The emergence of the Palestinian problem. The Palestinian problem at the present stage

The Palestinian problem is one of the most difficult issues for the world community. It arose in 1947 and formed the basis of the Middle East conflict, the development of which has been observed so far.

A Brief History of Palestine

The origins of the Palestinian problem should be sought in ancient times. Then this territory was the scene of an acute struggle between Mesopotamia, Egypt and Phenicia. Under King David, a strong Jewish state with a center in Jerusalem was established. But already in the II century. BC. E. Here the Romans invaded. They plundered the state and gave it a new name - Palestine. As a result, the Jewish population of the country was forced to migrate, and soon settled in different territories and mixed with Christians.

In the VII century. Palestine underwent an Arab conquest. Their dominance in this territory lasted almost 1000 years. In the second half of the 13th - early 16th century, Palestine was the province of Egypt, which was then ruled by the Mamluk dynasty. After that, the territory became part of the Ottoman Empire. By the end of the XIX century. The area with the center in Jerusalem, which was under the direct control of Istanbul, stands out.

Establishment of the British Mandate

The emergence of the Palestinian problem is associated with the policy of England, so we should consider the history of the establishment of the British mandate in this territory.

During the First World War, the Balfour Declaration was issued. In accordance with it, Great Britain was positive about the creation of a national home for Jews in Palestine. After that, a legion of Zion volunteers was sent to the conquest of the country.

In 1922, the League of Nations granted England the mandate to manage Palestine. It came into force in 1923.

Between 1919 and 1923 about 35 thousand Jews migrated to Palestine, and from 1924 to 1929 - 82 thousand Jews,

The situation in Palestine during the period of the British Mandate

During the British mandate, Jewish and Arab communities conducted independent domestic policies. In 1920, the Haganah was formed (the structure responsible for Jewish self-defense). Settlers in the territory of Palestine built houses and roads, developed their economic and social infrastructure. This led to the discontent of the Arabs, the consequence of which were Jewish pogroms. It was at this time (since 1929) that the Palestinian problem was beginning to emerge. The British authorities in this situation supported the Jewish population. However, the pogroms led to the need to limit their resettlement to Palestine, as well as the purchase of land here. The authorities even published the so-called Passfield White Paper. It significantly limited the relocation of Jews to Palestinian lands.

The situation in Palestine on the eve of World War II

After Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, hundreds of thousands of Jews immigrated to Palestine. In this regard, the Royal Commission proposed to divide the country's mandated territory into two parts. So, the Jewish and Arab states must be created. It was assumed that both parts of the former Palestine would be bound by treaty obligations with England. This proposal was supported by the Jews, but the Arabs opposed it. They demanded the formation of a single state that guaranteed the equality of all national groups.

In the years 1937-1938. There was a war between Jews and Arabs. After its completion (in 1939), the British authorities developed the MacDonald White Paper. It contained a proposal to create in 10 years a single state, where both Arabs and Jews will take part in government. The Zionists condemned MacDonald's White Paper. On the day of its publication, Jewish demonstrations took place, the Haganah's militants committed pogroms of the most important strategic targets.

The Second World War Period

After the rise to power of Churchill, Haganah militants actively participated on the side of Great Britain in the military operations in Syria. After the threat of the invasion of the Nazi troops to the territory of Palestine disappeared, Irgun (an underground terrorist organization) raised an uprising against England. At the end of the war, Britain restricted the entry of Jews into the country. In this regard, the Hagana united with the Irgun. They created a movement of "Jewish resistance". Members of these organizations smashed strategic facilities, committed attempts on the representatives of the colonial administration. In 1946, militants blew up all the bridges that connected Palestine with neighboring states.

Creation of the State of Israel. The emergence of the Palestinian problem

In 1947, the UN submitted a plan for the partition of Palestine, for Britain stated that it can not control the situation in the country. A commission of 11 states was formed. By decision of the UN General Assembly, after May 1, 1948, when the British mandate ceases to operate, Palestine should be divided into two states (Jewish and Arab). At the same time, Jerusalem must be under international control. This UN plan was adopted by a majority vote.

On May 14, 1948, the creation of an independent state of Israel was proclaimed. Exactly one hour before the end of the British Mandate in Palestine, Ben-Gurion unveiled the text of the Declaration of Independence.

Thus, despite the fact that the prerequisites for this conflict were outlined earlier, the emergence of the Palestinian problem is associated with the creation of the State of Israel.

War of 1948-1949

The day after the announcement of the decision to create Israel, Syrian, Iraqi, Lebanese, Egyptian and Transjordan troops invaded its territory. The purpose of these Arab countries was the destruction of the newly-formed state. The Palestinian problem escalated due to new circumstances. In May 1948, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were created. It should be noted that the new state was supported by the United States. Thanks to this, in June 1948 Israel launched a counteroffensive. The fighting ended only in 1949. During the war, under the control of Israel was West Jerusalem and a significant part of the Arab territories.

The Suez campaign of 1956

After the first war, the problem of the formation of the Palestinian statehood and the recognition of the independence of Israel by the Arabs did not disappear, but became even more aggravated.
In 1956, Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. France and the United Kingdom began preparations for the operation, the main striking force in which was to be Israel. Military operations began in October 1956 in the Sinai Peninsula. By the end of November, Israel controlled almost all of its territory (including Sharm el-Sheikh and the Gaza Strip). This situation caused discontent of the USSR and the United States. By early 1957, the troops of England and Israel were withdrawn from this region.

In 1964, the President of Egypt initiated the establishment of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In its program document, it was said that the partition of Palestine is illegitimate. In addition, the PLO did not recognize the State of Israel.

Six Day War

On June 5, 1967, three Arab countries (Egypt, Jordan and Syria) brought their troops to Israeli borders, blocked the way to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The armed forces of these states had a significant advantage. On the same day, Israel launched Operation Mokead and deployed its troops to Egypt. In a matter of days (June 5 to 10), the whole of the Sinai Peninsula, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the Golan Heights were under the control of Israel. It should be noted that Syria and Egypt accused the United Kingdom and the United States of being involved in military operations on the side of Israel. However, this assumption was refuted.

"The Doomsday War"

The Israeli-Palestinian problem worsened after the six-day war. Egypt repeatedly made attempts to regain control of the Sinai Peninsula.
In 1973, a new war began. On October 6 (Judgment Day in the Jewish calendar), Egypt brought troops into Sinai, and the Syrian army occupied the Golan Heights. The IDF managed to quickly repel the attack and drive the Arab units from these territories. The peace agreement was signed on October 23 (mediators in the talks were the US and the USSR).

In 1979, a new treaty was signed between Israel and Egypt. Under the control of the Jewish state remained the Gaza Strip, Sinai returned to its former owner.

"Peace for Galilee"

The main goal of Israel in this war was the elimination of the PLO. By 1982, the base base of the PLO had been established in southern Lebanon. From its territory were constantly fired on Galilee. On June 3, 1982 terrorists assassinated the Israeli ambassador in London.

On June 5, the IDF conducted a successful operation, during which the Arab units were defeated. Israel won the war, but the Palestinian problem has intensified. This was due to the deterioration of the situation of the Jewish state in the international arena.

The search for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in 1991

The Palestinian problem in international relations played a significant role. It affected the interests of many states, including Great Britain, France, the USSR, the United States, and others.

In 1991, the Madrid Conference was held to resolve the Middle East conflict. Its organizers were the USA and the USSR. Their efforts were aimed at ensuring that the Arab countries (the parties to the conflict) made peace with the Jewish state.

Understanding the essence of the Palestinian problem, the United States and the Soviet Union offered Israel to liberate the occupied territories. They advocated securing the legitimate rights of the people of Palestine and security for the Jewish state. For the first time, all parties to the Middle East conflict participated in the Madrid Conference. In addition, a formula for future negotiations was worked out here: "peace in exchange for territories."

Negotiations in Oslo

The next attempt to resolve the conflict was secret negotiations between the delegations of Israel and the PLO, held in August 1993 in Oslo. The mediator in them was the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Israel and the PLO declared recognition of each other. In addition, the latter undertook to abolish the paragraph of the charter requiring the destruction of the Jewish state. The talks ended with the signing in Washington of the Declaration of Principles. The document provided for the introduction of self-government in the Gaza Strip for a period of 5 years.

In general, the negotiations in Oslo did not bring significant results. The independence of Palestine was not proclaimed, the refugees could not return to their ancestral territories, the status of Jerusalem was not defined.

The Palestinian problem at the present stage

Since the beginning of the 2000s, the international community has made repeated attempts to resolve the Palestinian problem. In 2003, the three-stage road map was developed. He expected a final and full-scale settlement of the Middle East conflict by 2005. For this purpose, it was planned to create a viable democratic state - Palestine. This project was approved by both sides of the conflict and still retains the status of the only official plan for the peaceful regulation of the Palestinian problem.

However, to this day, this region is one of the most "explosive" in the world. The problem is not only unresolved, but also periodically exacerbated.