Will the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Impede the War on Terrorism?
Abstract
The current round of hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians has the potential to greatly complicate -- and perhaps thwart entirely -- the War on Terrorism. A spillover of the Palestinian conflict into the larger region would threaten the stability of Pro-American regimes and would play right into the hands of regimes and groups hostile to American interests in the region. How did we get to this point? The newest Israeli-Palestinian fighting began in September 2000 when then-opposition leader (now prime minister) Ariel Sharon made a provocative visit with 1,000 Israeli police to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem -- a site considered holy by Muslims around the world. Sharon's stated goal was to assert permanent Israeli sovereignty over the entirety of Jerusalem, including over Muslim areas and shrines. Sharon's ulterior motive appears to have been to undermine then-prime minister Ehud Barak's peace proposals (which included allowing for some Palestinian control in Muslim parts of Jerusalem), and to thrust himself and his Likud party into power. Sharon's gambit worked, but not without a heavy price. Sharon's move infuriated the Palestinians, who were in any case primed for a fight following the collapse of the peace process in July 2000. While Sharon provided the spark, it was the failure of the Oslo peace process that really explains the current hostilities. The Oslo peace process was supposed to finally end the century-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians through a "land for peace" formula. That is, Israel would withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza Strip (lands it had occupied since 1967) in exchange for full peace and diplomatic recognition. Since spillover would negatively impact the War on Terrorism in the Middle East, the Bush administration has attempted to contain the level of violence and prevent it from spiraling out of control. Containment has also included an open call for establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA485181
Entities
People
- Glenn E. Robinson
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School