Transcript The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Promises: The
Palestinian-Israeli
Conflict
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Who is Involved?
1. Who are the two groups of people involved?
2. What religion does each group follow?
3. What area(s) of the world is this conflict going on
in?
4. Why is Jerusalem so important to both Sides?
Who is involved?
Arab Muslims who settled in what they called
Palestine, from where they believe that Muhammad
ascended to heaven.
Jewish Israelis from around the world who
settled in the region they believe to be, “The
Promised Land” due to their agreement with God.
Where is this all happening?
Why is Jerusalem so important?
1. Both groups consider Jerusalem a Holy Site.
Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the
Rock
• Al Aqsa Mosque means farthest mosque (from Mecca)
• Also called Al-Haram ash-Sharif or Noble Sanctuary
• Muhammad ascended to heaven from there in 621AD
Western Wall – Wailing wall
• Remains of ancient temple nearest to the original holiest sites
• Located in Temple Mount or Mount of Olives
• Jews go there to pray and mourn
What started the conflict?
 After WWI and WWII, there were many Jews
and Muslims living in the area.
 Both groups wanted the area to become a state
for them to call home.
 Great Britain made promises to both groups
regarding the area.
Hussein-McMahon Letters, 1915
....Britain is prepared to
recognize and uphold the
independence of the Arabs
in all regions lying within
the frontiers proposed by
the Sharif of Mecca....
Hussein ibn Ali,
Sharif of Mecca
British Promise to the Jews: Balfour
Declaration, 1917
His Majesty’s Government views
with favor the establishment in
Palestine of a national home for the
Jewish people and will use their best
endeavors to facilitate the
achievement of this object, it being
clearly understood that nothing shall
be done which may prejudice the
civil and religious rights of existing
non-Jewish communities in
Palestine…
Sir Arthur James Balfour
Br. Foreign Secretary
British White Paper of 1939
 Limited Jewish
immigration to
Palestine to 75,000 over
the next five years.
 It ended Jewish land
purchases.
 Independence for
Palestine within 10 years.
 It is NOT British policy
that Palestine become a
Jewish state.
The Holocaust
8. Write down three facts you know, or think you know about the Holocaust.
•
During World War Two, Adolf Hitler Led the Nazi Party and Germany;
conducted the systematic extermination of approx. 6 mil . Jews
•
Following WWII, The United Nations believed that Jews needed a place
to exist freely without fear of persecution or anti-Semitic actions.
Palestine
Population in
1946 – After
WWII
Great Britain Gives Up
• The British can not make both groups
happy, and essentially give up. They turn
the region over to the newly formed
United Nations to figure out.
• The United Nations decides to divide the
land up between the two groups making 2
separate states loosely based on currently
populated areas.
United Nations Partition Plan of 1947
UN Plan Fails
The Jews, who had nothing to lose, and
everything to gain by getting a state of
their own, accepted the plan
immediately.
The Muslims (Palestinians), who were
seeming to lose half the land that they
considered theirs, rejected the plan.
Israel Becomes a Nation:
May 14, 1948
Chaim Weizmann,
1st President
David Ben-Gurion,
1st Prime Minister
War Begins!:
May 15, 1948
What Exactly is Israel?
Nation State founded in 1948 by the United Nations
Day after nation was founded, invaded by surrounding Arab/Islamic
nations (Jordan, Syria, Egypt, etc.)
These neighboring countries were showing support for Palestinian
(Islamic) Arabs who did not have a country to call their own
Several wars have occurred; Israel won and conquered more land in
each. Palestinians were pushed off their land and into refugee camps in
other parts of the area and in other countries.
Israel has signed treaties with Egypt and Jordan, however total peace still
does not exist.
The Occupation
Israel now controls all of this area, and Palestinians live in certain
designated areas mainly in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, that started as
refugee camps
Israel does not allow the Palestinians the rights of citizens of Israel
Palestinians live in crowded conditions with few opportunities.
Unemployment is extremely high, and travel in and out of Israel is
limited
This leads to resentment against the Israelis
Checkpoints
“Checkpoints are situated at all crossings between the
West Bank and Gaza and Israel. West Bank
Palestinians cannot leave the West Bank, travel to
Jerusalem or even cross from one Palestinian area
to another without a permit issued by the Israeli
military. For Palestinians, checkpoints are a daily
reminder of the occupation. Most Israelis feel that
checkpoints make life in Israel safer — that they offer
some form of protection from acts of terrorism.”
Intifada – “shaking off” or uprising
1st Intifada – December 1987 – many Palestinians
were injured or killed
2nd Intifada – September 2000 – prompted by failed
Peace Process
Palestinian Suicide bomb attacks on Israeli civilians
have increased since Intifadas
Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO)
• Created in 1964: goal was to create an Independent Palestinian
country
• Known for launching attacks and creating warfare against Israel
• Used to be regarded as a terrorist group by Israel and the United
States
Hamas – Islamic Resistance Movement
• Thought of as a terrorist organization by
many
• Goal was elimination of State of Israel and
creation of an Islamic Palestine State in its
place
• Also provide social services and economic
assistance to Palestinians
• Now responsible for governing the
Palestinian Territories in Gaza and West
Bank
Promises
What Is It?
•
Stories of children living in Israel, from both sides of the Arab Israeli
conflict
•
Journey of filmmaker B.Z. Goldberg
•
Travels to a Palestinian refugee camp, to an Israeli settlement in the West
Bank and Jerusalem.
•
During trip, he meets and interviews seven Palestinian and Israeli children
•
Promises is the story of what the conflict means to these children from very
different situations
Two Worlds
 Even though the children only live 20 minutes apart, they
exist in completely different worlds: physical, historical and
emotional differences between them are deep.
 Promises will explore where these differences came from,
and tells the story of several children who dared to cross these
lines and meet their neighbors.
The Children: Yarko & Daniel
 Secular (non-religious) Jewish Israeli twin boys living
in Jerusalem.
The Children: Mahmoud
 Well-to-do Palestinian Muslim
 Lives legally as an Israeli citizen in East Jerusalem
 Israeli Arabs are citizens and have more rights (inc. vote)
than non-citizens, but are not really treated as complete equals
The Children: Shlomo
 Ultra-Orthodox Jewish boy living in the Old
City of Jerusalem
 Studying to be a rabbi – son of Americans
The Children: Faraj
 Palestinian Muslim refugee boy living in
Deheishe refugee camp
The Children: Sanabel
 Palestinian Muslim refugee girl living in
Deheishe refugee camp.
The Children: Moishe & Raheli
 Brother and sister who live in the Beit-El
Settlement in the West Bank