Attempts at a solution

Question 1

What caused Arafat to change tactics in 1988 and Renounce Terrorism

Answer 1

-They were in Tunis, too far to control what was going on in Palestine

-Leadership of Palestinians overshadowed by UNLU and (new) Hamas and Islamic Jihad and so Arafat had to take back the spotlight

-After 30years of trying, Arafat realises Israel is too strong to take down by force, the Ordinary Palestinians needed peace

-Hussein renounces Jordan’s claim to the West Bank - this meant it could be proposed as heart of new Palestinian state

-Time was right - arafat could use international sympathy for Palestinians

Question 2

What was the Hamas

Answer 2

Palestinian Islamic militant group set up during the intifada 1987 with the aim to destroy Israel and set up an Islamic state. Used violent methods such as suicide bombings.

Question 3

What was Islamic Jihad

Answer 3

Palestinian Islamic militant group set up in 1981 with same aims as Hamas

Question 4

Arafats two important announcements November/December 1988

Answer 4

November: “PLO recognises Israel” and adopts two state solution

December: (with USA insistence) Arafat makes UN speech renouncing terrorism and asked Israel to withdraw from occupied territories and negotiate peace

Question 5

Positive impact of Arafats Speech 1988

Answer 5

US agreed to open negotiations with PLO

US pressured Israel to join negotiations

Question 6

Negative impact of Arafats speech 1988

Answer 6

To Israel, PLO was still a terrorist organisation and a two state solution was unacceptable

Hamas and Islamic Jihad saw this as complete betrayal of their objective to destroy Israel

Question 7

When was the Gulf War

Answer 7

1991

Question 8

What was the Gulf war 1991

Answer 8

Iraq invades and occupies oil-rick Kuwait to pay debts after war with Iran. This was condemned world wide and a UN approved US coalition of 34 countries (Saudi, UAE, Egypt, Syrian) launched “Operation Desert Storm” and drove Iraqis from Kuwait.

Question 9

Why did the Gulf War 1991 effect the Israel-Palestinian deadlock (israel refused to negotiate with Palestine for 3 years prior)

Answer 9

-First time Arabs openly co-operated with the USA. This meant USA was no longer seen with hostility (putting it in a stronger position to be a peace-broker)
>originally Arabs wanted to solve it by themselves but offers of US aid and withdrawal of aid led to agreement

-Israel reputation improved when it did not retaliate to missile attacks from Iraq destroying over 4000 homes. So Arabs did not swap sides to go against Israel

-Arafat’s reputation destroyed because he supported Hussein. Funding from other Arab states retracted and He would have to settle for less in the agreement now. 200,000 Palestinians removed from Kuwait after war

Question 10

When did the Cold War end and why

Answer 10

1991 as USSR dissolved

Question 11

How did the end of the Cold war 1991 affect the Middle East?

Answer 11

-PLO lost main source of finance and arms (USSR) so bargaining position weakened.

-200,000 Soviet Jews forced to move to Israel. Settlements began being built for Jews in West Bank. If more and more Jews moved in, it would be harder to negotiate it to return to Palestine.
>Also, Palestinians working in Israel (1/3 of all Palestinians) would no longer be needed.
>Arafat had to reach an agreement as soon as possible ,even if less favourable

-US was only superpower so could now pressure Israel to negotiate with PLO by withholding financial aid.
>Due to Soviet Jew influx, Israel needed this money more than ever so agreed

Question 12

How did the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991 go? (conference sponsored by USA AND USSR)

Answer 12

Failed at first hurdle
Israel refused to talk to Palestinians outside of West Bank and Gaza(excluding the PLO).
Lebanon and Syria refuse to talk to Israel unless they change this

In the end, nothing changed

Question 13

What 3 events finally broke the deadlock between Israel-Palestine

Answer 13

1992: Arafat survives plane crash and revived his image as a strong Palestinian leader which put him in a stronger position for negotiation

1992: New Israeli President 1992 Rabin was prepared to compromise with PLO to stop intifada

1993: Hamas suicide bombing in Israel showed Rabin Arafat was moderate and could be negotiated with

Question 14

When were the Oslo Accords

Answer 14

1993

Question 15

What did the 1993 Oslo Accords outline?

Answer 15

-Israel accepts PLO as representative of Palestinians. Arafat could return from Tunis

-PLO renounced violence and accepted Israels right to exist

-Palestinian National Authority set up which would be democratically elected by Palestinians in West Bank/Gaza and responsible for internal affairs in Palestine

-Over next 5 years, Israel would withdraw from West Bank and give authority to these regions to PNA

-Negotiations on difficult issues like borders and Jerusalem would be held

-In 5 years a permanent peace agreement would be signed

Question 16

Success of Oslo Accords 1933

Answer 16

Palestinians would get land and chance to rebuild economy

Israel would get peace and security from terrorist attacks

After signing the accords in Washington 1993 they were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Question 17

When and why Israel-Jordan Peace treaty

Answer 17

1994
USA promised to ignore Jordan’s debts if they recognised Israel’s right to exist

Question 18

When were the Oslo II Accords and why

Answer 18

1995. Original oslo accords not specific which parts of West Bank would go under PNA control

Question 19

What were the three Areas the West Bank was split in to in Oslo II accords 1995

Answer 19

Area A: (3% of wb) Controlled totally by PNA. No Israelis may enter and PNA prevent terrorist attacks to Israel from here.

Area B: (25% of wb)joint Palestinian civil control and Israeli military control. Israel would withdraw when security issues resolved

Area C:(rest of wb) controlled by Israel. Parts of this area would eventually go to PNA. 110,000 Jewish settlers here

Question 20

Issues with Oslo II Accords 1995

Answer 20

Area C contained most of the natural resources of the west bank.
It would be hard to move between Area A and B
Moderate Palestinians rejected that so much of West Bank still in Israeli hands.
PFLP, Hamas, Islamic Jihad still refused to accept anything but total destruction of Israel.

Israeli settlers objected to giving up the “Promised Land” and saw Rabin as a traitor. He was assassinated 2 months after accords. Hundreds of thousands attended his funeral including world leaders

Question 21

Impact of Oslo Accords

Answer 21

5 years of peace would enable more difficult negotiations to be made confidently.

Arafat becomes president of Palestine 1996

However sides could not trust eachother that they truly were fulfilling their promises and the Oslo Accords were broken

However both sides did recognise eachothers right to exist