HISTORY 244 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Presbyterian Polity, Ariel Sharon, Western Wall
Outline -- The Missing Peace
I. Stepping Back from the Abyss
● 1999 both sides sood on sides of abyss and both sides stood back temporarily
● PA was reluctant to crack down on Hamas bc arafat didn't want to alienate that
population
○ He began to realize that uncontrolled violence could push netanyahu to
make no concessions at all, and make it impossible for labor to replace
likud (netanyahu)
● 1986- began to crack down on hamas terrorism
● PA was willing to work with israel
● Could the PA find an israeli partner that was more agreeable to talk w than
netanyahu
● The chances of finding a cooperative partner improved dramatically in 99
● Leading israeli generals decided israel security needed rapid peace agreement
and netanyahu was making it impossible
● ehud barak was most decorated in all of israel
○ Became part of labor party
○ Entered 99 election
○ Promised a breakthrough in the peace process
○ Promised to withdraw from south lebanon within a year
○ Won 56 to 44
● Revived some optimism that began with oslo in 93
● The events in those 6 years dud take a toll on the peace
● Oslo was still alive by 99
● Both sides stepped back from the abyss
II. South Lebanon
● Barak dealt with south lebanon after 15 year war
● Trying to protect territory in lebanon
● hizballah - lebanese shiite group
● Barak withdraw unilaterally
● Suddenly withdrew all troops
● In may 2000
● hizballah couldn't attack israeli forces
● Hailed this as part of bold leadership
● South lebanon became israel's vietnam
● If israelis were glad to be out of lebanon
● Withdraw made jewish state look weak
● hizballah - First arab movement ever to defeat israel
○ Don't make concessions to israelis, fight persistently, eventually israelis
will grow weary and retreat
○ hizballah inspired second intifada
III. Negotiations to Mid-2000
● Baraks main effort focused on the west bank and gaza
● The struggle with the pals was the core issue
● If he could solve relations with pal, syria and lebanon would have no reason for
hostility
● Late 1999- arafat and barak started to start final status talks
○ promised to reach peace agreement within a year by late 2000
○ By march 2000, no progress had been made
○ Pa in israel had secret negotiations in sweden
○ Both sides still remained quite far apart
○ Because of these unpromising signs, clinton and barak now decided that
the best hope for a breakthrough lay in a summit meeting between arafat
and barak with clinton presiding
○ Clinton wanted peace in middle east to be his legacy
■ Determined to succeed
○ Baraks coalition in the kennesset was weakening
○ Secular program which alienated the religious party which he depended
on to stay in power
○ Political survival depended on successful negotiations
○ Arafat had no enthusiasm
■ Didn't have enough time to prepare
■ More preliminary problems
○ The 2 weeks which clinton allocated for negotiation were inadequate
○ Arafat feared he was being brought into a trap
○ Said a crisis in inevitable and he’d be blamed for the talks
○ In the end it was impossible for arafat to turn down an invitation from the
president of the us
○ On july 11, 2000 - arafat still distrustful and barak and clinton and their
many aides converged on camp david where they were to hold a two
week summit which hoped to settle the hundred year dispute
IV. Camp David: The Issues
● 3 chief issues discussed:
Borders
○ Israel first proposed giving up all of gaza and giving up 14% of west bank
including green line and 2 east west carters that would connect israel to
jordan valley bc strategically imp to protect against attacks from the west
○ Wanted to hold on to 10% of jordan valley from palestine- lease it
○ Promised to keep 24% of west bank, pals want to give up nothing
■ Arafat complained this was not okay
○ Clinton agreed with Pal that israeli proposals were not fair
■ Also said PA requests of complete return of pre 67 borders was
also not ok
■ Said israel should keep 9% of west bank and give up 1% of land of
its own territory and israel would take a net 8% of the bank
■ Said there should be no east west corridors
■ Israel should keep outposts in jordan valley for 12 years, and after
everything would revert to palestinians
● Israel said yes, PA rejected
● Pa did offer 4% of WB, provided israel gave up some of their
own land, equivalent to the 4%
■ Gap was getting smaller
■
Jerusalem
Israel and pa positions on jerusalem
● Israel wanted an undivided city originally
● Muslims would have custody of muslim holy sights in old city
of jerusalem which are next to jewish holy sights
○ Temple mount- jews called it
○ Noble sanctuary- muslims called it
● Jews would maintain ultimate military authority over entire
jerusalem while each had own religious
■ The PA wants 2 separate cities
■ East jerusalem would be capital of pal
■ West jerusalem would be capital of israel
■ Clinton proposes a swiss cheese compromise
■ Arab neighborhood under palestinian sovereignty , israeli under
israeli sovereignty
■ Muslim and jews would each control their own holy sites
■ Sovereignty of the holy sights would remain with israel
■ Each state would establish its own capital in israel
■ Barak accepted this compromise
● All previous leaders said that jerusalem must maintain as a
whole the capital
Document Summary
Outline -- the missing peace: stepping back from the abyss. 1999 both sides sood on sides of abyss and both sides stood back temporarily. Pa was reluctant to crack down on hamas bc arafat didn"t want to alienate that population. He began to realize that uncontrolled violence could push netanyahu to make no concessions at all, and make it impossible for labor to replace likud (netanyahu) 1986- began to crack down on hamas terrorism. Pa was willing to work with israel. Could the pa find an israeli partner that was more agreeable to talk w than netanyahu. The chances of finding a cooperative partner improved dramatically in 99. Leading israeli generals decided israel security needed rapid peace agreement and netanyahu was making it impossible. Ehud barak was most decorated in all of israel. Promised a breakthrough in the peace process. Promised to withdraw from south lebanon within a year. Revived some optimism that began with oslo in 93.
