Explained

Israel-Palestine Conflict

Israel – Palestine Conflict Why in News? • Violence in Jerusalem

• Clashes between Israel and Hamas

• Increase in tensions between Jews and Palestinians

Background History of Jerusalem - The Holy City

https://byjus.com/?utm_source=pdf-click

Background Religious Wars, Conflicts & Crusades • Roman Invasion – Jews exiled

• Persecution of Jews in Europe

• 19th century – Zionism

Background Jewish immigration to Palestine

Background

• The Balfour Declaration (1917) - British government announced support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine.

• First World War – Collapse of the Ottoman Empire • British Mandate – Jewish immigration continued

Background

• Tensions between Jews & Arabs

• Nazi Germany – Holocaust

• World War II ended – Western Support for a Jewish state

• Opposed by the Arab countries

Background UN Partition Plan of 1947 – Two State Solution

Background

• British rulers left

• 1948 – Israel declared Independence

• Palestine was never born as an independent nation

• Arab countries declared war

• Palestinian exodus - Nakba

1948 Arab–Israeli War

Six-Day War

Background

• 1978 - Camp David Accords • 1987 - 1993: First Palestinian Intifada – Hamas formed • 1993 - 1995: The Oslo Accords

Background 2000 - 2005 Second Palestinian Intifada

2021 Clashes

• Sheikh Jarrah dispute - threatened eviction of some Palestinian families in East Jerusalem

• Jerusalem Day processions by Jewish groups through the Old City of East Jerusalem

• Tensions & Clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque Hamas Rocket Attacks

Israeli Air Strikes

Ceasefire

• Egypt-mediated ceasefire

• Hamas - Political point

• Israel - Establishing deterrence

India’s Stand

• In 1948, India was the only non-Arab-state among 13 countries that voted against the UN partition plan.

• 1948 – India did not recognize Israel’s independence • India’s solidarity with the Palestinian cause • 1950 – India recognised Israel

India – Israel Diplomatic Relations • 1950 – 1992: No diplomatic relations • External & Internal Factors:

i. Ward off Pakistan’s plan to isolate India over Kashmir ii. India’s energy dependence on the Arab countries

iii. Sentiments of India’s electorate • 1968: Covert relations between RAW & Mossad • 1992 – India normalized ties with Israel • Defence, Intelligence co-operation • Science & Technology • Agriculture

India’s Balancing Act

• Pro-Israel Policies: i. 2014 onwards - UNHRC Abstention on War Crimes

ii. Status of East Jerusalem iii. 2018 Modi’s visit to Israel – ‘De-hyphenation’

• Pro-Palestine Policies: i. Opposed Trump administration’s recognition of

Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. ii. India voted against Israel in 3 resolutions – one on the

right of self-determination of the Palestinian people, a second on Israeli settlement policy, and a third on the human rights situation in the Golan Heights.

India’s stand on latest clashes

• Implicitly held Israel responsible for triggering the current cycle of violence by locating its beginnings in East Jerusalem rather than from Gaza.

• Requested both sides to refrain from “attempts to unilaterally change the existing status quo including in East Jerusalem and its neighbourhoods”.

• This seems to be a message to Israel about its settler policy.

• Historic status quo at the holy places of Jerusalem including the ‘Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount’ must be respected.

• Condemned the “indiscriminate rocket firings of Hamas from Gaza” on civilian targets in Israel.

• But did not condemn Israeli strikes inside Gaza. • Customary omission since 2017 of any reference to East

Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state, has been continued by India.

Conclusion