians
are subject to Israeli military rule, Israeli settlers living illegally in the
Occupied Territories enjoy full freedom.
The 1993 Oslo Accords offered the promise of an end to the occupation and
freedom for Palestinians. The accords were based on the land for peace formula.
The Palestinians recognized Israel's right to exist on 78% of historic
Palestine. In exchange, Israel was to withdraw from the remaining 22%. This is
where Palestinians would have their state. While Palestinians did gain some
control of their land during the Oslo process, Israel continued to occupy the
majority of the land and exercise ultimate control. Also, throughout the Oslo
years, Israel vigorously expanded illegal settlements by expropriating land,
demolishing houses and uprooting plantations belonging to Palestinians. In fact,
during the years of the Oslo peace talks, Israel doubled its settler population
in the Occupied Territories to some 400,000 people.
How Did the Current Violence Begin?
On September 29, 2000 Palestinians in the Occupied Territories rose up against
Israeli occupation and demanded their freedom. Popular demonstrations were
sparked by current Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's provocative visit to
the Haram Al-Sharif, where the Al-Aqsa mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites, is
located. While Sharon's visit was the match that lit the powder keg, the
uprising was the result of the frustrations building within Palestinian society
in the seven years since the signing of the Oslo Accords and in their more than
three decades living under a foreign, military occupation.
Since the uprising broke out more than two years ago, violence, repression,
recrimination, and desperation have flourished in occupied Palestine. The
situation moved quickly from street demonstrations to a desperate and bloody
struggle that has cost nearly 2,700 lives by mid-2003. Israeli reaction to the
uprising was swift and has included using lethal force against unarmed
demonstrators, demolishing Palestinian homes, olive groves and agricultural
lands, expropriating land for the construction of a Berlin Wall-like structure
to separate the two peoples, and closures and curfews that have devastated the
Palestinian economy.
While the vast majority of the dead are Palestinian, the number of Israeli
casualties, most of whom were killed in retaliatory suicide strikes by extremist
Palestinians, is unprecedented. This has provoked confusion and anguish in
Israeli society that allows the Sharon government to justify its continued
aggression against and collective punishment of Palestinians.
Source: www.globalexchange.org
Research Guide to the
Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
Brief history of
Palestine, Israel and the conflict
Isreali - Palestinian Conflict, Wikipedia
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Urgent Appeal |
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IRAQ: Palestinian refugees renew appeal for protection
BAGHDAD, 19 March 2008 (IRIN) - Palestinian refugees in Iraq on 19
March again appealed for protection; they said they were still living as
“fugitives” and demanded immediate help for their compatriots stranded
on the Iraq-Syria border.
“Palestinian refugees are still stuck between two fires: the fire of
assassination and arrests inside Iraq, and the fire of deteriorated
living conditions for those stranded on the border,” said O.N., a
Palestinian refugee in Baghdad, who asked to be identified only by his
initials for security reasons.
Although O.N. has managed to get a fake Iraqi ID card with an Iraqi
family name, he is still afraid of being caught either by militants or
government security forces as he travels across Baghdad each day working
as a taxi driver.
“I live like a fugitive only because I am a Palestinian refugee in an
Arab country,” said the 44-year-old father of three. “I cannot take my
wife and children to the desert [Iraq-Syria border area where there are
three Palestinian refugee camps] and that’s why I have moved from my
house and rely on [this] illegal thing [fake ID] to survive.”
Stranded
The family of Mukhlis Khalid Mohammed, a 63-year-old Palestinian refugee
in Baghdad, has been stranded on the border with Syria since January
2007.
“I cannot bring them back and I cannot join them,” Mohammed told IRIN.
”The international community and neighbouring countries only issue
statements about their plight,” he said, adding: “I want to tell them
that their statements do nothing for us.”
On 18 March the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it was concerned about
the “inhumane conditions” in which over 2,700 Palestinian refugees are
living in two of the three camps on the Iraq-Syria border.
The UNHCR statement called for immediate and urgent humanitarian
assistance, and immediate relocation for those refugees with medical
conditions.
"Over the past 22 months, the UNHCR has been calling for urgent
humanitarian solutions for this group and - even if only temporary -
relocation elsewhere, preferably in the Arab region," spokesman Ron
Redmond said in a statement.
According to the UNHCR, 12 Palestinian refugees have died in the past 14
months in al-Walid camp - the latest one, a 25-year-old man, most likely
died of food poisoning.
"The deaths highlight the urgent need for humane solutions and proper
medical care for the destitute population," Redmond said.
The UNHCR’s latest figures show there are over 2,000 refugees in al-Walid
camp, while over 710 others are in al-Tanf camp in no-man’s land between
Iraq and Syria, nearly double the number since October 2007. About 300
refugees are in al-Hol camp, just inside Syria.
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Darfur Daily News
Darfur News
Brief
Darfur Information
Google's Darfur News
Integrated Regional Information Networks
ReliefWeb: Sudan The Latest
www.alertnet.org
Scotsman
Sudan Tribune
www.sudan.net
Government of Sudan:
www.sudan.gov.sd
Sudanese
Media Centre
African Union
Situation in Darfur
Region
United Nations Mission in Sudan:
www.unmis.org
UNHCR
UNICEF: Darfur
Rightsmatter.com Resources on Darfur
Rightsmatter.com's UN
Conventions and Instruments
Chronology of Events
- CBC
Chronology of Events - Africa Action - pdf document
Q and A on Darfur
- BBC
USA Dept. of State - Country Report
USA
Library of Congress - Sudan Country Study
Colin
Powell's statement on genocide in Darfur
Documenting
Atrocities in Darfur (U.S. State Dept. investigation)
Darfur
Humanitarian Emergency
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NGOs, Civic and HR Organizations
Active in Darfur
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www.24hoursfordarfur.org
www.aegistrust.org
www.amnesty.org
www.crimesofwar.org
www.darfurgenocide.org
www.darfurscores.org
www.darfurwall.org
www.humanrightsfirst.org
Human Rights Watch - Sudan
International Committee of the Red Cross
www.msf.ca
www.notonourwatchproject.org
Medecins Sans Frontieres
Oxfam
Physicians for Human
Rights
www.protectdarfur.org
www.savedarfur.org
www.soatsudan.org
www.standnow.org
www.sudandivestment.org
www.theirc.org
Theodora.com: About Sudan
USAID
http://www.palestinelinks.com/
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Virtual Library/Bibliography |
Bibliography: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
A
Bibliography on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - America Abroad Media
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