The Palestinian issue is one of the most difficult issues for the world community. It arose in 1947 and formed the basis of the Middle East conflict, the development of which is still observed.
A Brief History of Palestine
The origins of the Palestinian problem should be sought in antiquity. Then this territory was the scene of a sharp struggle between Mesopotamia, Egypt and Phenicia. Under King David, a strong Jewish state was created with a center in Jerusalem. But already in the II century. BC e. the Romans invaded here. They plundered the state and gave it a new name - Palestine. As a result, the Jewish population of the country was forced to migrate, and soon settled in different territories and mixed with Christians.
In the VII century. Palestine was subjected to the Arab conquest. Their dominance in this territory lasted almost 1000 years. In the second half of the XIII - beginning of the XVI century. Palestine was a province of Egypt ruled by the Mamluk dynasty at that time. After that, the territory became part of the Ottoman Empire. By the end of the XIX century. An area with a center in Jerusalem stands out, which was directly managed by Istanbul.
Establishment of a British Mandate
The emergence of the Palestinian problem is associated with the policy of England, so you should consider the history of the establishment of the British mandate in this territory.
During the First World War, the Balfour Declaration was issued. In accordance with it, Great Britain favored the creation of a national home for Jews in Palestine. After that, a legion of Zionist volunteers was sent to conquer the country.
In 1922, the League of Nations granted England a mandate to rule Palestine. It entered into force in 1923.
In the period from 1919 to 1923, about 35 thousand Jews migrated to Palestine, and 82 thousand migrated from 1924 to 1929.
The situation in Palestine during the period of the British mandate
During the British mandate, Jewish and Arab communities pursued independent domestic politics. In 1920, Hagana (the structure responsible for Jewish self-defense) was formed. Immigrants in Palestine built housing and roads, developed the economic and social infrastructure they created . This led to the discontent of the Arabs, which resulted in Jewish pogroms. It was at this time (from 1929) that the Palestinian problem began to arise. The British authorities in this situation supported the Jewish population. However, pogroms led to the need to limit their relocation to Palestine, as well as the purchase of land here. Authorities even published the so-called Passfield White Paper. It significantly limited the relocation of Jews to Palestinian lands.
The situation in Palestine on the eve of World War II
After Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, hundreds of thousands of Jews immigrated to Palestine. In this regard, the royal commission proposed to divide the mandated territory of the country into two parts. So, Jewish and Arab states must be created. It was assumed that both parts of the former Palestine would be bound by contractual obligations with England. The Jews supported this proposal , but the Arabs opposed it. They demanded the formation of a single state, guaranteeing the equality of all national groups.
In the years 1937-1938. the war between Jews and Arabs took place. After its completion (in 1939), the British authorities developed the MacDonald White Paper. It contained a proposal to create a single state in 10 years, where both Arabs and Jews will take part in the administration. Zionists condemned MacDonald's White Paper. On the day of its publication, Jewish demonstrations took place; Haganah militants carried out pogroms of the most important strategic sites.
World War II period
After the coming to power of W. Churchill, the militants of the Haganah actively participated on the British side in the hostilities in Syria. After the threat of the invasion of Nazi troops on Palestinian territory disappeared, Irgun (an underground terrorist organization) rose in rebellion against England. At the end of the war, Britain restricted the entry of Jews into the country. In this regard, Hagana merged with Irgun. They created a movement of "Jewish resistance." Members of these organizations smashed strategic targets and attempted assassination of representatives of the colonial administration. In 1946, militants blew up all the bridges that connected Palestine with neighboring states.
Creation of the State of Israel. The emergence of the Palestinian problem
In 1947, the UN submitted a plan for partitioning Palestine, as Britain said it could not control the situation in the country. A commission was formed from 11 states. By decision of the UN General Assembly, after May 1, 1948, when the British mandate expires, Palestine should be divided into two states (Jewish and Arab). At the same time, Jerusalem must be under international control. This UN plan was adopted by a majority vote.
On May 14, 1948, the creation of an independent state of Israel was proclaimed. Exactly one hour before the end of the British mandate in Palestine, D. Ben-Gurion published the text of the “Declaration of Independence”.
Thus, despite the fact that the preconditions for this conflict were outlined earlier, the emergence of the Palestinian problem is associated with the creation of the state of Israel.
The war of 1948-1949
The day after the announcement of the decision to create Israel, troops from Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and Transjordan invaded its territory. The purpose of these Arab countries was the destruction of the newly formed state. The Palestinian problem has worsened due to new circumstances. In May 1948, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was created. It should be noted that the new state was supported by the United States. Thanks to this, in June 1948, Israel launched a counterattack. The hostilities ended only in 1949. During the war, West Jerusalem and a significant part of the Arab territories came under Israeli control.
Suez Campaign 1956
After the first war, the problem of establishing Palestinian statehood and the recognition by the Arabs of the independence of Israel did not disappear, but became even worse.
In 1956, Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. France and Great Britain began preparations for the operation, in which Israel was to act as the main striking force. Military operations began in October 1956 on the Sinai Peninsula. By the end of November, Israel controlled almost its entire territory (including Sharm el-Sheikh and the Gaza Strip). This situation caused discontent of the USSR and the USA. By the beginning of 1957, the troops of England and Israel were withdrawn from this region.
In 1964, the President of Egypt initiated the creation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Her program document stated that dividing Palestine into parts was illegal. In addition, the PLO did not recognize the state of Israel.
Six day war
On June 5, 1967, three Arab countries (Egypt, Jordan and Syria) brought their troops to the Israeli borders, blocked the paths to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The armed forces of these states had a significant advantage. On the same day, Israel launched Operation Moked and sent troops into Egypt. In a matter of days (from June 5 to 10), the entire Sinai Peninsula, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the Golan Heights were under Israeli control. It should be noted that Syria and Egypt accused Britain and the United States of participating in hostilities on the side of Israel. However, this assumption was refuted.
Doomsday War
The Israeli-Palestinian problem worsened after the six-day war. Egypt has repeatedly attempted to regain control of the Sinai Peninsula.
In 1973, a new war began. On the sixth of October (Judgment Day in the Jewish calendar), Egypt sent troops to the Sinai, and the Syrian army occupied the Golan Heights. The IDF was able to quickly repel the attack and expel Arab units from these territories. The peace agreement was signed on October 23 (the United States and the USSR acted as mediators in the negotiations).
In 1979, a new treaty was signed between Israel and Egypt. The Gaza Strip remained under the control of the Jewish state, while Sinai returned to its former owner.
“Peace for Galilee”
The main objective of Israel in this war was the elimination of the PLO. By 1982, the PLO support base had been established in South Lebanon. From its territory, shelling of Galilee was constantly conducted. On June 3, 1982, terrorists attempted the assassination of the Israeli ambassador in London.
On June 5, the IDF carried out a successful operation, during which the Arab units were defeated. Israel triumphed in the war, but the Palestinian problem has become much more acute. This was caused by the deterioration of the position of the Jewish state in the international arena.
The search for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in 1991
The Palestinian issue in international relations played a significant role. She touched the interests of many states, including Great Britain, France, the USSR, the USA and others.
In 1991, the Madrid Conference was held to resolve the Middle East conflict. Its organizers were the USA and the USSR. Their efforts were aimed at ensuring that the Arab countries (parties to the conflict) make peace with the Jewish state.
Understanding the essence of the Palestinian problem, the United States and the USSR proposed Israel liberate the occupied territories. They advocated for the legitimate rights of the people of Palestine and security for the Jewish state. For the first time, all parties to the Middle East conflict participated in the Madrid Conference. In addition, a formula for future negotiations was worked out here: "peace in exchange for territory."
Negotiations in Oslo
The next attempt to resolve the conflict was the secret negotiations between the delegations of Israel and the PLO, held in August 1993 in Oslo. The mediator in them was the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Israel and the PLO announced recognition of each other. In addition, the latter undertook to eliminate the paragraph of the charter requiring the destruction of the Jewish state. The talks culminated in the signing of a Declaration of Principles in Washington. The document provided for the introduction of self-government in the Gaza Strip for a period of 5 years.
In general, the Oslo negotiations did not bring significant results. Palestine’s independence was not declared, refugees could not return to their original territories, the status of Jerusalem was not determined.
Palestinian issue at the present stage
Since the beginning of the 2000s, the international community has repeatedly made attempts to resolve the Palestinian problem. In 2003, a three-stage roadmap was developed. He envisioned a final and full-fledged settlement of the Middle East conflict by 2005. To do this, it was planned to create a viable democratic state - Palestine. This project was approved by both parties to the conflict and still retains the status of the only officially valid plan for the peaceful regulation of the Palestinian problem.
However, to this day this region is one of the most "explosive" in the world. The problem not only remains unsolved, but also periodically worsens significantly.