MUN General Assembly debate

Friday 12th February 2010

Debate topic: occupied Palestinian territories

• P.N.A. (Zayna, Nour)• Advocate for PNA

(Raghad) • Iran (Hatau, Melis) • Syria (Can, Kaan)• Jordan (Efe, Oscar) • Libya (Anahita, Sophie)• Qatar (Carmelo, Victor)• Turkey (Sven, Erol)• Lebanon (Arzu, Ashley) • Russia (Yasemin, Sevil)

• Israel (Noah, Nedim)• United States ( Gina,

Vishwesh )• U.K. ( Sara, Sima)• Egypt (Phyllis, Deema)• Djibouti (Jae, Chris) • Saudi Arabia (David, William)• South Korea (Fabian, Victor)• India (Daav, Derin)• China (Lara, Merve)

Issue 1: Security fence or apartheid barrier?

Israel MOD website:

• The sole purpose of the Security Fence, as stated in the Israeli Government decision of July 23rd 2001, is to provide security.The Security Fence is a central component in Israel’s response to the horrific wave of terrorism emanating from the West Bank, resulting in suicide bombers who enter into Israel with the sole intention of killing innocent people. Sadly, this abhorrent phenomenon has become common practice since September 2000

• http://www.securityfence.mod.gov.il/pages/ENG/purpose.htm

View of Oxfam (NGO)After five years of illegality, it is time to dismantle the Wall

and respect the rights of Palestinians.In an advisory opinion, rendered on 9 July 2004, the

International Court of Justice stated that Israel’s construction of the Wall in the occupied Palestinian Territory was illegal and called for its immediate dismantling.

Five years later, the advisory opinion has been met only by inaction: Israel continues constructing the Wall and the international community remains silent. Tragic consequences: farmers separated from their fields, workers without access permits, pregnant women unable to reach the hospital, villages without adequate access to water.

Issue 2: Status of the Palestinian National Authority Name given to the administrative

organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Established by the Oslo Agreement of 1995.

Israel formally insists that it does not have the authority of a state.

Not seated as a state in the United Nations or recognized as such, but does have representation (‘observer status’) as well as ambassadors in numerous countries.

Recognition of the P.N.AFor: Palestinian people have a President and an elected government –

why not their own state? Israel is recognised and yet it has captured and illegally settled

Palestinian territory PNA has offered peace talks but Israel is obstructing the process

by illegal occupation Recognised already by more than 100 countries Already has the right to co-sponsor resolutions and sit in on

General Assembly – why not the next step? The PNA is NOT the same as Hamas (political wing of The UN originally divided up the Palestinian territories (in 1947).

This led to decades of conflict in which Palestinian lives were lost. It has a moral obligation to give Palestinians their own state.

If the state is not created, there will be chaos in the region.

Recognition of P.N.AAgainst: Peace talks with Israel must be resumed first. There must be a

negotiated settlement before ideas about statehood can be discussed. It’s too soon. A two-state solution is the long-term goal, but can’t be

achieved now. If official status is given to the PNA, it will just antagonise Israel and

make future negotiations even harder. Israel might react by annexing more Palestinian territory. This could

escalate into warfare, making peace talks impossible. The main party in government in Gaza, Hamas, is classified as a

terrorist group by many countries. Its charter calls for the destruction of Israel. How do we know that Hamas won’t take over the PNA from the moderate President Mahmood Abbas?

The UN helped create Israel after the Holocaust, as a homeland for Jews. It has a moral obligation towards Israel as a nation. How can it recognise leaders connected to a party that denies Israel’s right to exist?

What you need to do this week:

• Get a general understanding of the issues involved – go on to MUN / JMUN wiki

• Find out the position of your country towards Israel / Palestine interests

• Have an idea of which other countries have similar views to yours

• Wednesday’s after-school MUN: researching your country’s position