Indian Defence Review

Recent Conflicts

The Rise of Hamas, and the Hamas- Fatah Conflict.

In December 1987, the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza started a mass uprising against the Israeli occupation and settlement in Palestinian lands known as the First Intifada. The frustration felt by many caused the Palestinian people to turn to Hamas.  Hamas is an Islamic militant group founded in 1987 with the stated goal to “liberate Palestine through violent jihad.” Unlike the more moderate Fatah, which agreed to work towards peace with Israel, Hamas has yet to recognize Israel’s right to exist. Its members have carried out many suicide bombings against Israel, and this group receives support from Iran and Syria. The international community has largely recognized it as a terrorist organization.

In 2006, Hamas won a majority of seats in parliamentary elections, but failed to take control of the Palestinian Authority, led by current President Mahmoud Abbas, a member of Fatah, the main rival party, and representative of the PLO. Since June 2007, Hamas has been in control of the Gaza Strip after winning a majority of seats in Parliamentary elections.  The United Nations continues to recognize the PLO as the representatives of the Palestinian people. Since the election of Hamas in 2006, the United States and the European Union halted financial assistance to the Gaza Strip.

The Arab Spring in 2011 led many Palestinians to express a desire for the two groups to consolidate. In May 2011, the two rival parties signed a reconciliation accord in Cairo, recognizing the removal of Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands as a common cause. The unity between Fatah and Hamas has been fragile, and provides a challenge for Israel, the United States, and the European Union, who regard Hamas as a terrorist organization. However, Hamas’ supporters see it as a legitimate fighting force defending Palestinians from a brutal military occupation and providing badly needed social services. This has raised intense debate in the United Nations about the definition of an organization as terrorist, rather than as pursuing national liberation. With Hamas in control of the Gaza Strip and Fatah in control of the West Bank, this division has also hindered the pursuit of Palestinian statehood.

The 2000-2005 Second Intifada     

For many who had hoped that progress in Israeli-Palestinian relations would follow from the Oslo Accords, the subsequent period of violence was a demoralizing defeat.

The ongoing violence was viewed by the Palestinians as part of their ongoing struggle for national independence, justice, and an end to Israeli Occupation. In Israel, the Second Intifada is viewed as yet another wave of attacks of Palestinian terrorism. This conflict was devastating due to the amount of casualties. The conflict took the lives of an estimated 5,500 Palestinians and 1,100 Israelis. On November of 2004 Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died, which suddenly rendered an internal conflict between Hamas and Fatah. During this time Israel also unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip. In 2005, the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit resulted in Abbas declaring that the use of violence would come to an end. In return Ariel Sharon agreed to release 900 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel and Lebanon 

Hezbollah was founded in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, as a Lebanese militant resistance group which has been supported by Iran and Syria. Today the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Australia, and Canada have classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organization (although the European Union remains divided on this classification). In July 2006, Hezbollah attacked Israeli civilian areas using rockets, killing eight. Israel responded by bombing and invading Lebanon, with the intention to eliminate Hezbollah. After a month of conflict, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved UN Resolution 1701. The Resolution was approved by Israeli and Lebanese governments and called for the disarmament of militant groups including Hezbollah, and withdrawal of Israel from Lebanon.

Hezbollah still plays a significant role in Lebanese politics. It was able to engage Lebanon into a war against the will of the sovereign government. Despite two United Nations Security Council Resolutions (1559 and 1701) calling for the disarmament of all Lebanese militias, but it has thus far refused to cooperate with United Nations Policy.

Key Issues

Israeli Settlements

Perhaps the issue that is most divisive between the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authorities are Israel’s continued settlements in the West Bank. It is also a great source of tension within Israel itself, and between Israel and the international community.

The settlements first came about in the aftermath of the Six Day War of 1967 which left Israel in control of Gaza, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights, in which Israel subsequently built communities to expand the Jewish homeland and improve Israel’s bargaining position in future peace talks.

The territory captured is considered occupied territory, and settlements continue to exist in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. Settlements existed in the Sinai Peninsula as well as the Gaza Strip, however residents were evacuated following agreements with Egypt in 1979.

Approximately 280,000 Israeli citizens live in 121 settlements in the West Bank and another estimated 190,000 Israelis live in East Jerusalem. These settlements place civilians into occupied territory, which is a violation of international law.

Whether in the West Bank or East Jerusalem, Israeli settlements are widely regarded as violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibition on colonizing occupied territories.  The 2003 Roadmap for Peace stipulated a freeze on settlement construction. Settlements have rendered it significantly more difficult to envisage a Palestinian state, due the massive apparatus of roads, military infrastructure and protected land that services the Israeli communities.  Nabil Shaath, leader of the foreign affairs department of Fatah has said, “We want to generate pressure on Israel to make it feel isolated and help it understand that there can be no talks without a stop to settlements.” Mahmoud Abbas who said that negotiations would not commence until settling in the West Bank had frozen reaffirmed this statement.

Although this is a large impediment to peace, there are many who remain optimistic and believe that the international community, and particularly the United States has the power to persuade Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to put a halt to settlements, thus recommencing peace talks. Other optimists point to the withdrawal of settlements from Gaza.

The Israeli West Bank Barrier    

Starting in 2002, Israel has constructed a barrier to separate Israeli settlements from Palestinians in the West Bank. According to Israel, the purpose of these walls is to protect Israelis from terrorist attacks. Israel has said that attacks from the West Bank have dropped 90% thanks to the wall, however, the wall has been declared illegal by both the International Court of Justice and the Israeli Supreme Court.

For the Palestinians, the barrier has cut Palestinians off from 17% of land that is rightfully theirs. In 2004, the United Nations General Assembly passed a Resolution asking Israel to tear down its wall and made a reference for an Advisory Opinion to the International Court of Justice.

The Palestinian Bid for Full U.N. Membership   

Frequent debate about UN reform surrounds the fact that the Security Council has five permanent members: the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Russia, and China, each of whom have veto power, meaning that they can block the passage of any resolution (this power is not reflected in General Assembly meetings). When the United Nations Security Council convened in September 2011 to discuss Palestinians’ bid for full membership in the United Nations, the United States wielded the threat of its veto to obstruct the Palestinian Authority’s ambitions for full United Nations membership.

In a statement explaining the United States position, President Barack Obama addressed world leaders in the General Assembly, stating that, “Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N. If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now.”

Mr. Obama asserted that the international community must keep pushing towards Israeli and Palestinian talks on four key issues that have challenged peace since 1979: the borders of a new Palestinian state, security for Israel, the status of Palestinian refugees and the fate of Jerusalem which is disputed as the capital for Israelis and Palestinians alike. While President Obama congratulated the democratic movements in the Ivory Coast, Tunisia, South Sudan, Egypt, and Libya, President Obama has insisted that the Palestinians must make peace with Israel before gaining statehood themselves. He concluded, “Israelis and Palestinians have grievances and the United Nations must be an arbiter.”

India’s Stance

India is a country with a long history of enmity with many of the nations that threaten Israel’s interests. India and Israel have had a long-standing military alliance. India prioritizes Israel’s security.