Israeli Sovereignty - Essay Example

Israeli Sovereignty This paper seeks to explore the reasons why many countries in the EuropeanUnion and elsewhere feel Israel should not exist and the reasoning behind these beliefs. Why this has proven to be a problem and what the ill-effects of this lack of support have brought about will also be discussed. Israel has existed as a nation for the past 58 years, established by the Jewish Provisional State Council after World War II and 11 years after Great Britain proposed the idea of a split nation in front of the UN (Kjeilen, 2006). At that time, the Jewish population in Palestine was estimated to be around 590,000 as compared to approximately 1,320,000 Palestinians, making the Jews equal approximately 31 percent of the total population (Kjeilen, 2006). The Arab nations voiced immediate opposition to the UN’s 1947 plan, joined soon after Israel’s foundation by Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, in a struggle that continues to this day. At the opening ceremony of the Syrian-Israeli peace talks on December 11, 2000, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara stated, “It goes without saying that peace for Syria means the return of all its occupied land. Those who reject to return the occupied territories to their original owners in the framework of international legitimacy send a message to the Arabs that the conflict between Israel and Arabs is a conflict of existence in which bloodshed can never stop.” The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, at the 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut, said, “I propose that the Arab summit put forward a clear and unanimous initiative addressed to the United Nations Security Council based on two basic issues: normal relations and security for Israel in exchange for full withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories.” Irans Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, in a September 21, 2002 Washington Post interview entitled “The War and Iran,” stated “We do not recognize Israel as a government. We believe that eventually Palestinian refugees have to return to their homeland” (Israeli-Palestinian Pro-Con 2004). Since the state was founded, much of the world’s population, including opinion in the Israel-friendly United States, has become opposed the existence of Israel as an independent state. In the U.S., from Boston to San Francisco, people openly espouse this belief. “No country has a right to exist, certainly not one that was founded through the destruction of another country. Was Palestine ever afforded a right to exist?” claims a San Franciscan opinion. “That does not mean Israel should be dismantled. But Israel has no right to exist as an exclusionary Jewish state that gives special rights to Jews to the detriment of the indigenous population” (Anti-Apartheid et al 2003). A Chicago man quoted in a Boston publication (Lendman 2006) echoed these sentiments, insisting full Palestinian rights should be restored, including the return of their lands and the right of the refugee population to return to their homeland or be compensated for their loss. “The Palestinian people and its leaders should accept nothing less … And the world community of nations especially must stand with them to be sure they finally get it.” The same sentiments are found in Europe. According to recent polls, most Europeans believe that Israel is alone responsible for the current conflict even though a majority believed that Yasser Arafat genuinely sought peace. “By two to one, Europeans take the Palestinians’ side. While overwhelmingly condemning suicide attacks, most Europeans still see Palestinian terrorism as a consequence of Ariel Sharon’s aggressive policies. … 15 percent go so far as to justify terrorism and make Israel’s right to exist conditional on the establishment of a Palestinian state. Fewer and fewer Europeans see Israel’s existence as sacred.” (Ottolenghi 2004). Anti-Jewish violence in France often centers around the most obviously observant Jews. “Jews are attacked because of their alleged unconditional support for the policies of the state of Israel in the Palestinian territories” (Camus 2003). Many Europeans, still vastly sympathetic of the Holocaust, yet deny the right of an Israeli state as do many Americans whose government supports sovereignty of Israel. Western nations frequently condemn Israeli actions including, on occasion, some which Israel claims as being necessary to protect itself from Palestinian terrorism and Arab hostility. Still, many of the European states have made it a habit to abstain from anti-Israel votes. Many European countries, such as France, Russia and Germany, have been strong supporters of Israel, but also support the foundation of a Palestinian state. Although a few countries have consistently supported Israels actions in the UN, such as the U.S. and Australia, Israel has particularly few supporters in the United Nations. This is due, in part, to the large Muslim contingent (57 countries) and their influence: in terms of sheer voting strength in the General Assembly, this block represents about one-fourth of the delegates, though no Muslim country holds a permanent seat on the Security Council. Moreover, Israel is the only member nation that that has never been enfranchised with voting rights in any part of the United Nations. The United States has frequently found it necessary to use its veto to protect Israel from condemnatory Security Council votes. In fact, this is a significant factor in the large number of vetoes the United States has enforced in general (“Israel and the United Nations” 2006). World governments at least as is represented at the U.N., either are ambivalent to the situation or wish the destruction of the Israeli State. Arab nations openly and widely support violent Palestinians. “In April 2002 the Saudi state television network ran a telethon that raised more than $100 million to aid the families of Palestinian suicide bombers” (“Saudi Telethon” 2002). For those who live in abject poverty with little to no hope of change, it might make sense to trade life for the knowledge that Saudi Arabians would support your family in comfort for the rest of their lives. This type of open hostility even in the offices of the United Nations wherein all of these conflicts and differences are supposed to be aired out and resolved, has proven a stumbling block to finding a solution to the problem of Israel. Without a clear voice in the decision-making arena, the country has little option but to accede to the dictates of the Arab-dominated UN deliberations or to resort to violence or open disobedience. In addition, the animosity present does little to ensure that all countries involved, especially Israel itself, can be sure that Israel is getting a fair and impartial judgment on their actions, counteractions and positions. The clash between Israel and the Palestinians is one of the longest unsettled battles in history. The 1929 Massacre in Hebron and other cities shows that Palestinian terrorism predates the 1948 beginning of the state of Israel. In the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority agreed to end all provocation against Israel, Israelis and Jews (“Terrorism” 2006), yet beginning with the declaration of the state, for more than 55 years the conflict has cost thousands of lives, involved neighboring countries in major wars, and unsettled the politics of the entire region. Since September 2000 alone, almost 1,000 Israelis, most of them civilians and including more than 100 children, have been killed by Palestinians since the start of the Intifada uprising (“Human Rights Concerns” 2006). “As a result of Israels offering to allow the PLO control over the West Bank and Gaza, and Israels willingness to acquiesce in Palestinian statehood in the medium run, the PLO and its affiliates have murdered 1300 Israelis, most of them civilians and many of them children, since foreswearing the use of violence” (Plaut 2004). Palestinians have used mothers of small children as suicide bombing murderers. Palestinians teenagers have been detained on their way to carry out a bombing and mass murder. PLO operates a large military-industrial complex, many from out of underground tunnels. “These have produced large numbers of ground-to-ground rockets. In 2003 alone the Palestinians fired 210 Kassam rockets from the Gaza Strip into Jewish civilian areas” (Plaut 2004). Many Israelis blame suicide bombings on the suicide propaganda used to instruct Palestinian children. Official Palestinian Authority television shows for 5 and 6 year olds teach them songs about murdering Jews. “Jordanian and Egyptian books used in the schools belonging to Islamic movements are sources of incitement on their own right. A survey conducted by the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme on children living close to major checkpoints in Khan Younis and Rafah in Southern Gaza states that 54.6 percent of the children show symptoms of severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. More than 50 percent had seen dead or injured people – in 23 percent of the cases the person was a family member” (“Terrorism” 2006). References Anti-Apartheid, Pro-Justice, Pro-Equality. “No Country has a ‘Right to Exist’ and Certainly Not Israel.” San Francisco Independent Media Center. June 30, 2003. Indymedia. March 9, 2006 Camus, Jean-Yves. “Viewpoints: Anti-Semitism and Europe.” BBC News. December 3, 2003. International Edition. March 9, 2006 “Human Rights Concerns.” Israel / Occupied Territory. 2006. Amnesty International USA. March 9, 2006 "Israel and the United Nations." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. February 27, 2006. March 9, 2006 Israeli-Palestinian Pro-Con. “What are the Official Policies of the Surrounding Arab States and Iran Regarding Israel?” Israeli Statehood. December 23, 2004. March 9, 2006 Kjeilen, Tori. “Israel: History.” 2006. Encyclopedia of the Orient. March 9 2006 < http://lexicorient.com/e.o/israel_5.htm> Lendman, Stephen. “Life in Occupied Palestine.” The Boston Independent Media Center. February 15, 2006. Indymedia. March 9, 2006 Ottolenghi, Emanuele. “Europe Wants Israel to Lose.” Jerusalem Post. July 28, 2004. Oxford University. March 9, 2006 Plaut, Steven. “Israel’s Real Choice is Either to Fight and Survive, or to Capitulate and be Destroyed.” March 7, 2004. Betar UK. March 9, 2006 “Saudi Telethon Raises Over $100 Million for Palestinians.” Fox News. April 13, 2002. Associated Press. March 9, 2006 "Terrorism against Israel." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. March 4, 2006. March 9, 2006 . Read More