Face-off: two old enemies, Ariel Sharon and Yasir Arafat, symbolize the reasons why it is so difficult for the Israelis and the Palestinians to make peace--and why so many on both sides see the use of force as the only hope of achieving their ends. (News Analysis)(Cover Story).News Analysis Jerusalem--Ariel Sharon was 14 when he joined the underground Jewish army, and he fought in the Arab-Israeli war that started the day after the creation of the Jewish state. Yasir Arafat was smuggling smuggling, illegal transport across state or national boundaries of goods or persons liable to customs or to prohibition. Smuggling has been carried on in nearly all nations and has occasionally been adopted as an instrument of national policy, as by Great Britain arms to Palestinians by 17, in an attempt to destroy the new nation that displaced so many of his people. Enemies from the beginning, Sharon and Arafat--now the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians--in many ways represent the history of their respective struggles, and the reasons why it has been so difficult for the two sides to make peace and share the land where they live. Some experts believe the two sides could already be drawing a border between Israel and a separate state of Palestine in a way that would be fair to both. The problem is how to get there through the deep-rooted ambitions, distrust, and grievances both sides hold. WORST BLOODSHED IN THEIR HISTORY In the last two years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time Israelis and Palestinians came closer than they had ever been to making peace--only to descend into the worst bloodshed in their long and complicated history. The fighting became especially brutal in March and April, when Sharon, infuriated in·fu·ri·ate tr.v. in·fu·ri·at·ed, in·fu·ri·at·ing, in·fu·ri·ates To make furious; enrage. adj. Archaic Furious. by Palestinian suicide bombings that were killing many Israelis, ordered tanks and soldiers to invade Palestinian cities and towns, to uproot the "infrastructure of terrorism." But the civilian cost was enormous in lives, property, and anguish. The current crisis is a sharp contrast to the hopes raised in 1993, when Yitzhak Rabin, then Prime Minister of Israel, signed a historic land-for-peace deal with Arafat. Under the agreement, which came to be known as the Oslo accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles (DOP , for the Norwegian city where they were negotiated, Israel accepted in principle the creation of a Palestinian state The Palestinian state (Arabic (دولة فلسطين) is a proposed country. The proposed location includes the Gaza Strip and the autonomously controlled areas of the West Bank, currently controlled by the Palestinian National in return for Palestinian recognition of the state of Israel, and a pledge by Arafat to stop violent action against it. The agreement laid out a process of several stages, starting with Palestinian self-rule in major towns and villages, and ending with a full peace settlement. But a Jewish extremist assassinated as·sas·si·nate tr.v. as·sas·si·nat·ed, as·sas·si·nat·ing, as·sas·si·nates 1. To murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons. 2. Rabin in 1995. Under the subsequent government, the Oslo process became mired mire n. 1. An area of wet, soggy, muddy ground; a bog. 2. Deep slimy soil or mud. 3. A disadvantageous or difficult condition or situation: the mire of poverty. v. in bickering bick·er intr.v. bick·ered, bick·er·ing, bick·ers 1. To engage in a petty, bad-tempered quarrel; squabble. See Synonyms at argue. 2. and outbreaks of violence until 1999, when Israelis elected Ehud Barak, a close associate of Rabin, as Prime Minister. In August 2000, President Bill Clinton brought Barak and Arafat to Camp David Camp David, U.S. presidential retreat, located in Catoctin Mountain Park (see National Parks and Monuments, table), in NW Md. The Camp David accords, the terms of a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, were established (1978) at this site; other negotiations and , in the mountains of Maryland, to revive the talks. Barak offered concessions on key issues--the borders between Israel and the proposed nation of Palestine, the division of Jerusalem (claimed by both sides as their capital), and the fate of Palestinian refugees who seek to return to their former homes in Israel. Arafat turned them down. A month later, Sharon, then a member of Israel's parliament, made a provocative visit to a sacred site in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount, and to Muslims as Haram For the municipality of Haram, see . For the technical Islamic legal meaning, see . The Arabic term ḥaram has a meaning of "sanctuary" or "holy site" in Islam. al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary). The base of the plateau is Judaism's holiest site of worship, the remains of Solomon's Temple Solomon's Temple (Hebrew: בית המקדש, transliterated Beit HaMikdash), also known as the First Temple, was, according to the Bible, the first Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. . The summit of the mount is the third-holiest site in Islam, revered as the place from which the Prophet Muhammad dreamed of ascending to heaven. Sharon entered the walled-in summit with 1,000 security guards, enraging the Palestinians. Reports at the time said the visit was intended to build Sharon's standing among conservative Israelis. But he could have had no doubt that it would generate fierce and probably violent protests, setting back continuing efforts to negotiate a peace settlement. Several Palestinian protesters were killed in clashes with Israeli security forces For the purposes of Wikipedia, the ambiguous term Israeli Security Forces is used to describe a group of organizations which are charged with the preservation of Israel's territory and civilian public. , prompting further protests in the West Bank and Gaza Strip For the West Bank and Gaza Strip please see one of the following:
The Israelis turned to Sharon because he had a reputation as a tough, uncompromising general and politician. He had condemned the Oslo accords as dangerous, and had never ceased regarding Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), coordinating council for Palestinian organizations, founded (1964) by Egypt and the Arab League and initially controlled by Egypt. as terrorists. Sharon is a member of the generation of Israelis who fought for much of their lives for the very existence of Israel. Born in Palestine in 1928, he took part in all of Israel's wars, developing a reputation for ruthlessness. In 1982, as defense minister, Sharon ordered an invasion of Lebanon in an attempt to drive out Palestinian guerrillas. During that campaign, hundreds of Palestinians were massacred by Lebanese militiamen in two refugee camps. An Israeli investigation later held Sharon indirectly responsible for the killings. As a leader in subsequent Israeli governments, Sharon was instrumental in building Jewish settlements on Israeli-occupied Arab lands. These settlements became a central source of Palestinian grievances against Israel. So when Sharon came to office, there was little doubt of his attitude toward Arafat and the Palestinians. Arafat is also a veteran and a survivor. Born in 1929, probably in Cairo, he spent his university years in political activities. He helped found Al Fatah Al Fatah: see Arafat, Yasir; Palestine Liberation Organization. , an underground guerrilla network, which eventually became the largest group in the PLO PLO abbr. Palestine Liberation Organization PLO Palestine Liberation Organization Noun 1. PLO . Year after year, the PLO launched bloody attacks against Israel, and Arafat gained a reputation as a ruthless terrorist. As head of the PLO, Arafat became the leader of the Palestinian national movement and a symbol of the Palestinian struggle. In 1996, Arafat was overwhelmingly elected chairman of the Palestinian Authority Palestinian Authority (PA) or Palestinian National Authority, interim self-government body responsible for areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip under Palestinian control. , which administers Palestinian-controlled portions of the Gaza Strip Gaza Strip (gäz`ə), (2003 est. pop. 1,330,000) rectangular coastal area, c.140 sq mi (370 sq km), SW Asia, on the Mediterranean Sea adjoining Egypt and Israel, in what was formerly SW Palestine. and the West Bank. OLD ENEMIES REVERTING TO OLD WAYS With the resumption in fighting, each man reverted to his old ways. Sharon made no secret of his hatred, declaring Arafat an "enemy," blaming him for all the terror attacks against Israel, and sealing him up for weeks in his Ramallah office. Arafat became the guerrilla, allowing militant groups to launch devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. suicide bombings against Israel, and posing proudly in his darkened dark·en v. dark·ened, dark·en·ing, dark·ens v.tr. 1. a. To make dark or darker. b. To give a darker hue to. 2. To fill with sadness; make gloomy. 3. office with an automatic pistol. Although most Israelis and Palestinians would insist they want peace, the mutual distrust and hatred is so high, and the grievances so many, that neither side seems capable of breaking the cycle of violence. Many Israelis fear that the Palestinians will never stop attacking them, and that only force can protect them. And the Palestinians, after the vicious attacks on their territory, are determined to continue their uprising, believing that only violence brings them closer to their goal of ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a Palestinian state. But both Israelis and Palestinians have broken out of the cycle before, when Prime Minister Rabin shook hands with Arafat in 1993. At some point, the two sides may again realize that they cannot achieve their ends through force and finally find a way to coexist. And if Sharon and Arafat are still in charge, they may finally cap their careers as warriors and politicians with the wreath of victors. GEOGRAPHY OF CONFLICT In its 1948 war of independence, Israel captured some of the land designated for an Arab state (top). In 1967 (above), Israel captured the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula Sinai Peninsula Peninsula, northeastern Egypt. Located between the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba at the northern end of the Red Sea, it covers some 23,500 sq mi (61,000 sq km). from Egypt, the West Bank from Jordan, and Syria's Golan Heights Golan Heights, strategic upland region (2003 est. pop. 10,500), c.500 sq mi (1,250 sq km), SW Syria. It borders S Lebanon, NE Israel, and NW Jordan. It takes its name from the ancient city of Golan and was known as Gaulanitis in New Testament times. . The Sinai was returned to Egypt under a 1979 peace agreement. Palestinians hope the entire West Bank and Gaza (left) will become their state. KEY ISSUES * PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD state·hood n. The status of being a state, especially of the United States, rather than being a territory or dependency. Israel was created in 1948 in what had been British-controlled Palestine. With the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, Palestinan leaders accepted Israel's existence and the idea that a future Palestinian state would emerge only from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But lines on the map have yet to be drawn. * SECURITY AND TERRORISM The Oslo accords gave Palestinians civil control over some areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But Israel maintained military control, which the Palestinians see as an occupying force. In March and early April, following a string of suicide bombings, the Israeli army seized control of most cities under Palestinian rule. Israel contended it was necessary, to root out terrorism. * JERUSALEM Sites here are holy to Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Israel and the Palestinians both claim Jerusalem as their capital. * SETTLEMENTS There are about 146 Jewish settlements with roughly 213,000 Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestinians see the settlements as Illegal and an obstacle to the eventual creation of a Palestinian state. The settlers contend they have a right to live anywhere in the historic land of Israel. * REFUGEES During the 1948 war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled the embattled land. Today, millions of those refugees and their descendants say they have a right to return. Israel fears their return would threaten its security and dilute its Jewish identity Jewish identity is the subjective state of perceiving oneself as as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. Jewish identity, by this definition, does not depend on whether or not a person is regarded as a Jew by others, or by an external set of religious, or legal, or sociological . THE SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND Israeli and Palestinian claims to the same land go back thousands of years, but their Mideast conflict has escalated in the last century. 1917 THE BALFOUR DECLARATION Balfour Declaration (Nov. 2, 1917) Statement issued by the British foreign secretary, Arthur James Balfour, in a letter to Lionel Walter Rothschild, a leader of British Jewry, as urged by the Russian Jewish Zionist leaders Chaim Weizmann and Nahum Sokolow. Lord Balfour, Britain's foreign minister, announces his nation's support for the establishment of a Jewish state within predominantly Arab Palestine, a land Britain controls. 1947 UN PARTITION PLAN The United Nations, amid growing support for a Jewish homeland after the Holocaust
1948 INDEPENDENCE WAR May 14, Jews declare the creation of Israel. May 15, six Arab countries invade. Israel wins, taking some land designated for the Arab state. Nearly I million Palestinians flee. 1964 PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION The PLO is founded, dedicated to creating a Palestinian homeland This article or section has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * Its factual accuracy is disputed. * It does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by citing reliable sources. and destroying Israel. Yasir Arafat becomes chairman of the PLO in 1969. 1967 SIX-DAY WAR Six-Day War: see Arab-Israeli Wars. Six-Day War or Arab-Israeli War of 1967 War between Israel and the Arab countries of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. With Arab nations set to attack, Israel strikes first. In six days, Israel captures the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt, the West Bank from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. 1973 YOM KIPPUR WAR Yom Kippur War: see Arab-Israeli Wars. Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack against Israel on Yom Kippur Yom Kippur [Heb.,=day of atonement], in Judaism, the most sacred holy day, falling on the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tishri (usually late September or early October). It is a day of fasting and prayer for forgiveness for sins committed during the year. , the holiest Jewish holiday
A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as a holy or secular commemoration of an important event in Jewish history. . Israel drives them back. 1979 PEACE WITH EGYPT Israel and Egypt sign a treaty in which Israel returns the Sinai in exchange for recognition and peace. The agreement also establishes a framework for Palestinian self-rule, but the PLO rejects it. 1987 FIRST INTIFADA The First Intifada (1987 - 1993) (also "war of the stones") was a mass uprising against Israeli military occupation[1] that began in Jabalia refugee camp and spread to Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Palestinians, frustrated with Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, begin a protest called the intifada ("uprising" in Arabic), marked by frequent strikes and stone-throwing. 1993 OSLO ACCORDS Israel and the PLO sign a peace treaty granting limited self-rule to Palestinians, as both sides acknowledge the other's right to exist as a state. 2000 SECOND INTIFADA  This page is protected from moves until disputes have been resolved on the .The reason for its protection is listed on the protection policy page. Ariel Sharon, opponent of compromise with the Palestinians, visits a Jerusalem site holy to both Muslims and Jews. Palestinians protest it as an insult, and violence erupts in a cycle that continues through today. RELATED ARTICLE: Two girls, divided by war, joined in Carnage. Jerusalem--The suicide bomber Noun 1. suicide bomber - a terrorist who blows himself up in order to kill or injure other people act of terrorism, terrorism, terrorist act - the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political and her victim looked strikingly similar. Two high school seniors in jeans with flowing black hair, the teen girls walked next to each other up to a Jerusalem supermarket. Ayat al-Akhras, 18, was carrying a bomb. Rachel Levy Rachel Levy (Hebrew: רחל לוי ) was killed at age 17 on March 29, 2002 when a teenage Palestinian female suicide bomber, wearing a belt of explosives around her waist, blew herself up at the entrance to a supermarket in Jerusalem's Kiryat Hayovel , 17, was carrying her mother's shopping list for dinner. The vastly different trajectories of their lives intersected for one deadly moment, mirroring the intimate conflict of their two peoples. At the door, Akhras detonated the explosives, killing Levy and a security guard, along with herself. The 7th of 11 children in a Palestinian refugee family, Akhras grew up in a grim camp on the edge of Bethlehem. She was a top student who was preparing for graduation exams and planned to study journalism at a West Bank university. And she was to be married in August. Levy was also preparing for graduation exams. Her specialty in school was photography. The second of three children, Levy was born in Israel but spent the first nine years of her life in California before moving back with her family. Amid the recent violence, Akhras saw the scars left by Israeli shellings and military incursions. But she betrayed no sign of anger or militancy, her relatives said. On that fateful day, March 29, Akhras simply said something about running an errand in Jerusalem after school. Levy, for her part, refused to let the increasing Palestinian suicide bombings change her life. She insisted on going out with friends, despite her mother's pleas. Akhras left behind a farewell videotape, announcing that she was "a living martyr," ready to die for Palestine. Levy did not get a chance to say goodbye, but her mother discovered musings in a notebook. "She wrote about love," she said, "and about death. About what comes after death." lesson plan 3 * INTERNATIONAL Face-off FOCUS: Are Arafat and Sharon, Each Shaped by a Violent History, Unable to Find Peace? TEACHING OBJECTIVES To help students understand the roots of the escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Discussion Questions: * Do you believe one side is more to blame for the violence between Israelis and Palestinians? * If you do believe one side is more to blame, what information in the article leads you to that conclusion? * Would the conflict be easier to resolve if people other than Yasir Arafat and Ariel Sharon were in charge? * Some Americans suggest that U.S. peacekeeping troops be sent to the region to separate Israelis and Palestinians and bring peace. Do you agree with this proposal? CLASSROOM STRATEGIES Background: The conflict is a classic example of history's power to influence current events--clearly seen in the time line on pages 20-21. In addition to the events described there, violence between Jews and local Arabs erupted in 1920, 1921, 1929, and 1936. Critical Thinking: Continue the history theme and add two issues addressed in the article: personalities and symbolism. Ask students to discuss how the personalities of Ariel Sharon and Yasir Arafat have influenced events in the region. Correspondent Serge Schmemann Serge Schmemann (born April 12, 1945) is a writer and Editorial Page Editor of the International Herald Tribune. Earlier in his career, he worked for the Associated Press and was a bureau chief and editor for the New York Times. says Arafat and Sharon represent the history of their representative struggles. How does each man's history enhance his stature among his own people and enrage en·rage tr.v. en·raged, en·rag·ing, en·rag·es To put into a rage; infuriate. [Middle English *enragen, from Old French enrager : en-, causative pref. those on the other side? Does the article imply that peace might be easier to achieve if leaders other than Arafat or Sharon were at the helm? Next, consider the power of symbolism. Did the Palestinians overreact o·ver·re·act v. To react with unnecessary or inappropriate force, emotional display, or violence. to Sharon's visit to the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount)? Which side was more responsible for the increased violence? How can an insult, whether real or imagined, lead to a cycle of violence? Write "cycle of violence" on the board. What is a "cycle of violence"? Does violence perpetuate itself? Finally, are the Israelis and Palestinians facing a different version of the chicken-and-egg question? At this stage, can either side take a first step toward peace? Note correspondent Serge Schmemann's tentative assertion that the two sides "may" find a way to coexist. Quiz 3 Use with INTERNATIONAL, pages 16-21 MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. In the early part of the 20th century, the land where the modern state of Israel is situated was controlled by (a) France (b) Italy (c) Britain (d) Germany. 2. International support for a Jewish state grew after World War II as a result of the (a) United Nations Declaration (b) Holocaust (c) Arab-Israeli war (d) appeal of the World Jewish Congress “WJC” redirects here. For other uses, see WJC (disambiguation). The World Jewish Congress, (abbrev. WJC), is an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations. . 3. Which of the following organizations was established with the goal of destroying Israel? (a) Palestine Liberation Organization (b) Holy Jihad (c) Arab League Arab League, popular name for the League of Arab States, formed in 1945 in an attempt to give political expression to the Arab nations. (d) Mideast Brotherhood. 4. The first breakthrough in the effort to bring peace between Israelis and Arabs came in 1979, when Israel signed a peace treaty with (a) Lebanon (b)Jordan (c) Saudi Arabia (d) Egypt. 5. In 1993, Israel and the Palestinian leadership signed the Oslo accords (named for Oslo, Norway, where they were negotiated). The accords provided for the emergence of an independent Palestinian state in (a) northern Israel (b) southern Israel (c) western Jordan (d) the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 6. One of the most difficult issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that of refugees. Palestinians who fled the country want the right to return, with their descendants. When did these Palestinians flee Israel? (a) during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war (b) during World War II (c) in 1950 (d) during the Six-Day War, in 1967. 7. What major event took place at Camp David, in Maryland, in 2000? (a) Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. (b) President Bill Clinton asked Arab nations to open diplomatic relations with Israel. (c) Yasir Arafat turned down Israeli concessions on several key issues. (d) Ariel Sharon met with Yasir Arafat. 8. In September 2000, Sharon infuriated Palestinians when he (a) ordered attacks on Palestinian villages. (b) visited a site holy to Muslims. (c) asked the UN to condemn Yasir Arafat. (d) asked the U.S. to halt immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. of Palestinians. 9. An Israeli government investigation found that Sharon was indirectly responsible for the (a) massacre of hundreds of Palestinians in 1982. (b) the loss of Israeli lives in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. (c) the breakdown of the Oslo accords. (d) a cooling in relations with the U.S. 10. In 1958, Yasir Arafat helped found Al Fatah, (a) an Arab version of the Red Cross. (b) a unit of the Egyptian Army. (c) a joint Egyptian-Jordanian military training group. (d) an underground guerrilla network. 11. In 1996, Yasir Arafat was elected leader of (a) the Arab League. (b) Palestinians in Exile. (c) Hezbollah. (d) the Palestinian Authority. 12. Palestinians call their uprising against Israel the (a) jihad. (b) Blessed Attack. (c) Second War. (d) intifada. Upfront Quiz 3, TE 7 1. (c) Britain. 2. (b) Holocaust 3. (a) Palestine Liberation Organization. 4. (d) Egypt. 5. (d) the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. 6. (a) during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. 7. (c) Arafat turned down Israeli concessions on several key issues. 8. (b) visited a site holy to Muslims. 9. (a) massacre of hundreds of Palestinians. 10. (d) an underground guerrilla network. 11. (d) the Palestinian Authority. 12. (d) intifada. --Joel Greenberg, The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times SERGE SCHMEMANN is a correspondent for The New York Times. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1991 for his coverage of German reunification. |
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