Conflict in the Middle East: 3.2 Flashcards
The Palestinian issue
1
Q
Why did Soviet support of Egypt weaken drastically after 1972 ?
A
Sadat’s expulsion of Soviet military advisors in hopes to please the USA (Cold War) and pressure Israel to negotiate for the return of Sinai
2
Q
Give a timeline of events from 1970-1993 relating to (tensions between) Israel, Palestine and Lebanon (no details necessary)
A
- 1970-71
[] PLO moved from Jordan to (south) Lebanon
[] south Lebanon known as Fatahland
[] harsh Israeli reprisals for PLO attacks - November 1974
[] Arafat’s speech to the UN
[] PLO given UN observer status - 1975-76
[] Lebanese civil war between Maronite Christian militants and PLO + Lebanese Muslims + Druze
[] Syrian invasion of northern Lebanon - 11 March 1978
[] Coastal Road Massacre by PLO/Fatah militants - 15 March 1978
[] ‘Operation Litani’ launched in response to Coastal Road Massacre - 1979-81
[] PLO bought Soviet long-range weapons
[] Israeli-PLO attacks and reprisals so frequent and large-scale that were effectively at war
[] mid-1981 UN truce - 2 June 1982
[] Palestinians (NOT PLO) attempt on Israeli ambassador’s life in London - 6 June 1982
[] ‘Operation Peace for Galilee’ (invasion of Lebanon) - late August 1982
[] USA, France + Italy supervised evacuation of 11 000 PLO to Tunisia including Arafat
[] 2 weeks after PLO’s expulsion from Lebanon, Israeli Defence Minister Ariel Sharon announced (unfounded) 2000 PLO still in Lebanon
[] Sabra + Shatila Massacres
[] Ariel forced to resign
[] Hezbollah (Lebanese terrorists) formed w/Iranian funds - December 1987
[] Israeli in Gaza stabbed to death
[] IDF van collided w/truck carrying Palestinians, killing four (suspected revenge for the Israeli the previous day)
[] Palestinian killed for stoning of Israeli guard - rioting - start of Palestinian Intifada - 1993
[] Intifada ends
3
Q
Describe the significance + reactions to the PLO gaining observer status and invited to explain to UN Palestinian demands
A
- Palestinians finally given a voice in decisions about their own future
- gave legitimacy to the PLO and established Arafat as the spokesperson of Palestinians
- USA + Israel rejected UN friendliness towards Palestinians in this way entirely
[] viewed as violent terrorists
[] PLO raids on Israel very damaging; if PLO given more power would be catastrophic
[] many PLO didn’t agree with anything less than destruction of Israel; threat to Israel - Arabs rejoiced; Palestinian demands finally taken seriously and work towards peace + justice for Palestinians growing
- Arafat’s speech to the UN was extremely powerful
[] given standing ovation; respect for Palestinians grew
[] positive press for the Palestinians
[] Arafat’s emphasis on wanting peace but resorting to violence only in self-defence made Palestinians like the PLO etc. seem at least slightly more moderate than before, meaning more openness globally to work with and support them
4
Q
Describe the impact of the PLO’s arrival (1970-71) for Palestinian refugee camps in the south
A
- injected hope + purpose into the camps
- organised aid and community for the Palestinian refugees
[] set up youth clubs
[] taught Palestinian songs, history and stories
[] flew Palestinian flags (pride in Palestinian identity)
[] set up health clinics and schools using money donated by other Arab states
[] repaired roads + provided electricity (improved camp conditions) - established military recruitment and training bases in the refugee camps
[] gave Palestinian refugees a way to fight for their rights and getting their country back - hope + purpose given
[] HOWEVER elicited harsh Israeli reprisals whenever attacked
5
Q
Describe the impact of the PLO’s arrival to Lebanon (1970-71) for the Lebanese government
A
- upset the careful political-religious balance of the government, as most Palestinians were Sunni Muslims
[] made non-Sunnis, especially Maronite Christians, feel threatened - government saw PLO as bully, corrupt, arrogant
[] acted as if it owned the south of Lebanon; threat to Lebanese political power in their own country
[] decreased Lebanese support for Palestine in part - PLO activity in south undermined Lebanese efforts to stay out of Arab-Israeli conflict
[] harsh Israeli reprisals on Lebanese soil, anger of Lebanese people being affected
6
Q
Explain how the Lebanese government functioned prior to the arrival of the PLO
A
- society divided by religion (40% population = Maronite Christians, 55% = Muslim (half Shi’ite and half Sunni), 5% = Druze)
- had Maronite President, Druze head of army, Shi’ite speaker of Parliament and Sunni Prime Minister
7
Q
Who were the Phalange in Lebanon ?
A
- Maronite militants
[] heavily armed
[] 10 000 troops
[] much aggression towards Palestinians in Lebanon and Sunnis due to feeling threatened by the upset in religious balance by arrival of mostly Sunni PLO
8
Q
List the key impacts of the Lebanese civil war
A
- 70 000 deaths
- 100 000s lost homes
- a lot of Beirut (capital) destroyed
- Israel funded Maronite Phalange to kill Palestinians
[] Israel shows signs of wanting ethnic cleansing of Palestinians so was less of a threat to its borders; less extreme view = just to scare PLO into submission - Syrian invasion of northern Lebanon in support of the Phalange (40 000 troops)
[] turned tide AGAINST PLO
[] Syria viewed as traitor by Muslim and Arab world
9
Q
Why did Syria support the Israeli-backed Maronite Christians in the Lebanese civil war ?
A
- concern about religious conflict spilling over into Syria
[] had own Christian-Muslim tensions and wanted to avoid unnecessary war - Assad believed he could manipulate the Maronite Christians if they were in charge
[] Syria had seen Lebanon as part of Greater Syria for ages due to Lebanon originally being part of Syria
[] by politically controlling the Lebanese government, could essentially act as if it owned Lebanon again, giving greater stability and economic prosperity to Syria - may have wanted to prevent the PLO from getting too strong so it didn’t destabilise Syria as it had done with Jordan and now Lebanon
10
Q
Describe the events of the Coastal Road Massacre, 11 March 1978
A
- 13 PLO/Fatah militants decided to seize a hotel in Tel Aviv (would’ve threatened Israel severely)
[] wanted to take hostages to force return of Palestinian prisoners of Israel
[] also wanted to slow or even wreck the Egyptian-Israeli peace talks going on at Camp David so maintained Egyptian support in destroying Israel - hijacked bus on main road
[] shot at passing cars on way to Tel Aviv
[] shootout w/Israeli police resulting in 38 Israeli and 9 PLO deaths
11
Q
Describe the key events of ‘Operation Litani’
A
- 26 000 Israeli troops sent into Lebanon
[] aim was to take control of southern Lebanon (where PLO was based) then destroy PLO bases and create a buffer zone to protect the Israeli-Lebanese border - 1100 Palestinian and Lebanese deaths
[] 75 civilians killed by Israeli airstrike during a service in a mosque - BAD PUBLICITY FOR ISRAEL
12
Q
Describe the key events and outcomes of “Operation Peace for Galilee” in June-August 1982
A
- 2 June, Palestinian rejectionists attempted to assassinate the Israeli ambassador in London
[] Israel used as an excuse to launch its invasion into Lebanon and blamed the PLO despite the rejectionists being unaffiliated with the PLO - 6 June, 70 000 troops invaded to continue destruction of PLO bases and setting up of buffer zone from Operation Litani
[] became clear that the Israelis also wanted to evict the PLO entirely and install a pro-Israeli Maronite as the Lebanese president to manipulate into giving Israel support in future conflicts, as well as clamp down on Palestinian resistance to keep Israeli border safe
[] 20 000 Lebanese killed - bad look for Israel publicly and lost worldwide sympathy ESPECIALLY WHEN BRUTAL WEAPONS LIKE WHITE PHOSPHORUS SHELLS WERE USED ON CIVILIANS - late August, PLO evicted (overseen by USA, Italy and France) to Tunisia
[] far away from Israel and the Middle East, meaning Arafat had less influence and power over Palestinian guerrillas as well as having less ability to directly damage Israel via raids and use of long-range Soviet weapons bought in 1979 - Sabra and Shatila massacres also in late August
[] Israeli forces surrounded Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, preventing people from leaving them
[] allowed Phalange militants in to find 2000 PLO supposedly hiding out there (unfounded claim from Defence Minister Ariel Sharon)
[] Israel KNEW the Phalange were angry at Palestinians for the assassination of their leader two days prior, and knew they would take advantage to kill many Palestinians
[] killed 3500 (innocent) Palestinians and brutally tortured many - international condemnation of Israeli brutality
[] turned even moderate Israelis against the war - many protests in Israel including one with 300 000 protesters
[] Israeli gov. set up commission to investigate Sabra and Shatila massacres, concluding that Sharon was guilty indirectly for the deaths; forced to resign - Israeli brutality created new Lebanese enemy; Hezbollah (funded by Iran)
- ended PLO attacks on Israel due to eviction to Tunisia, so success in terms of Israeli national border security and less damage done to Israeli soil (economic recovery)
13
Q
Describe Hezbollah’s aims
A
- force Israel to leave Lebanon
- post 1985, still waged guerrilla war on Israel because still occupied a strip of Lebanon
14
Q
Describe conditions for Palestinians in the occupied territories (West Bank and Gaza in particular) and how they contributed to long term causes of the Palestinian Intifada
A
- crowded
- unhygienic (1988 Jabalya camp overflowed with raw sewage)
- Palestinians working in Israel forced to do unskilled labour even if educated
- had to pay Israeli taxes despite not being treated with respect and having no voters’ rights
- under military occupation
[] PLO suspects were intimidated
[] beatings and random detentions w/o trial for suspected “threats” common
[] sudden house searches and land confiscation - Palestinian fear that Israel wanted to completely evict them to make space for Jewish settlers
15
Q
Describe the key events and features of the Palestinian Intifada (1987-93)
A
- Gaza, rioting at the funerals of Palestinians killed by a collision with an IDF truck
[] rioting increased when another Palestinian was killed 3 days later and spread to the West Bank - the beginning of the Intifada:
[] leaderless
[] spontaneous riots
[] violently rebellious - later in the Intifada:
[] UNLU (United National Leadership of the Uprising) formed to give structure to the Intifada - UNPOPULAR WITH ARAFAT AS TOOK SPOTLIGHT AWAY FROM HIM AND THE PLO IN TERMS OF POWER AS PALESTINIAN SPOKESPERSON
[] boycotts and strikes organised by UNLU
[] UNLU set up medical care, food, schools and so on for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza
[] allowed the Palestinians to feel united - Israel introduced the “Iron Fist” policy in response to the Intifada’s development
[] reservist IDF troops called up and security via military increased (made Israel seem more militant and brutal in media)
[] many schools closed down
[] curfews + media censorship imposed
[] thousands arrested and suspected ringleaders detained w/houses destroyed
[] arms and fingers of child stone throwers broken
[] hostile crowds dispersed with tear gas, rubber bullets and sometimes live ammunition - Iron Fist policy made worldwide sympathy go to Palestinians, as images of the IDF attacking child protesters portrayed Israel’s over-brutality and cruelty in oppressing Palestinians in the occupied territories; made people opposed to Israel military occupation
16
Q
Describe the impacts of the Intifada for Palestinians
A
- around 2082 Palestinian deaths
[] around 1200 killed by Israelis, a quarter of which were under 16 years old
[] 882 killed by fellow Palestinians as a result of being accused of being Israeli allies
[] SHOWS RISE IN PALESTINIAN REJECTIONISM OF ISRAEL AND EVERYTHING IT STOOD FOR; VIOLENCE AND INFIGHTING COULD BE USED AS PROPAGANDA AGAINST PALESTINIANS AS VIOLENT TERRORISTS BY ZIONISTS AND ISRAELI MEDIA - ordinary life more difficult and unpredictable for Palestinians
- economies of occupied territories seriously damaged
[] Israeli businesses collapsed due to Palestinian strikes, boycotts as well as the curfews imposed
[] olive groves destroyed and agriculture collapsed
[] trade fell by 80% from the occupied territories + unemployment rose to 50%; DAMAGED ISRAEL ECONOMICALLY AND MADE THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES EXPENSIVE FOR ISRAEL TO KEEP, SIMILARLY TO THE EFFECTS OF THE JEWISH INSURGENCY ON THE BRITISH MANDATE - Palestinians felt a sense of empowerment that they hadn’t before due to unity in purpose and direction rather than many divided guerrilla groups, rejectionists and PLO
- PLO LOST POWER AND INFLUENCE WHEN UNLU WAS FOUNDED AND ARAFAT WAS NOT FOND OF THE INTIFADA BECAUSE IT TOOK AWAY HIS SPOTLIGHT AND IMPORTANCE AS A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE PALESTINIANS
17
Q
Describe the impacts of the Intifada for Israelis
A
- 160 deaths (100 were civilians)
- economy suffered GREATLY
[] tourism industry completely collapsed as well
[] security costs soared - Israeli society became divided over opinions on Palestinians
[] some shocked by the abject cruelty of their government and wanted better rights and peace for Palestinians
[] others wanted even stronger measures from IDF to stop disorder and protect Jewish settlers; viewed the Palestinians as violent terrorists rather than people trying to defend their own rights
18
Q
Describe the consequences and significance of the Intifada regarding international opinion
A
- Israel’s reputation suffered GREATLY
[] faced international condemnation, especially from the USA (threat, as relied on US aid and needed to keep US happy)
[] UN condemned Iron Fist - widespread sympathy for Palestinians
[] placed pressure on world leaders to find a solution that helped them - PLO changed its policy in response
[] Arafat proposed a two-state solution if Israel granted Palestinians independence and peace; change from previous ambition to destroy Israel
[] done because Arafat saw that peace more than an unlikely freedom fighter’s dream would help ordinary Palestinians to regroup, rebuild and survive
[] faced a lot of opposition from Palestinian rejectionists and Arafat became unpopular amongst Palestinians (however grew in popularity amongst the West and globally due to growing peacefulness)
