Are any of these reasons more important that the others is causing some Palestinians to carry out acts of terrorism
Coursework
Question 2: Are any of these reasons more important that the others is causing some Palestinians to carry out acts of terrorism
The Arab - Israeli conflict has been going on for more than 50 years. It involves Two groups of people called the Arabs and the Jews. The conflict is an ongoing battle between the two groups of people over an area of land called Israel at present in the Middle East. In 1948, Israel was set up as a country for Jews in 1948 by the United Nations (UN). Jews then declared independence from the Palestinians and their own Jewish state in Israel. However as the area was previously under the power of the Arabs, the Arab people did not want to give up their land for the Jews. This was because they felt that due to the fact that they were living there for the past 1000 years they should keep the land. This initial decision by the UN meant that these two groups of people have been arguing ever since, and therefore this has resulted in constant battle between the two groups. Wars, terrorism and suicide bombings have become everyday threats to the Arab and Jewish people. The Palestinians feel that they should keep the land and will defend themselves if the Jewish people were to start settlements. There have been many terrorist attacks from the Palestinians over the past years. Examples of these attacks including a suicide bomber who killed three in the Southern Israel resort of Eilat. This happened on the 29th January 2007 at 09:40, it is very likely that a Palestinian militant group was behind this attack.
The Palestinian claim to the land that is occupied by Israel is an important reason for the Palestinian terrorism in Israel. 2000 years ago the land of Israel was Jewish, however, the Romans removed all of the Jews and over centuries the land became known as Palestine and Arabs known as Palestinians lived there instead. In the 18th and 19th century, the land was ruled by a Turkish Muslim government called the Ottoman Empire. However during this rule the Palestinian Arabs wanted independence from the Ottoman Empire. However at the end of World War 1 in 1918, the Ottoman Empire collapsed. By World War 1 there were 650,000 Arabs living in Palestine and only 85,000 Jews. World War 1 was a major turning point as Palestine became under the control of Britain and the Balfour Declaration stated that Jews could have a homeland in Palestine. Because of these events the Arabs started acts of terrorism and in the 1930's the Jews started to emigrate from Germany to Palestine. This led to a civil war between the Arabs and Jews. And then in 1947 a huge decision by the UN meant the Jews would get back their own state. After their regaining of the land there were several wars. This was because of the fact the Arabs and the Jews hated one another and therefore there was rivalry. Each of the groups had their own opinions and beliefs why they felt they should have control of the land. In 1967 the 6 Day War resulted in Israel gaining half of Egypt due to Nasser's completely obvious tactics. Not only did they gain half of Greece but also Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights. They also gained Palestinian areas of land in Palestine. During the 1948 and 1967 wars hundreds of thousands of Palestinians left, or were forced out of their homes and moved to neighbouring countries becoming refugees. Over four million Palestinians are still living as refugees, many living in camps in countries like Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Analysing this topic, I feel that it is somewhat irrelevant to a claim for the land. This is because; the reason is a very weak one and is to some extent childish. Relying on the past as a reason is not good enough and cannot be justified. Although the land was in the hands of the Palestinians 2000 years ago, this is a pathetic reason to have a claim to the land. Times have changed now and using the past really cannot be used as a claim to the land in this case. Out of all of the reasons, this is probably one of the weakest reasons for the claim to the land and their justification for terrorism.
The people of Palestine over the past half century have been treated extremely unfairly. Over the decades, the Israelis have evermore gained control over Palestine. The wars resulting in gains for the Israelis in terms of land. After the wars, because of the Israelis determination to gain back the land which they feel is the homeland for Jewish people, the control over the Palestinians is continuing: There is constant vandalism of Palestinian cultural buildings, homes and offices. There is a sense of systematic terrorism, to eventually destroy the identity of the Palestinians. In one example from a video ...
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The people of Palestine over the past half century have been treated extremely unfairly. Over the decades, the Israelis have evermore gained control over Palestine. The wars resulting in gains for the Israelis in terms of land. After the wars, because of the Israelis determination to gain back the land which they feel is the homeland for Jewish people, the control over the Palestinians is continuing: There is constant vandalism of Palestinian cultural buildings, homes and offices. There is a sense of systematic terrorism, to eventually destroy the identity of the Palestinians. In one example from a video we can see that there is "shit on the wall". This is just an example of the bad treatment of Palestinians. The Israelis treat the Palestinians with no sense of respect, one major setback is the fact that the Palestinians are unable to have their own government, it is somewhat like being in an open prison. They are without rights of freedom and it is utter cruelty and violence towards the Palestinians. Partides can be seen in many areas where the Palestinians are unable to go into Israeli secured areas.
The Israelis have already left the Palestinians with only the West Bank and Gaza Strip due to the gain in land over the past half century; however they feel it is their right to have Illegal Israeli settlements on the Palestinian land. The Palestinian people are humiliated in their own country with Roadblocks and Checkpoints on nearly all roads. The Palestinians must have correct ID to be able to pass these Checkpoints, and if not, for many, it means that they will be unable to go to work. Therefore will be unable to feed their already poverty stricken families. It is a harsh reality that in some cases pregnant women will not be allowed to a Hospital because of these controlled Checkpoints. The Borders of the current Palestine are always under control by the Israeli troops and the whole of Palestine is guarded with these troops.
Gaza City is the Strip's biggest population centre and has about 400,000 inhabitants. It is a commercial and administrative hub for the whole of the occupied territories, although travel is severely restricted between it and the West Bank. The majority of Gaza's residents are refugees who fled or were expelled in 1948 from the land that became Israel, Most Gazans live in eight refugee comps in which the United Nations delivers health, education and other humanitarian services. A lot of the Palestinians are squashed into this area and the living conditions are extreme. The Palestinians are treated unjustly and the Israelis have no right in making the Palestinians suffer the way they have. At current the Israelis can somehow justify themselves over their actions. All of their restrictions are justifiable to them because Hamas is a terrorist group so they will continue. The world is unable to see the clear picture for Palestinians. Hence the Palestinians will be unjustifiable unless there is a change in the government or Hamas stops its violence and terrorism. This reason behind the Palestinians justification can be very strong and not so strong dependant on its interpretation. It can be one of the most important and significant reasons if changes are made, however if it stays as it is current, the argument can become very weak because of Hamas. The argument would become very strong if Hamas were to stop the violence, and make the Israelis look the "bad guy". The restrictions that would be in place against the Palestinians would be unjustifiable for the Israelis. Therefore the argument could be a vital one. However if no changes are made, the argument can be fended off due to Hamas' violence and terrorism. We as people can all see that considering what the Israelis have done to the Palestinians, and no effects have taken place, it is fair for them to commit to terrorism. But the World's politics is unable to see this.
From 1979 to 2005, there were three peace treaties which were signed by Israel. Considering these three were signed by the Israelis, first impressions would think; then why is there still so much violence and terrorism between these two countries? The problem behind this is the fact that the Israelis have broken these treaties in many different ways.
The first peace treaty that was signed was the Camp David Peace Accord. The main points were:
. A Framework for Peace in the Middle East
* Palestinians in West Bank and the Gaza Strip were to elect a council to govern themselves for 5 years.
* Israeli troops would be gradually withdrawn from these 2 areas
* Israel, Egypt and Jordan and Palestinian representatives would decide how the West Bank and Gaza should be ruled at the end of 5 years
* It was hoped that Israel would make peace treaties with all her Arab neighbours
Unfortunately none of the points listed above were kept to by the Israelis. The land was still claimed as Israeli land and the West Bank and Gaza Strip was still under the rule of the Israelis. The Israelis therefore never kept to the points of this treaty and therefore was a failure.
The second peace treaty that was signed was the Oslo Accords. The main points were:
* Israel allowed PLO members and leadership to return to some of the occupied territories
* Israel agreed to withdraw troops from Palestinian territories
* Israel would allow the Palestinians to elect their own government
* Israeli government would continue to be responsible for defence and foreign affairs
With this treaty the Israelis did keep some of the assigned points. This was that they allowed PLO members and leadership to return to the occupied territories and that they themselves would continue to be responsible for defence and foreign affairs. However, they broke the two big promises which was that they "Israel agreed to withdraw troops from Palestinian territories" and "Israel would allow the Palestinians to elect their own government". Once again this meant that Israel had failed to stick to the peace treat and proved their rebel, terrorising behaviour would continue.
The third peace treaty that was signed was the Roadmap for Peace. The main points were:
Phase 1
* End of terrorism
* Return to normal life for Palestinians
* Reorganisation of Palestinian political system
* Withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Palestinian settlements
Phase 2
* Creation of independent Palestinian state
* International conference
* International checks to male sure politicians are sticking to the Roadmap
Phase 3
* Second International Conference
* Permanent end to conflict
* Agreement on final borders, Jerusalem, refugees and settlements
* Arab states to agree to peace deals with Israel
With this treaty the Israelis did actually pull their troops out of Gaza, and surprisingly, they also allowed the Palestinians to have their own elections. So this therefore meant that the Palestinians were controlling themselves. Instead Israel controlled Palestinians in other ways. They controlled the air, sea and land of Palestine to stop any imports or exports and also denied people who were part of militant groups. They also restricted the borders of Palestine to furthermore put a stranglehold on everything that left and entered Palestine. Overall this meant that Israel lost little control than previously but just allowed the Palestinians to feel as if they were achieving something.
Thus because of this, the Palestinians realised that it was not possible to have peaceful negotiations with the Israelis in order to have any possibility of gaining back their land. Therefore they are now turning to acts of terrorism because of Israel's rebellious attitude and their unwillingness to have talks which can result in peace between the two countries. Looking at this reason or the claim to the land, it is quite an important reason when considering and providing evidence for Israel's explanation. This idea somewhat proves Israel's ignorance and childish behaviour. In all three of the treaties, it was the Israelis who broke the treaties. This can count in the Palestinians favour to prove how the Israelis are the ones to blame; The Palestinians made numerous efforts in order to create a peace to the conflict but they were all broken by the Israelis. This is quite an important reason in my opinion which is definitely a claim and proof of how the conflict could have ended years ago, but was defied by the Israelis. Therefore the Palestinians had no choice but to result to terrorism.
There have been many Israeli attacks in Palestinian areas. The Gaza Strip and the West Bank have suffered many attacks from the Israelis. One example of this is the attacks on the Hamas military training grounds and a school run by have denied all claims at this. In 1990, the Gaza airport was opened for flights to travel across the world. However after the Intifada, this was completely closed down. This was because of fear of more terrorist attacks being possible. It was also to stop any possible terrorists moving from place to place, and possible spreading across the world. One major attack by the Israelis on the Palestinians was the military attack on Rafah; Rafah was one of the main Palestinian refugee camps in the Gaza strip. Hundreds of Palestinians died in this massive attack which destroyed several buildings and left the people of Palestine hopeless. This reason for the Palestinians to continue terrorism comes to neutral. This is because once the Israelis had committed their attacks, it is fair that the Palestinians retaliate and use terrorism. However with this reason, although their attacks are justifiable, they are really not moving forward in terms of claiming the land that they want. Both groups will just retaliate against one another and the violence will just grow bigger and bigger. This reason is important in terms of justifying the terrorism but their actions only lead to a neutral effect where the Palestinians nor the Israelis are right.
Ever since the election of Hamas in 2006, in Palestine, things have changed. There have been a number of sanctions which have taken place. This is because; before Hamas were is power the Palestinians were still receiving aid and money, however once Hamas got into power everything changed. This was because of the aims and ambitions of the Hamas group. The terrorism which Hamas intend to conflict has resulted in many Sanctions against Hamas. And ever since there has been no aid from anybody over the world, money to support the Palestinians or banks are not allowing Hamas to have money. All of these are just some of the Sanctions that have taken place against Hamas. There has also been the ongoing strict border control in the little Palestinian areas which remain. The reason behind the Sanctions is due to Hamas' intentions and beliefs: When Hamas started, its aims were to establish an Islamic state; this was not the major problem. What was the problem was the fact that they would use terrorism to gain back the land but more importantly the fact that they felt Israel had no right to exist. Looking at this reason for their commitment to terrorism, it is simply the Palestinians own fault in this case, they really have to take the blame. I can understand that the Palestinians feel angry because of the Sanctions against them, but we have to look why? If Hamas were to stop their terrorist and violent acts, things may be very different. The Sanctions are happening because Hamas is a terrorist group, if they weren't then these Sanctions may not have taken place. This reason is definitely one of the least important and is very weak. It cannot be really considered as a reason, the Palestinians have simply led to their own downfall.
The Palestinians over the past 50 years have defied a tremendous amount of suffering. Many have been living in refugee camps and have lived in terrible conditions; in complete insanity and hunger. The Palestinians have many aims which they hope to fulfil:
* Control over their own lives - The Palestinians have somewhat lost all control over their lives in every sense. They are controlled by the Israelis through checkpoints, work, daily life and even in their own homes.
* All Palestinian land to be recovered - The Palestinians on a number of occasions has lost land gradually to the Israelis; through wars and constant violence. Now they want to recover the land that they once had. This is a long term cause as if this land was to be recovered it would solve all the problems for the Palestine. Therefore in my opinion this is one of the most important reasons as the Palestinians are carrying out acts of terrorism.
* Work freedom - The Palestinians all want to have the opportunity to work to feed themselves and their families. They want to be able to work with freedom.
* End violence - The people of Palestine have suffered heavily over the past 50 years. They have been bruised and battered by the Israelis. Thousands have died and the conflict still continues. The Palestinians do not want any more violence from the Israelis and want a complete stop to all of it. This is a trigger cause as families are losing many people and this is a trigger cause as they will react to this.
* Troops withdraw - The Israeli troops have been in Palestine for many decades. They have controlled the lives of the Palestinian people and have killed thousands of Palestinians. They want all of the Israeli troops out of Palestine before any more violence occurs.
* Airport reopening - The Gaza airport was the only airport in the whole of Palestine. When it was shut down, it meant that nobody could travel our of Palestine. The strict border control also stopped people travelling by car. The people of Palestine want the Gaza airport reopened to enable them to travel around the world.
* Jewish settlements - Illegal Jewish settlements have grown over the years in Palestinian land. Jews have populated in many areas of the Palestinian land. They want all of these settlements rid of so they can have a peaceful life.
Looking at all the reasons for the Palestinians reasons for terrorism. Some are very important and some are irrelevant. One of the least relevant reasons for the Palestinians acts of terrorism is the idea that it was their land 2000 years ago. Although it could be said, why have the Palestinians not kept this land till present? This reason really cannot be accepted as we cannot rely on the past. One of the strongest reasons for the Palestinians to carry out acts of terrorism is the treatment of the Palestinians over the past years. This is because of the extremely and unjustly and somewhat horrific treatment that they have had to endure. It is fair that the Palestinians are carrying out acts of terrorism against the Israelis. Looking from a neutral point of view it is fair to say that anybody would retaliate by taking these actions against the restrictions and awful life that they have had to suffer. Another very string reason from the point of the Palestinians is the three treaties which have failed. The treaties which were put to together were all broken by the Israelis and so, proves the Israelis lack of understanding and humanity. It shows how the Palestinians had made efforts for peace but the Israleis did not want this. So it was only right that the Palestinians were to carry out acts of terrorism.