YUMUNC 2020
The Arab-Israeli Conflict

Letter from the Dais

Dear Delegates,

Hello and welcome to Crisis Simulation at Yale! Our names are Shaezmina Khan and Hajar Samih and we are really excited to serve as your chairs for this crisis committee, Arab Israeli War II in 2021. During the conference, we hope to facilitate engaging debate, encourage innovative solutions, and examine some of the most pressing issues facing the world today.

Shaezmina Khan is a sophomore in Trumbull College, studying Global Affairs and a Human Rights Scholar at Yale Law School. She is originally from Princeton, New Jersey, and considers New Jersey and Pakistan to be home. At Yale, Shaezmina is very involved with Yale International Relations Association, the Muslim Students Association, Women’s Leadership Initiative at Yale, and Yale Undergraduate Legal Aid Association. Shaezmina is extremely passionate about international relations, with a particular interest in global governance, human rights, and the Middle East. 

Hajar Samih is a sophomore in Benjamin Franklin College, studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology on the pre-med track. She is originally from New York City, and considers NYC and Morocco to be home. At Yale, Hajar is involved with the Muslim Students Association, the Arab Students Association, and the Afro American Cultural Center at Yale. Hajar is very interested in the politics of the Middle East, and has grown up in communities where the challenges and difficulties in the Middle East and greater MENA region are often spoken about. 

As your Chairs, we are more than happy to help you in your research. If you have any

questions or concerns about this topic guide, please feel free to

contact us at shaezmina.khan@yale.edu and hajar.samih@yale.edu . 

We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Sincerely, 

Shaezmina Khan and Hajar Samih 

Introduction and History of Committee 

The Arab League is a regional organization of Arab states located within Asia and Africa. It was formed in Cairo on March 22nd, 1945. Representatives from Yemen, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria all gathered in Cairo in order to establish the Arab League. Each member state of the Arab League receives one vote. Today members of the Arab League include Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The aim of the Arab League was to encourage political, economic, and cultural cohesion of its members and to also serve as a medium in which members could mediate disputes amongst themselves along with third parties. When the state of Israel was founded, the Arab League members signed a mutual defense treaty. In 1959 the Arab League held the first Arab Petroleum Congress, and in 1964 it established the Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO). Notable events of the Arab League members’ history include the Egyptian and Israeli War and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. In the 1970s, other members of the Arab League voted to suspend Egypt membership and to move the League’s headquarters to Tunis. Egypt was later reinstated in 1989. During the Arab Spring, the Arab League voted to support a no- fly zone over Libya to protect opponents of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi from air attacks. The Arab League has also been involved in the Syrian War.

This committee begins on February 1st, 2021 and includes the nations of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Yemen, and Oman. Though not all of these nations are officially part of the Arab League, for the sake of this committee, they will be. The objective of this crisis committee is to attend to the Second Arab-Israeli Conflict (II), occurring in real time in 2021.

Past & Current Situation (Arab Israeli War Part II)

In 1917, during the first World War, the British Empire supported the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine through the Balfour declaration. It was not until the British Empire gained a mandate over Palestine that they were able to establish this Jewish state in Palestine with the help of the League of Nations. The specific land of Palestine was chosen because of its significance to the Jews who were fleeing persecution, seeking a homeland and haven in Palestine. However, the Arabs in Palestine resisted this move through mass riots, seeing this land as rightfully theirs. As Jews continued immigrating into the land between 1920-1940, tensions kept rising between the two groups, and Palestinians began revolting against British rule. 

In 1947, following the Holocaust and the genocide of 6,000,000 Jews by the Nazi regime, the newly established United Nations approved a partition plan. This plan called for the splitting of Palestine into a Jewish and Palestinian state, with the city of Jerusalem being internationalized. Although being accepted by Jewish leaders, Arab leaders rejected the plan and it was therefore never implemented. 

Unable to resolve the rapidly worsening conflict between the two groups, the British leave the territory. Jewish leaders declared the state of Israel in May of 1948, sparking a war. Leading up to this declaration of a state of Israel and during the ensuing war was the displacement of over 700,000 Palestinians. These Palestinians were uprooted from their homes, a crisis known as “Al Nakba” (The Catastrophe), creating an ongoing refugee crisis that has grown to over 7 million Palestinians today. 

          Al Nakba is the name given to the Palestinian refugee crisis 

When Israel established itself in May 1948, immediately after the British mandate over Palestine ended, neighboring Arab states attacked Israel and aided the Palestinian cause. These Arab states, including Egypt, modern-day Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, took control of the Arab areas and attacked any Israeli settlements/territories. However, Israel ended up gaining control of 60% of the Palestinian territory proposed by the 1947 partition plan during this war. A cease-fire agreement was signed in 1949 between Israel and the neighboring Arab states that joined the war. This agreement left modern-day Jordan in control of the West bank, and Egypt in control of Gaza. Jerusalem was split between Israeli forces (West) and Jordanina forces (East). Due to the lack of a peace agreement, violence and tensions between Israel and its neighbors ensued, on top of constant pushback by Palestinians in this new state. 

This cease-fire lasted 18 years before Israel sparked a war with Egypt. This war in 1956 was the result of Egypt nationalizing its Suez Canal, and Israel teamed up with Britain and France to reverse this by issuing a regime change. Although they failed, Israel regained shipping rights in the Strait of Tiran in a series of battles known as the Sinai Campaign. 

June 1967 came and violence was at an all-time high with the six-day war. This was building up due to increased battles between Arab states and Israeli forces on the border, as well as alliances made between Arab states. Finally, Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping, and Israel voted to counterattack the Arab military buildup at the border and launched a preemptive strike. Israeli forces caught the Egyptians by surprise and decimated much of their airforce, as well as Jordan, Syria, and Iraq’s. After gaining aerial control of the regions, Israel had an upperhand. Despite spirited resistance, Egyptian forces were overpowered and chased out past Sinai. Due to false reports of Egypt’s victory, Jordan attacked Israeli positions in Jerusalem. Israel responded by heavily attacking East Jerusalem and the West bank. After these six days, Israel gains control over the Old City of Jerusalem, as well as the West bank, the Golan Heights of Syria, and the Egyptian Sinai. At the same time, the United Nations Security Council passes a resolution calling on Israel to withdraw from these territories, claiming they are breaking international law by occupying these lands. 

This war, which lasted about 132 hours, cost 20,000 Arab lives and 800 Israeli lives. The United Nations brokered a ceasefire, which had yet to end or even lessen tensions between the groups. By taking control over the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel in turn absorbed over one million Palestinian Arabs. Many fled Israeli rule, further worsening the Palestinian refugee crisis and continuing the turmoil and violin. These refugees were rejected access to their pre 1948 homes, leaving them displaced.

Wounded by their defeat, Arab leaders met in Sudan and signed a resolution promising “no peace, no recognition, and no negotiation” with Israel. In an attempt to regain their lost land, Egypt and Syria launched a planned attack on Israel on Yom Kippur in 1973, the holiest day in Judaism. Israel was caught by surprise, but rebounded even stronger than the Arabs and defeated both armies. This defeat prompted the signing of the first peace agreements between Arab and Israeli states. In 1979, the peace treaty was signed between Israel and one of its Arab states, Egypt, where Israel returned the territory in Sinai it had captured. These were known as the Camp David Accords, and brought an end to the conflict between Egypt and Israel. Syria, however, greatly suffered from this war, losing even more territory in the Golan Heights to Israel. 

An attempt at final peace came about in 1993 with the Oslo Accords. The Oslo Accords are a pair of agreements between the state of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The agreement of this peace was short-lived as Israeli settlements continued to grow despite international opposition, and Palestinian violence against Israeli citizens grew as a result. A second Intifada (Palestinian uprising against Israel) resulted from the collapse of these peace talks of 2000. This uprising was bloodier as Palestinians adopted tactics of suicide bombings and sniper fire, while Israelis responded with even deadlier force. After a deadly bombing on Passover, Israel reoccupied the major cities of the West Bank, building a security fence between Israel and the West Bank as well as withdrawing from Gaza.

Following Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas, a Palestinian opposition group, refused to recognize the Palestinian and Israeli agreements and took control of Gaza. Hamas led many rocket attacks split into three major periods. After the second wave of battles, Israel developed an extensive missile defense system known as the Iron Dome, which has kept it heavily protected since 2012. Since 2014, an unstable quiet has developed as no large-scale attacks have occurred.

Current Situation

Gaza remains ruled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank continue to suffer because of Israeli actions, while Israel claims self-defense.

Israel continues to restrict the movement of goods and citizens in and out of the Gaza strip while simultaneously facilitating the settlement of Israelis in the occupied West Bank, despite the condemnation of these settlements under international law. Both Egyptian and Israeli’s tight restrictions on the borders of Gaza have led to limited access to education, medical care, electricity, and more to the 2 million Palestinians living there. Israeli soldiers at the wall have orders to open fire on any demonstrations within Gaza borders, another violation of international human rights. The separation barrier between the West bank and Israeli land keeps thousands of Palestinians from being able to access their properties, as well as restricts movement of Palestinians between the two territories. 

           Tensions sky-rocketted in 2017 after Donald J. Trump, president of the United States, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. As Palestinians hoped West Jerusalem would be the capital of a Palestinian state, this decision by the United States has further impeded the peace process, despite the US’s ongoing commitment to help both sides in reaching a peace agreement. However, this recognition isn’t the only profound change in International relations with Israel. In the last months of 2020 alone, four more Arab states joined Egypt in recognizing Israel and developing ties with it. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain developed diplomatic relations with Israel in September 2020 through a US-brokered deal against Iran. The next month, Sudan normalized ties with Israel after the US removed it from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. In December, Morocco normalized ties with Israel when the US promised to recognize their sovereignty over the Western Sahara region. Despite these new ties and deals of normalization, largely brokered by the US, citizens of these Arab states still hold strong sentiments for the Palestinian cause, and as a result have protested these decisions across all four nations. 

It is now 2021. COVID-19 has highlighted the detrimental effects of Israel’s restrictions on transport as they make it difficult for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank to receive medical supplies and vaccinations. On February 12th, 2021, Iran launches a surprise airstrike on Israel at night, strong enough to get past the Iron Dome and kill 200 civilians. The second Arab Israeli War is on the rise. 

Other Developments

In an effort to oppose growing Jewish immigration into Palestine, most nations in the Arab league levied a trade and diplomatic boycott, first against the Yishuv (the Jewish community in Palestine attempting to form a Jewish state) in 1945 and then against Israel when it was founded in 1948 and Al Nakba took place. In the decades that followed, governments such as Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan formalized peace deals with Israel betwen 1979 and 1994 and withdrew from the boycott. Furthermore, Mauritania, Algeria, and Tunisia do not enforce the boycott; several countries such as the UAE, Sudan, Morocco, and Bahrain signed peace agreements in 2020. 

The process of normalization now taking place between Arab League countries and Israel would have been unimaginable in the immediate years after Israel’s declaration of statehood, occupation of Palestinian land, and expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians in 1948. Normalization is a diplomatic term describing two countries developing a formal relationship following a period of not conducting affairs with one another. It involves the countries beginning to exchange with one another in forms such as embassies and ambassadors, trade, and direct air travel. However, there has been a steady shift in the diplomatic approach towards Israel among many surrounding Arab League countries, in part due to the influence of the United States. 

During the Arab-Israeli wars, several Gulf countries, such as Saudi Arabia, sent military reinforcements to Palestine. Following these wars, Israel has slowly but consistently expanded its borders by illegally demolishing Palestinian homes and/or building settlements, blockading the Gaza Strip, and militarily occupying the rest of Palestine. Saudi Arabia remained one of the more firm backers of the Palestinian cause under the reign of King Salman, but this has changed since power was conferred to crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in 2017. Reports of a secret Saudi-Israeli meeting in 2020 were met with media frenzy, given the history of the two countries’ relationship. While US and Israeli media reported that Mike Pompeo, the American secretary of state under President Trump, was on an official visit to Saudi Arabia when Netanyahu flew over to join, the Saudis claim the meeting never happened. Its neighbors, Bahrain and UAE, formalized their peace deals in the same year. 

The effect of these negotiations between Arab League countries and Israel, whether the Saudi-US-Israel meeting took place or not, is that it weakens the Palestinian leaders’ position to negotiate a peace deal with Israel. For Palestinian people who have been uprooted by the conflicted, the diminishing Arab League makes it much harder to negotiate reparations or justice, or build up remaining land from the damage caused by occupations. There are a few motivations for the shift in attitude There was a UAE-Israeli trade conference and Twitter pages are now promoting Israeli products in the Gulf and Emirati products in Israel. Business motivations may be part of the equation, but the stark shift in Saudi relations with Israel seems to be more a function of MBS attempting to refashion his image as a leader. Since he came to power in 2017, he has played a role in several politically disastrous moves by Saudi Arabia, including the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the war in Yemen, and the apprehension of his critics. In addition, MBS and Donald Trump met in Washington at the Oval Office in 2018 during a Saudi Arabian business tour. 

Iran launching a surprise airstrike on Israel, however, might change everything. With another war approaching, times are uncertain and alliances will be tested. 

Algeria- Algeria has been and remains a strong ally to the Palestinian cause. Palestinians were inspired by the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962), and Algeria has provided Palestinians with arms and training in the 1970s. In 1975, Algeria voted for and supported a UN resolution which deemed Zionism as racism (which has since been repealed), and after the Camp David Accords, severed diplomatic relations with Egypt. Even after the Oslo Accords, Algeria has continued to support the Palestinian cause and condemned any attack on the Palestinians by Israel, as well as being a part of the Arab League boycott of Israel. To this day, as many of Algeria’s Arab allies and neighbors are normalizing relations with Israel, their president Abdelmadjid Tebboune has affirmed: “We will not participate in it. We will not accept it. We will not bless it. [The] Palestine cause is sacred, and we will not give it up.” 

Egypt- Egypt was very involved in the Palestine-Israel conflict at its peak as one of the heads of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 and the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Because the two nations share a border, conflicts were always the most tense between the two. However, things took a sharp turn after Egypt became the first Arab nation to recognize and normalize ties with Israel in 1979, and ambassadors were established between the former enemies a year later. Peace has lasted over thirty years so far, and Egypt has been a vital strategic partner of Israel. Although diplomatic ties are strong and cooperative, Egyptian citizens oppose the relationship with Israel as the Arab-Israeli conflict has kept relations cool.

Iraq- To this day, Iraq does not recognize Israel as a state. Iraq was one of the Arab nations that declared war on Israel in 1948, and Iraqi forces have participated in wars against Israel in 1967 and 1973. Under Israeli law, Iraq is labelled an “enemy state”, and neither country’s passport is allowed entry in the other’s country. 

Jordan- The relationship between Israel and Jordan is held together by the Israel-Jordan Peace treaty in 1994. The two nations share borders, one of which connects the West Bank with Jordan. The 1994 peace treaty ended the state of war between the nations that had lasted since Israel’s establishment. The peace treaty also established diplomatic relations, although the two powers frequently argue about tensions around Al-Aqsa Mosque. However since 2019 relations have been at an “all-time low” according to Jordan’s King Abdullah, largely due to domestic issues in Israel.

Lebanon- Although Lebanon participated heavily in the 1948 war against Israel, they were not involved in the Six-day War or the Yom Kippur War. During the Lebanese Civil War, Israel allied with the Christina Lebanese militias and reached normalized relations in 1983. However, this was revoked in 1984 after Druze and Shiite militias took over Lebanon. Lebanon is seen as an “enemy state” by Israeli law enforcement, and both nation’s citizens are strictly prohibited entry into the other’s country. Anti-Iranian sentiment coupled with the UAE and Bahrain signing peace treaties with Israel in 2020, pressure has been on Lebanon for their next move. 

Palestine - Both sides—Palestine and Israel—continue to suffer casualties as the impasse over territorial rights in the region continues to present day. This conflict, as noted, spills over into other regional and international communities. Today, there is no Palestinian sovereign state and Israel occupies significant Palestinian territory in the region. 

Qatar -  Until 2009, Qatar and Israel had diplomatic and financial relations—but due to Operation Cast Lead, Qatar broke its ties with Israel. In 2021, the Qatari foreign minister confirmed that Qatar will normalize its relations with Israel if Israel commits to the Arab Peace Initiative. 

Saudi Arabia - A charter member of the Arab League, Saudi Arabia had supported Palestinian rights to sovereignty, and called for withdrawal from the West Bank and other territory occupied by Israel since 1967. In 1947, Saudi Arabia was voted against the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. Saudi troops were sent to fight against Israel in the 1948 and 1973 wars. In present day, though Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have any official diplomatic relations, there are signs of extensive behind the scenes diplomatic and intelligence cooperation (in pursuit of mutual goals against their enemies, Iran and Turkey) in 2021. 

UAE -  From as early as 1971, the First President of the UAE referred to Israel as an enemy. However, since then, UAE attitudes towards Israel have shifted significantly: on August 13, 2020, the UAE and Israel signed an agreement mediated by Trump. Under this deal, the UAE and Israel established full diplomatic relations, with the UAE becoming the third Arab state to fully recognize Israel. 

Iran - In 1947, Iran was among the 13 countries that voted against the UN Partition Plan for Palestine. Iran was however the second Muslim-majority country to officially recognize Israel as a sovereign state. After the 1979 Revolution, however, Iran severed all ties with Israel—diplomatic and commercial—and its Islamic government does not recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a state. In 2021, Iran and Israel have an overtly hostile relationship. 

Yemen - Yemen is defined as an “enemy state” by Israeli law, and people with an Israeli passport or any passport with an Israeli stamp cannot enter Yemen. Yemen has said they will not normalize relations with Israel. Yemen was also against Israel during the Arab-Israeli conflict that started in 1948. 

Oman - Iran does not recognize the state of Israel and took part in the boycott of Israel during much of the 20th century. Reportedly however, Oman and Israel have been cooperating on an anti-Iranian coalition since 2017. In 2019, the Omani foreign minister said that Oman will not normalize relations with Israel until Palestine is a sovereign state. 

Endnotes

Al Jazeera English. “Why are Israel and Arab states getting friendly? | Start Here”  Dec. 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-g5bw3ckNk&ab_channel=AlJazeeraEnglish

Beauchamp, Zack. “What Were the Intifadas?” Vox, Vox, 20 Nov. 2018, www.vox.com/2018/11/20/18080066/israel-palestine-intifadas-first-second. 

Diamond, Jeremy, and Elise Labott. “Trump Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's Capital - CNN Politics.” CNN, Cable News Network, 6 Dec. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/12/06/politics/president-donald-trump-jerusalem/index.html. 

“Eurovision 2019: The Israeli-Palestinian Situation Explained.” BBC News, BBC, 14 May 2019, www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44124396. 

History.com Editors. “Oslo Accords.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 16 Feb. 2018, www.history.com/topics/middle-east/oslo-accords#section_2. 

History.com Editors. “Six-Day War.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 11 May 2018, www.history.com/topics/middle-east/six-day-war#section_2. 

History.com Editors. “Suez Crisis.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/cold-war/suez-crisis#:~:text=The%20Suez%20Crisis%20began%20on,the%20oil%20used%20by%20Europe. 

History.com Editors. “Yom Kippur War.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/middle-east/yom-kippur-war#section_3. 

Locke, Susannah. “Everything You Need to Know about Israel-Palestine.” Vox, Vox, 20 Nov. 2018, www.vox.com/2018/11/20/18079996/israel-palestine-conflict-guide-explainer. 

Malsin, Jared, and Amira El-Fekki. “As Arab States Recognize Israel, Egypt's 'Cold Peace' Points to Challenges Ahead.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 16 Dec. 2020, www.wsj.com/articles/as-arab-states-recognize-israel-egypts-cold-peace-points-to-challenges-11608139981. 

Schulman, Marc. Summary of the Arab Israeli Conflict, History Central, www.historycentral.com/Historynews.html#:~:text=In%201947%20in%20the%20aftermath,Jewish%20and%20an%20Arab%20state.&text=A%20war%20then%20ensued%2C%20the,Jews%20and%20Arabs%20of%20Palestine. 

“World Report 2020: Rights Trends in Israel and Palestine.” Human Rights Watch, 14 Jan. 2020, www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/israel/palestine. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algeria%E2%80%93Palestine_relations#:~:text=Algeria%E2%80%93Palestine%20relations%20refers%20to,no%20diplomatic%20relations%20with%20Israel. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt%E2%80%93Israel_relations 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq%E2%80%93Israel_relations#Since_the_2003_war_in_Iraq 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel%E2%80%93Jordan_relations#2010%E2%80%93present