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There are
hundreds of ways of preparing this topic and
approaching it as a narrative is not one of them.
I think the talk has to be thematic and this
morning I thought of several different ways. Here
is one of them. If you have thought of other
approaches don't bin them but send them in for
comment.
I began by considering the present conflict. It
is violent on both sides and there doesn't seem
to be a way out despite the Road Map. How can
Israelis and Palestinians, so different, live in
such a small space? Whose territory is it anyway?
What are the issues and arguments involved in
the dispute? Well, they can be partly explained
by looking at the period we have studied,
1948-82. |
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For instance, 1)
where are the Palestinians supposed to live and
how have we got to the present situation?
Originally, it was hoped that the area could
be divided into two states (see map1), so there
was an area designated for Arab
Palestinians when Israel came into being.
But this area disappeared in 1948/9 after the
attack on the Jewish State (Israel) by Syria,
Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. (see map
2). Note how part of the Arab state was taken by
Israel while the West Bank was absorbed by Jordan
and the Gaza strip by Egypt. Instead of turning
these territories into an embryonic Palestine,
however, the Arab states preferred to work at
the removal of Israel and it was not until three
more wars had passed (1956, 1967 & 1973) that the
possibility of creating a Palestinian State
re-emerged. By then, the West Bank and Gaza
were in Israeli hands (1967 war). What then led
to the possibility of a Palestinian State was the
success of Egypt in the Yom Kippur War and the
subsequent Peace making of President Sadat which
led to the Camp David accords in 1979. There,
among other things, the setting up of a
semi-autonomous state of Palestine in the
West Bank and Gaza was agreed by Israel,
the two territories' occupying power. However,
carrying out the promise took another twenty
years by which time Jewish settlements had
multiplied there. It is therefore no wonder that
the State is so fragile. Israel showed that it
was reluctant to establish Palestine and
dissatisfaction has led to violence and
repression.
This 'theme' - where is Palestine? - provides
sufficient narrative framework for you to go on
to other themes.
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If you find it useful, write in. My next theme,
also taken from the present conflict, but looking
at its roots in 1948-82, would be to see whether
terrorism has made the solution more difficult or
whether without it Palestine would not even have
progressed thus far...... |
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