The Palestinian Issue

Question 1

Who did the Arab League decide to recognise as the representative of the Palestinians

Answer 1

Yasser Arafat and the PLO

Question 2

When was Arafats speech to the UN?

Answer 2

1974

Question 3

Success of Arafat’s speech to the UN

Answer 3

Powerful speech stating Palestinian view led to standing ovation and “observer status” in UN. This meant PLO could take part in UN discussions about the future of Palestine.

Held out an olive branch

Question 4

Why did Israel object to Arafat representing Palestine at UN.

Answer 4

Israel saw Arafat as a terrorist

Question 5

What did PLO do when it first arrived in Lebanon

Answer 5

After being driven out after Black September 1970 from Jordan:
-Uses its money to set up health clinics, schools
-Flew Palestinian flag, taught Palestinian poems and ran Palestinian youth groups.
Great boost for 300,000 Palestinian refugees already in Lebanon

Question 6

Lebanon religious split:

Answer 6

5% Druze
40% Christian
55% Muslim, divided between Shia and Sunni

Any chance of keeping peace destroyed with arrival of (Sunni) Palestinian refugees.

Question 7

Why was the PLO’s arrival in Lebanon 1970 bad for the government?

Answer 7

-Government saw PLO as corrupt, arrogant and bullying
-PLO HQ set up in capital Beirut and military recruitment in refugee camps
-South Lebanon known as “Fatahland” because PLO acted as if it owned the region.
-PLO border attacks on Israel led to harsh reprisals. Undermines Lebanese effort to stay our of Israeli-Arab conflict

Question 8

What was the Phalange?

Answer 8

10,000 man heavily armed Lebanese Christian militant group determined to destroy PLO intruders. Supplied by Israel

Question 9

What did Druze and Lebanese Muslims do in response to Phalange

Answer 9

Joined forces with PLO. By 1975, a bloody civil war broke out, 70,000 died and 100,000s of homes destroyed in Beirut over the next year.

Question 10

Impact of 1974 Arafat speech to UN

Answer 10

PLO showed it was willing to negotiate and it was a reasonable organisation

Arab “Rejectionists” refuse to accept anything other than complete destruction of Israel

Israelis refuse to believe he is genuine

Question 11

The Coastal Road Massacre
What and When

Answer 11

1978
13 PLO militants seize a hotel in Tel Aviv aiming to hostage tourists to exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel and wreck Arab-Israeli peace negotiations

Militants hjiacked a bus and drove through Tel Aviv shooting everything and were stopped by police blockade. Shootout followed and 38 Israeli civilians, 9 PLO died.

Question 12

Operation Litani
What and When

Answer 12

1978
Israeli response to Coastal Road Massacre. 26,000 troops invade Lebanon in attempt of taking control of South Lebanon. and destroy PLO bases there and create buffer zone to protect Northern Israel from border attacks.

1,100 Palestinians and Lebanese civilians died

Question 13

What led to increasing tension 1979-81

Answer 13

-UN peacekeeping attempts failed due to “Rejectionists”.

-With Soviet help, PLO grew stronger by buying heavy weapons from USSR. IDF raids on PLO bases were answered with rocket attacks on Israeli farming settlements and towns in Galilee. Lots of reprisals and counter reprisals

-Un ceasefire in 1981 allowed Israel to make plans for invasion of Lebanon due to fears of PLO having long range weapons

Question 14

Trigger for Israel invasion of Lebanon 1982

Answer 14

Israel got the excuse it needed when three Palestinians attempted to assassinate the Israeli Ambassador in London. These 3 were not affiliated with PLO but that was ignored

Question 15

When was Israel invasion of Lebanon/Operation peace for Galilee

Answer 15

1982

Question 16

What was Operation Peace for Galilee

Answer 16

70,000 troops and 800 tanks invade Lebanon under claim it was to stop further attacks by destroying PLO bases and establish 45km buffer zone.

These aims were exceeded as Israel drove on and bombed towns as it went, destroying 300,000 homes.

Israel went on to Beirut, Capital and PLO HQ. Destroyed the city and killed 20,000 innocent Lebanese civilians. This forced PLO and Arafat to Tunisia

Question 17

When was the Sabra and Shatila massacres

Answer 17

1982

Question 18

What was the Sabra and Shatila Massacres

Answer 18

Israel Defence Minister claims there are 2000 PLO terrorists remaining in refugee camps. (two weeks after PLO evacuation). Allowed Phalange to masssacre 3500 Palestinians. Phalange were extra angry because their leader (Lebanese president) had been assassinated two days earlier

Question 19

Impact of Invasion of Lebanon 1982 for Israel

Answer 19

PROS:
Farms and towns free from PLO missiles, PLO no longer on their border.

CONS:
Bad publicity for their brutality eg use of white phosphorus which burned and poisoned
International condemnation
Turned moderate Israelis against the war
Mass protests of 300k.
Investigation led to Defence Minister forced to resign
Islamic organisation Hezbollah formed, aiming to remove Israel from Lebanon

Question 20

Living conditions in occupied territories

Answer 20

-crowded, basic, unhygienic
-PLO suspects beaten or arrested without trial
-had to pay taxes but couldnt vote
-Growing Jewish settler number made Palestinians fear they would be evicted
-Random house searches and land confiscation

Question 21

When was the Palestinian Intifada? (shaking off)

Answer 21

1987-93

Question 22

Palestinian intifada 1987-93 evolution of tactics

Answer 22

AT FIRST:
mass demonstrations, barricades on street, vandalism, throwing stones and petrol bombs at IDF, flying Palestinian flag. Leaderless and spontaneous.

THEN…:
Boycott of Jewish shops, refusing to work in Israel, pay taxes or using Taxis with Israeli number plates. Co-ordinated by UNLU who sent around flyers with info about protests and boycotts.

Question 23

What was the trigger for the Intifada

Answer 23

1)Israeli market trader stabbed to death
2)IDF van collides with Palestinian van killing 4. Rumours spread that this was an act of revenge
3)Rioting at funeral led to Israeli guard being stoned
4)Soon after, another Palestinian was killed, p

Question 23

What was the trigger for the Intifada

Answer 23

1)Israeli market trader stabbed to death
2)IDF van collides with Palestinian van killing 4. Rumours spread that this was an act of revenge
3)Rioting at funeral led to Israeli guard being stoned
4)Soon after, another Palestinian was killed, p

Question 24

What was the trigger for the Intifada

Answer 24

1)Israeli market trader stabbed to death
2)IDF van collides with Palestinian van killing 4. Rumours spread that this was an act of revenge
3)Rioting at funeral led to Israeli guard being stoned
4)Soon after, another Palestinian was killed, people took to the streets to protest and this spread over West bank and then further

Question 25

Scale of Intifada

Answer 25

1988: 42,000 acts of hostility
Before: 3000 a year

Question 26

What was the Israeli Prime Minister Shamir’s response?

Answer 26

Iron Fist Policy
-schools closed down, curfews imposed
-thousands arrested and suspected ringleaders had homes destroyed
-arms and fingers of child stone throwers broken
-Tear gas, rubber (sometimes real) bullets used to disperse crowds

Question 27

Impact of Intifada on Israelis

Answer 27

160 Israelis killed
Israel’s economy collapsed: Palestinian boycotts, no tourism
Society divided: some wanted harsher treatment of Palestinians to secure Jewish settlers, others shocked by IDF brutality and wanted peace

Question 28

Impact of intifada on Palestinians

Answer 28

1200 Palestinians killed

Palestinians killing eachother when accused of working with Israel

Ordinary life became difficult due to school closures, water restrictions and house demolitions

Economies of occupied territories damaged: Trade fell 805 and unemployment rate rose to 50% due to curfews, strikes and
agriculture collapse when olive groves destroyed

Sense of empowerment/unite between Palestinians

Question 29

Consequences of the intifada

Answer 29

-Major shift in international opinion after images of protests and Iron fist policy. Even Americans previously supporting Israel.

-Change of PLO tactics: before intifada they wanted destruction of intifada, now Arafat proposed a two-state solution. PLO would accept existence of Israel if Israel granted Palestinians independence

-Israeli government had to reconsider an alternative to military occupation of West Bank and Gaza. “Iron Fist policy” was too expensive, economy damaging and causing division to continue forever.