Monday, June 1, 2009

Palestine


Between 1947 and 1948, Palestinians evicted from Northern Palestine moved to refugee camps near the Lebanese capital of Beirut. They were not given citizenship upon arrival because it would upset religious balance within the country. In 1969, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) signed the Cairo Agreement, which was intended to regulate PLO involvement within Lebanon. Israel became worried because of the respect the PLO was gaining, and some leaders wanted to push out all Palestinians from Lebanon and Israel into Jordan and force them to form an independent state. On June 4th, 1982, the Israeli ambassador to Great Britain was severely wounded by terrorists, causing Israel to bomb PLO camps in Lebanon. The PLO responded with rockets, and Israel besieged West Beirut. The Israeli government allowed for the UN to supervise as PLO members were evacuated from the besieged city. Only after the United States promised that all Palestinians who remained would be safe did the PLO pull out its forces. Disaster struck when Bashir Gemayel, newly elected president of Lebanon, was killed. Israel moved into West Beirut again, breaking its agreement. Slaughter commenced in the Palestinian refugee camps, and in 2 days, the Red Cross estimated that 3’500 had been killed. Societies were rising up against each other, forever altering their relations and their view of one another.
Palestinians Seize the Achille Lauro (October 7th, 1985)
Four Palestinian terrorists hijacked an Italian cruise ship, the Achille Lauro, in an attempt to force Israel to release their comrades from prison. One of the passengers, an American named Leon Klinghoffer, was shot in the head and dumped into the ocean. The leader of the group, Abu Abbas, denied that his men had killed anyone, but Klinghoffer’s body washed ashore 10 days later, and murder was clearly the cause of death. The terrorists succeeded in holding the ship at gunpoint for 48 hours, but when they could not land in Israel or Syria, they turned the ship back to Egypt, where they surrendered to Egyptian authorities. The four hijackers were taken into custody by the Italians and imprisoned in Italy. The hijacking of the Italian cruise ship shows how decisions that are not well thought through can end in disaster. The terrorists did not take into account the reactions of those they considered to be their allies, and ended up surrendering. This act represents the beginning of the modern terrorist epidemic that now encompasses the globe.
The Palestine Intifada Begins (December 1987)
Beginning in 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. They gradually began to control the lives of the original Arab and Palestinian residents. The Palestinians were used as cheap labor in the new economy the Israelis were building. The controlling Israelis cared little for the welfare of the locals, heavily restricting their human rights. Finally, in 1987, uprisings broke out when Israeli soldiers expressed undue malice towards civilians. Few were killed in the hundreds of protests, though the Israeli government tried desperately to regain control by force. Strikes were implemented by the Palestinian workers, as well as boycotts of anything made in Israel. The Intifada encompassed many facets of life, including religion, racism, and human rights.
Sources-
"The Palestine Intifada Begins."Great Events- The 20th Century. Volume 9. 1992. Print.
"Palestinians are Massacred in Beirut."Great Events- The 20th Century. Volume 9. 1992. Print.
"Palestinians Sieze the Achille Lauro."Great Events- the 20th Century. Volume 9. 1992. Print.

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