Essays

"The Palestine problem look birth with the disintegration of the Turkish Ottoman Empire after the world war 1. Palestine was also among the several former Ottoman Arab territories which were placed under Great Britain under the Mandates System of the League of Nations pursuant to the League's Covenant (Article 22). "

Except Palestine all of these Mandated Territories became fully independent 8tHcs. The exception was Palestine where, instead of being limited to "the rendering l of administrative assistance and advice" the Mandate had as a primary objective the implement million of the "Balfour Declaration" issued by the British Government in I917.declanng support for "the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine."

During the years of the Palestine Mandate from 1922 to 1947 large-scale Jewish immigration from abroad, mainly from Eastern Europe took place, the numbers swelling in the 1930s with the notorious Nazi persecution of Jewish populations. Palestinian demands for independence and its resistance to Jewish ^—(ration led to a rebellion in 193 7, followed by continuing terrorism and violence Bin both sides during and immediately after World War II. Great Britain used f vinous formulas to bring independence to the land ravaged by violence. In 1947, I Great Britain handed over the problem over to the United Nations.

 After taking into account various alternatives the UN proposed the partitioning ' of firestone into two independent States, one Palestinian Arab and the other Jewish in Palestine. One of the two States envisaged in the partition plan proclaimed its independence as Israel and in the 1948 war expanded to occupy 77 per cent of the 'Palestine. Israel also occupied the larger part of Jerusalem. More than half the indigenous Palestinian population fled or was expelled. Jordan and Egypt also occupied the other parts of the territory of the Palestinian Arab State which did not come into being.

During the 1967 war, Israel occupied the remaining territory of Palestine, which »as until then under Jordanian and Egyptian control (the West Bank and Gaza Strip) the remaining part of Jerusalem, which was subsequently annexed by Israel. The war brought about a second exodus of Palestinians. Security Council resolution242of22 November 1967 called on Israel to withdraw from territories it had occupied during the 1967 conflict.

In 1974, the General Assembly reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty. In 1975, the General Assembly established the Committee on the Exercise of the inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The General Assembly also confirm the PLO the status of observer in the Assembly and in other international conferee held under United Nations auspices.

Events on the ground, however, were not positive but remained negation June 1982. Israel invaded Lebanon with the declared intention to eliminate the PI A ceasefire was arranged. PLO troops withdrew from Beirut and were shill neighboring countries after guarantees of safety were provided for thousand Palestinian refugees left behind. Subsequently, a large-scale massacre of n took place in the camps of Sabra and Shatila.

In September 1983, the International Conference on the Question of Pal which was widely attended, adopted inter alia the Geneva Declaration contain following principles: the need to oppose and reject the establishment of settle in the occupied territory and actions taken by Israel to change the status of the right of all Slates in the region to existence within secure and intermarry recognized boundaries, with justice and security for all the people and the attack of the legitimate, inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

In December 1987. a mass uprising against the Israeli occupation began occupied Palestinian territory. Methods used by the Israeli forces during the resulted in mass injuries and heavy loss of life among the civilian Paid population.

A Peace Conference on the Middle East was convened in Madrid October 1991 with the aim of achieving a lasting and comprehensive peace settle through direct negotiations along 2 tracks: between Israel and the Arab State between Israel and the Palestinians based on Security Council resolutions 242 338 (the "land for peace" formula). A series of subsequent negotiations colonial in the mutual recognition between the Government of the State of Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian Pipit signed by the two parties of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements in Washington, D.C., on 13 September 1993, as well aesthesia implementation agreements, which led to several other positive developments the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the elections to the Palestinian Council an Presidency of the Palestinian Authority, the release of prisoners and establish a functioning administration in the areas under Palestinian self-rule. The involve of the United Nations has been essential to the peace process, both as the guard international legitimacy and in the mobilization and provision of intern assistance.

The UN General Assembly welcomed the Declaration of Principles l important step forward. The Assembly also reaffirmed that "the United Nations! a permanent responsibility with respect to the question of Palestine until the question Is resolved in all its aspects in a satisfactory manner in accordance with international | legitimacy.”

During the past years, there has been increasing concern at the stalemate in the Hence negotiations. The General Assembly, particularly the Assembly's Tenth emergency Session, was called upon to deal with the deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. There has been increasing alarm at acts of violence rest civilians, the position and actions of the Government of Israel with regard to Jerusalem, the expansion of settlements, land confiscation and punitive collective sores which were seriously undermining the peace process due to violence taking ( in the region. Neither Israel nor the Palestine leaders are taking serious steps to the violence. Both the panics are at logger heads, it is the innocent people that Be main sufferers. UNO here seems totally ineffective.

Vocabulary :

1.  Disintegration—separation into component parts, dissolution. 2. notorious—having l exceedingly bad reputation. 3. massacre—killing a large number of people indiscriminately, mass murder. 4. exodus—a journey by a large group to escape from  a hostile environment. 5. legitimate—in accordance with reason or logic. 6. culminated— reach [the highest or most decisive point. 7. confiscation—Seizure by the government, abrogation. 8. punitive—inflicting punishment, punditry . 9. at logger heads—in a dispute I or confrontation.