Arab+and+Israeli+Conflict

__ Arab-Israeli Conflict Background Guide __
**The Canaanites were the earliest known inhabitants of Palestine. During the third millennium B.C., they became urbanized and lived in city-states, one of which was Jericho. They developed an alphabet from which other writing systems were derived; their religion was a major influence on the beliefs and practices of Judaism, and thus Christianity and Islam.** **After the 14th century B.C., new invaders appeared: the Hebrews, a group of Semitic tribes from Mesopotamia, and the Philistines (after whom the country was later named), an Aegean people of Indo-European stock. Joshua, a leader of the Hebrew tribes conquered parts of Palestine around 1230 B.C. The conquerors settled in the hill country, but they were unable to conquer all of Palestine. The Israelites, a confederation of Hebrew tribes, finally defeated the Canaanites about 1125 B.C., but found the struggle with the Philistines more difficult.** **The Philistines had established an independent state on the southern coast of Palestine and controlled a number of towns to the north and east. Superior in military organization and using iron weapons, they severely defeated the Israelites about 1050 B.C. The Philistine threat forced the Israelites to unite and establish a monarchy.** **David, Israel’s great king, finally defeated the Philistines shortly after 1000 B.C., and they eventually assimilated with the Canaanites. Under David’s son and successor, Solomon, Israel enjoyed peace and prosperity, but at his death in 922 B.C. the kingdom was divided into Israel in the north and Judah in the south. When nearby empires resumed their expansion, the divided Israelites could no longer maintain their independence.** **Israel fell to Assyria in 722 and 721 B.C., and Judah was conquered in 586 B.C. by Babylonia, which destroyed Jerusalem and exiled most of the Jews living there. The exiled Jews were allowed to retain their national and religious identity but at the same time they did not forget the land of Israel. When Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylonia in 539 B.C., he permitted them to return to Judea, a district of Palestine.** **Persian domination of Palestine was replace by Greek rule when Alexander the Great of Macedonia took the region in 333 B.C. Alexander’s successors, the Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids of Syria, continued to rule the country. Pompey the Great conquered Palestine for Rome around 63 B.C. and made it a province ruled by Jewish kings. It was during the rule of King Herod the Great (34-4 B.C.) that Jesus was born.** **The Jews were not pleased with the new rulers and Jewish revolts erupted and were suppressed – in 66 to 73 and 132 to 135. After the second one, numerous Jews were killed, many were sold into slavery, and the rest were not allowed to visit Jerusalem. Judea was renamed Syria Palaistina.**
 * BACKGROUND TO THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT **
 * Early History **

The Holy Land
**Palestine received special attention when the Roman emperor Constantine the Great legalized Christianity in 313. His mother, Helena, visited Jerusalem, and Palestine, as the Holy Land, became the focus of Christian pilgrimage. A golden age of prosperity, security, and culture followed. Most of the population became Hellenized and Christianized. Byzantine (Roman) rule was interrupted, however, by a brief Persian occupation (614-629) and ended altogether when Muslim Arab armies invaded Palestine and captured Jerusalem in 638.** **The Arab conquest began 1300 years of Muslim presence in what then became known as Filastin. Palestine the first qibla (the direction Muslims face when praying), and because he was believed to have ascended on a night journey to heaven from the area of Solomon’s temple, where the Dome of the Rock was later built. Jerusalem became the third holiest city of Islam. The Muslim rulers did not force their religion on the Palestinians, and more than a century passed before the majority converted to Islam.** **The remaining Christians and Jews were considered “People of the Book.” They were allowed autonomous control in their communities and guaranteed security and freedom of worship. Such tolerance (with few exceptions) was rare in the history of religion. Most Palestinians also adopted Arabic and Islamic culture. During the first Muslim dynasty Palestine prospered, but like the rest of the empire, however, Palestine under the Mamluks gradually stagnated and declined.** **The Ottoman Empire defeated the Mamluks in 1517 and, with few interruptions, ruled Palestine until the winter of 1917 and 1918. The country was divided into several districts (sanjaks), such as that of Jerusalem. The administration of the districts was placed largely in the hands of Arabized Palestinians, who were descendants of the Canaanites and successive settlers. The Christian and Jewish communities, however, were allowed a large measure of autonomy. Palestine shared in the glory of the Ottoman Empire during the 16th century, but declined again when the empire began to decline in the 17th century.** **The decline of Palestine – in trade, agriculture, and population – continued until the 19th century. At that time, the search by European powers for raw materials and markets, as well as their strategic interests, brought them to the Middle East, stimulating economic and social development. The rise of European nationalism in the 19th century, and especially the intensification of anti-Semitism during the 1880s, encouraged European Jews to seek haven in their “promised land,” Palestine. Theodor Herzl, author of //The Jewish State//, founded the World Zionist Organization in 1897 to solve Europe’s “Jewish problem.” As a result, Jewish immigration to Palestine greatly increased.**

The British Mandate
**In 1880, Arab Palestinians constituted about 95 percent of the total population of 450,000. Nevertheless, Jewish immigration, land purchase, and claims were reacted to with alarm by some Palestinian leaders, who then became adamantly opposed to Zionism. Aided by the Arabs, the British captured Palestine from the Ottomans in 1917 and 1918. The Arabs revolted against the Ottomans because the British had promised them, in correspondence (1915-1916) with Husein ibn Ali of Mecca, the independence of their countries after the war. Britain, however, also made other, conflicted commitments. Thus, in the secret Sykes-Picot agreement with France and Russia (1916), it promised to divide and rule the region with its allies. In a third agreement, the Balfour Declaration of 1917, Britain promised the Jews, whose help it needed in the war effort, a Jewish “national home” in Palestine. In July 1922, the League of Nations, an alliance of world powers formed in 1920 to preserve peace, issued a mandate granting control over Palestine to Britain, entrusting it to facilitate the establishment of a Jewish national home.** **During their mandate (1922-1948) the British found their contradictory promises to the Jewish and Palestinian communities difficult to reconcile. The Zionists envisaged large-scale Jewish immigration, and some spoke of a Jewish state constituting all of Palestine. The Palestinians, however, rejected Britain’s right to promise their country to a third party and feared dispossession by the Zionists; anti-Zionist attacks occurred in Jerusalem (1920) and Jaffa (1921). Immigration rose sharply after the installation (1933) of the Nazi regime in Germany; in 1935 nearly 62,000 Jews entered Palestine. Fear of Jewish domination was the principal cause of the Arab revolt that broke out in 1936 and continued intermittently until 1939. Britain issued a policy statement called a White Paper in 1939 imposing drastic restrictions on Jewish immigration and providing for the establishment within ten years of a single independent state with Jewish and Arab government participation in proportion to the population.** **Zionists, who saw the White Paper as a reversal of the Balfour Declaration and a denial of mandate obligations, emphatically rejected the document. The struggle for Palestine, which abated during World War II, resumed in 1945. The horrors of the Holocaust produced world sympathy for European Jewry and for Zionism, and although Britain still refused to admit 100,000 Jewish survivors to Palestine, many survivors of the Nazi death camps found their way there illegally. Various plans for solving the Palestine problem were rejected by one party or the other. Britain finally declared the mandate unworkable and turned the problem over to the United Nations in April 1947. The Jews and the Palestinians prepared for a showdown.**

The United Nations Partition Plan
**After extensive evaluation of the situation, the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) proposed that the territory of the British mandate west of the Jordan River be partitioned into Jewish and Arab states with Jerusalem under international control. On November 29, 1947, the UN adopted a partition plan. Zionists reluctantly accepted the plan as the best resolution they could expect given political circumstances, but the Arab world denounced and rejected it. The Arabs felt that the UN had no right to make such a decision and that Arabs should not be made to pay for Europe’s crimes against the Jews.** **Fighting in Palestine escalated rapidly in the months after the plan was adopted. In the military struggle that followed, the Palestinians were defeated. Terrorism was used on both sides. The state of Israel was established on May 14, 1948. The United States and the USSR, along with many other states, quickly recognized the new government. The Arab League declared war on the new state, and Egypt, Transjordan (now Jordan), Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq announced that their armies would enter the area to restore order. The newly established Israel Defense Forces (IDF), formed from prestate defense organizations, successfully repelled Arab forces. Fighting continued into early 1949, when Israel and each of the bordering states signed truce agreements that established the borders of the new state.** **The agreements left Israel in control of territory beyond what the partition plan allocated to it. Portions of territory that the UN plan had allocated to Palestinian Arabs came under Egyptian and Jordanian control (Egypt took over Gaza Strip, and Jordan gained control of the West Bank). Israel became the 59th member of the UN in May 1949. Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan. The war produced in the end, about 780,000 Palestinian refugees. About half probably left out of fear and panic, while the rest were forced out to make room for Jewish immigrants from Europe and from the Arab world.** **The disinherited Palestinians spread throughout the neighboring countries, where they have maintained their Palestinian national identity and the desire to return to their homeland. The lack of comprehensive peace settlements between Israel and the bordering states after the 1949 armistice agreements caused continual tensions in the region. The Arab states continued to regard the establishment of Israel as an injustice and sustained a political and economic boycott on the new state. Egypt refused Israel access to the Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, and in 1951 Egypt blockaded the Strait of Tiran, Israel’s only direct access to the Red Sea. Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip began raiding Israeli communities near the borders.** **In July 1956, Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, transferring ownership of the company that controlled its daily operations from British and French shareholders to the Egyptian government. Through secret negotiations with Britain and France, who sought to regain control of the canal and topple the Nasser regime, Israel planned a military offensive against Egypt.** **In October 1956, Israel invaded the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, quickly capturing these areas and advancing toward the Suez Canal. As planned in the meetings with Israel, the British and the French issued an ultimatum demanding withdrawal of both Israeli and Egyptian forces from the canal. When Nasser refused, British and French forces bombed Egyptian bases. The United States and the USSR demanded an immediate cease-fire, and a UN resolution soon forced the British, French, and Israelis to withdraw from Egyptian territory.** **The United Nations Emergency (UNEF) stationed troops on the frontier between Israel and Egypt, which helped ensure quiet along the border for the next decade. The Egyptian government reopened the canal, and Israel gained access to the Strait of Tiran. However, no comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace talks followed the Suez Crisis, and sporadic border incidents continued.** **In a period of relative peace in the decade after the 1956 war, Israel’s economy developed rapidly. Industrial and agricultural development allowed the government to end its austerity measures, unemployment almost disappeared, and living standards gradually improved. Exports doubled and** **the gross domestic product increased dramatically. Unresolved issues from previous** **conflicts caused continual tension between Israel and the Arabs, which flared up yet again in the mid-1960s. Israeli and Syrian efforts to divert water from the Jordan River and disputes over the use of the demilitarized zone between the two nations led to numerous border incidents. In 1964 the Arab League created the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to promote Palestinian nationalist activities and sought to coordinate Arab military efforts.** The Six-day War **In 1965 Palestinians began armed attacks against Israel; Israel responded with raids against Syria and Jordan. Border incidents became progressively more serious, inspiring nationalistic fervor throughout the Arab world. In May 1967 Nasser called for the removal of UN forces from the Suez Canal region. He also organized a military alliance with Syria, Jordan, and Iraq and moved Egyptian troops and equipment into the Sinai Peninsula.** **After efforts at mediation by the UN and the Western powers failed, Israel launched a preemptive military strike against Egypt in early June. Jordan, Syria, and Iraq joined the fighting against Israel. The Egyptian air force was destroyed on the ground within hours of the start of the Six-Day War, and Israeli forces quickly seized the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula. Israel also took East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan and the Golan Heights from Syria. Many Arabs fled these areas, which became known as the Occupied Territories. Israel placed the 1 million who remained under military administration.** **The USSR, which had supported the Arab alliance, and its allies immediately severed diplomatic relations with Israel. In November 1967 the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 242, which called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in the recent conflict in return for Arab recognition of Israel’s independence, peace, and secure borders. Although neither side met these demands, the trade of “land for peace” has been the central concept of all subsequent peace efforts.** **Although Israel’s victory inaugurated another period of economic growth and prosperity, it also politically polarized citizens into two groups: those who favored withdrawal from the Occupied Territories and peace with the Arabs, and those who sought Jewish settlement and annexation. Others favored positions in between, and most supported the annexation of East Jerusalem; the government formally united both parts of Jerusalem a few days after the war ended. The controversy also led in 1973 to the formation of Likud, a coalition of parties opposed to Israel’s withdrawal from the Occupied Territories.** **In 1969 President Nasser of Egypt launched the War of Attrition against Israel along the Suez Canal in an effort to continue the conflict and wear down the enemy. The USSR provided Egypt with advanced military equipment, advisers, and pilots. Israel responded with air and artillery attacks against Egypt. The conflict was ended by a cease-fire sponsored by the United States in August 1970, but there was no substantial movement toward peace. Nasser died in 1970; soon after, newly elected Egyptian president Anwar al-Sadat attempted to regain the Sinai Peninsula from Israel through diplomatic means. Negotiations to resolve the dispute failed, and on October 6, 1973, Egyptian and Syrian military forces launched a surprise attack on Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and in the Golan Heights.** **Despite initial Egyptian and Syrian advances, Israel pushed Syria back beyond the 1967 cease-fire line and crossed the Suez Canal to take a portion of its west bank in Egypt. During the fighting, the USSR supplied arms to Egypt and Syria, and the United States provided arms to Israel. The Arab-Israeli War of 1973 (called the Yom Kippur War by Israel and the Ramadan War by Arabs) ended with a cease-fire in late October. Israel suffered heavy losses in the fighting despite its ultimate military successes. Parliamentary elections were postponed until December. The Labor Party remained in power, and Golda Meir retained her position as prime minister. Traveling back and forth between the countries in a process known as shuttle diplomacy, U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger helped negotiate a military disengagement between Israeli and Egyptian forces in January 1974 and another between Israel and Syria in May.** **In 1977, Sadat announced his willingness to meet with Israel publicly and openly to discuss peace. In November he arrived in Israel to address the Knesset, calling on Begin to negotiate peace. After nearly a year of stalled negotiations, U.S. president Jimmy Carter brought the parties together at Camp David, Maryland, in September 1978 to break the stalemate.** **Carter, Begin, and Sadat concluded the Camp David Accords, agreements that provided the outline and basis for a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel and for a comprehensive Middle East peace focusing on the Palestinian issues and the future of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.** **In March 1979 Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty calling for Israel’s gradual withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Israel completed its Sinai withdrawal in 1982. The treaty eliminated the threat of Israel’s primary Arab adversary with the largest military capacity. It also led to increased U.S. economic and military assistance to both Israel and Egypt. However, it failed to bring about a comprehensive Middle Eastern peace. On the contrary, the Arab League condemned Egypt and suspended its membership.** **Despite peace with Egypt, hostilities continued between Israel and other Arab nations. In June 1981 Begin sent Israel’s air force to destroy an Iraqi nuclear reactor near Baghdad, claiming it was being used for development of nuclear weapons. Later that year Israel effectively annexed the Golan Heights by extending Israeli civil law to the region; Syria refused to recognize Israel’s authority. Begin continued to push for Israeli settlement in all of the Occupied Territories, heightening tensions in those regions.** **The Lebanon border, which had been relatively quiet through the preceding Arab-Israeli wars, became the focus of Israeli security concerns in the early 1980s. Tensions between Lebanese Muslims and Christians had been heightened when the PLO, which had been expelled from Jordan in 1970, arrived in Lebanon. The situation was further complicated by the presence since 1976 of Syrian forces, who had originally intervened on behalf of Christians but soon allied with the PLO and other Muslims.** **PLO raids from Lebanon into Israel and the presence of Syrian missiles in Lebanon since early 1981 prompted Israel to launch a major military action, called “Operation Peace for Galilee,” into southern Lebanon in June 1982. The objectives of the raid were to ensure security for northern Israel and to destroy PLO infrastructure in Lebanon. Israel allied with Lebanese Christians, who also sought to expel the PLO. Under orders from Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, the Israeli military pushed north to Beirut, defeating PLO and Syrian forces. United States envoy Philip Habib negotiated a cease-fire, and the PLO withdrew its forces from Lebanon in August 1982.** **After the cease-fire, Bashir Gemayel, leader of a Maronite Christian party, was elected president of Lebanon but was assassinated on September 14. Subsequently, right-wing Lebanese Christian militiamen entered Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila near Beirut and massacred hundreds of Palestinians in the camps. The Israeli forces and Defense Minister Ariel Sharon where highly criticized for not doing anything to prevent the massacre. The Israeli government established a commission of inquiry to investigate events pertaining to the massacre and to determine whether Israel held any responsibility for it.** **The commission’s report, issued in early 1983, found Israeli military leaders indirectly responsible for failing to anticipate or prevent the massacre. It recommended the resignation of Sharon and other military leaders. Israel withdrew most of its forces from Lebanon in 1985, leaving a small force in the south to maintain security along the border.** Intifada **The relative quiet in the West Bank and Gaza Strip ended in December 1987 when a series of widespread demonstrations, strikes, riots, and violence known collectively as the Intifada broke out. Encompassing the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Intifada began as a spontaneous expression of frustration and resentment at 20 years of Israeli rule and Jewish settlement in the Occupied Territories. As the movement expanded and became more violent, Israel responded with increasingly harsh reprisals, which drew international criticism.** **Efforts by Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin to stop the riots and demonstrations failed, as did an attempt by U.S. secretary of state George Shultz to initiate peace negotiations. The United States excluded the PLO from negotiations as long as the PLO refused to accept Israel’s right to exist, and Palestinians would not participate in negotiations that excluded the PLO. The 1988 Israeli elections were inconclusive, and a new national unity government was installed, and Shamir was to remain as prime minister throughout the tenure of the government.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**At this time PLO chairman Yasir Arafat acknowledged Israel’s right to exist by accepting UN Security Council Resolution 242 (originally adopted by the UN in 1967), and Arafat renounced terrorism. As a result the United States and the PLO began a formal dialogue. In the spring of 1989 the Israeli government proposed a comprehensive peace initiative, but efforts to work out the details soon failed. Negotiations suffered a further setback when the United States suspended its dialogue with the PLO following Arafat’s refusal to condemn a terrorist raid on a beach near Tel Aviv by a group affiliated with the PLO.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**In March 1990 the Knesset terminated the Shamir government with a vote of no confidence, the first such successful vote in Israel’s history. After efforts by former Finance Minister Peres to form a government failed, Shamir succeeded in establishing a coalition of Likud and several right-wing and religious parties in June 1990. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 and the subsequent Persian Gulf War in 1991 further postponed efforts to seek an Arab-Israeli peace.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**During the war the United States and other members of an international coalition against Iraq excluded Israel from participation so as not to alienate the coalition’s Arab members. Soon after hostilities broke out in January 1991, Iraq fired Scud missiles at Israel and Saudi Arabia in an effort to split the coalition by diverting Arab attention from its anti-Iraqi stance to its opposition to Israel. The plan failed because Israel, at the request of the United States, did not retaliate.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**The following end of the Cold War and the success of the Gulf War coalition suggested new possibilities in the quest for an Arab-Israeli peace. After months of shuttle diplomacy by U.S. secretary of state James Baker, the United States and the USSR issued invitations to Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and the Palestinians to a peace conference in Madrid, Spain, in the fall of 1991. Israel continued to exclude the PLO, insisting on meeting instead with a joint Jordanian-** **Palestinian delegation.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**The Madrid conference convened in October 1991 and was followed by bilateral negotiations in Washington, D.C., several months later. Despite months of negotiations between Israel and the Lebanese, Syrian, and Jordanian- Palestinian delegations, no agreements emerged. Nevertheless, the conference was an important step on the road to peace because it involved direct, bilateral, public, and official peace negotiations between Israel and its Arab neighbors on the central political issues of the conflict. In the midst of the Washington sessions, Labor emerged as the leading party in the Knesset elections in June 1992. As prime minister, Labor leader Yitzhak Rabin formed a coalition government of center and leftist parties.** The Oslo Accords <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**As the Washington sessions continued, Israel and the PLO began secret negotiations in Oslo, Norway, resulting in a breakthrough in the peace process. In 1993 the parties reached several important agreements and exchanged letters in which the PLO affirmed Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, and Israel recognized the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people. The PLO renounced the use of terrorism and other forms of violence and committed itself to resolve the conflict with Israel through peaceful negotiations. On September 13, 1993, Rabin and Arafat witnessed the signing of a historic accord between Israel and the PLO at the White House in Washington.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**This Declaration of Principles (DOP), outlined a proposal for limited Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank town of Jericho. It also stated that within five years the two sides were to reach a comprehensive peace settlement regarding all remaining issues in dispute, including the status of Jerusalem. The agreement also set the stage for the establishment of an interim body, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), to administer these regions.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**Despite the general euphoric mood created by the agreement, right-wing Israeli parties and dissident Palestinian groups expressed dissent, sometimes in the form of terrorist attacks. Amid this initial progress toward peace, Israel was able to forge new diplomatic and trade relations with a large number of states in Africa and Asia, including China and India. Israel became more acceptable to the international community, and foreign trade grew dramatically, producing greater prosperity and an improved standard of living.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**Meanwhile, Israeli-Palestinian negotiations continued. After reaching further agreements with the PLO concerning transfer of much of the Gaza Strip and Jericho to PNA administration, Israel completed its withdrawal from these areas in May 1994. The PNA, which was headed by Arafat and staffed primarily by PLO members, assumed control of civil matters in the Gaza Strip and Jericho and deployed a Palestinian police force to maintain internal security. Israel retained control over Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip as well as over security of the region’s borders.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**An interim agreement in September 1995 focused on Israeli withdrawals from the remaining Palestinian towns and cities in the West Bank and set the date of elections for the PNA’s president and its legislature, the Palestinian Legislative Council. The agreement also stated that after PNA elections, Israel would redeploy from Palestinian rural areas of the West Bank. Israel was to retain control over Jewish settlements and military installations until final status negotiations—including discussion of the status of Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, borders, and security arrangements—were completed.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**In November 1995 Yigal Amir, an Israeli student who opposed the peace process, assassinated Rabin at a peace rally in Tel Aviv, claiming it was his religious duty to prevent the return of biblical lands to the Arabs. Shimon Peres, who as foreign minister under Rabin had been instrumental in peace negotiations, became Labor leader and prime minister. Peres proclaimed his desire to continue the peace process and carried out the terms of the interim agreement. Over the next several months Israel turned over civil administration of all other West Bank cities and most Palestinian towns and villages to the PNA, thus ending Israeli administration, established after the Six-Day War in 1967, over most of the Palestinian residents in the West Bank.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**In the cities, the PNA also assumed responsibility for internal security. In Palestinian towns and villages, security came under joint control of a Palestinian police force and Israeli troops, with Israel’s authority predominant. As in the Gaza Strip, Israel retained control over Jewish settlements and over security of the West Bank’s borders, as well as over the travel routes between Palestinian settlements. In January 1996 Palestinians elected Yasir Arafat as president of the PNA and chose the members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Despite Rabin’s assassination it appeared that the peace process was progressing as planned.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**However, terrorist attacks against Israel in early 1996, including suicide bombings by Palestinian militants, helped sway Israeli public opinion toward a position of fewer compromises. In May Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu became Israel’s first popularly elected prime minister and formed a coalition government determined to assure security for Israel.** The Likud Coalition <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**The government insisted that the PNA meet its obligations to prevent terrorism before Israel would make any more withdrawals. The peace process stalled despite efforts by the United States and others to restart it. Although peace negotiations under the new Likud government had stalled, an agreement involving Hebron was completed and signed in January 1997. Israel withdrew from 80 percent of the city, maintaining control over Jewish settlements there. However, Israel decided the following month to proceed with a Jewish housing project in eastern Jerusalem, which the Palestinians viewed as a violation of preceding agreements. Negotiations again deadlocked.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**Terrorist attacks by Islamic groups, particularly by the Palestinian group Hamas, prompted Israel to demand more action by Palestinian leaders against terrorism. In September Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, attempted unsuccessfully to assassinate Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal in Jordan’s capital. The action strained Israeli-Jordanian relations.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**By mid-1998 Netanyahu faced increasing criticism in the Knesset from both the right and the left. In October he signed a U.S.-brokered accord providing for Israeli withdrawals from an additional 13 percent of the West Bank. In return, the Palestinian leadership promised to improve security to prevent attacks on Israelis by Palestinian terrorist groups, and to remove from their national charter the clauses calling for the destruction of Israel.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**Netanyahu’s action drew harsh criticism from members of Likud and others opposed to land-for-peace agreements. In December 1998, after the first Israeli withdrawal, Netanyahu froze the accord, citing Palestinian violations and placing new conditions on further withdrawals. This angered Labor and other parties that sought to move forward with the peace process. Netanyahu also faced defections of key coalition partners. That month the Knesset voted to call for elections in May 1999, a year before Netanyahu’s term was due to expire. Ehud Barak, leader of the Labor Party and the One Israel bloc, defeated Netanyahu in elections for prime minister. Barak took office in July 1999 and created a broad center-left coalition government. He pledged to take “bold steps” to help forge a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. He focused his attention on negotiations with the Palestinians, but he also expressed eagerness to reach a peace agreement with Syria. In addition, he promised to withdraw Israeli troops from southern Lebanon within one year.** Finally Peace? <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**These steps led to increased optimism regarding the peace process. Barak transferred some West Bank territory to the authority of the PNA and also hinted that he might return virtually all of the Golan Heights to Syria in exchange for peace. Barak met with U.S. president Bill Clinton in July 1999 and set a 15-month deadline for a final peace settlement with the Palestinians. Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians began in November 1999 but soon bogged down over further transfers of land in the West Bank to Palestinian control.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**Exasperated by the failure of the Syrian talks and concurring with growing Israeli dismay with further casualties in southern Lebanon, Barak unilaterally ordered the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Lebanon to the countries’ international border as confirmed by the United Nations. The withdrawal was completed by June 2000. In an effort to move the Israeli-Palestinian peace process forward, the United States convened a summit at Camp David, Maryland, in the summer of 2000, at which Clinton, Barak, and Arafat focused on a comprehensive peace agreement. Despite intense efforts and some areas of accord, no ultimate agreement was reached.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**The failure of the summit and Sharon’s visit to the holy Al Aqsa Mosque with hundreds of policemen was conceived as a provocative action by the Palestinians and led to the outbreak of a second Intifada (known as the Al Aqsa Intifada, after the holy Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem) in September 2000. Violent clashes between Palestinians and Israelis rocked Israel. The failure of the Camp David summit and the ensuing violence brought the peace process to a halt and eroded Barak’s political support. Barak suddenly resigned as prime minister in December 2000, and called for a new election for prime minister in February 2001.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**In the February 2001 election, voters were presented with a choice between Barak and Ariel Sharon of Likud for the post of prime minister. Leading up to the election, Sharon’s campaign stressed two factors: first, that the security of Israelis would be his administration’s paramount concern; and second, that the peace process initiated in Oslo in 1993 was “dead.” Sharon stated unequivocally that the violence must stop before the negotiations could continue, and that negotiations should then not be restricted by the agreements reached in Oslo. Sharon won the election by an overwhelming margin, reflecting the growing pessimism among Israelis regarding the peace process and Arafat’s power to curtail violence.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**Sharon assembled a broad-based government that included people with differing views on the peace process. Several noted Labor figures were appointed to cabinet positions, including Shimon Peres as foreign minister. The government’s clear first objective was to stop the violence and restore security to the average Israeli.** The Ongoing Violence <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**However, violence continued across the country. Israeli-Palestinian relations were further soured in January 2002 when Israeli forces seized a large shipment of weaponry allegedly purchased by a high-ranking Palestinian official. The peace process seemed to be moving in reverse as Palestinian terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians, and Israeli military responses to these attacks, continued to grow in severity and lethality. In response to mounting Israeli death tolls from Palestinian suicide bombings, in 2002 Israeli forces swept into the West Bank and occupied key urban centers. During the operation, which was vehemently denounced by Palestinian leaders, Israeli forces arrested hundreds of alleged terrorists and seized or destroyed large quantities of weapons. Violence escalated in late 2002. In October the Labor Party withdrew from the government when funds were allocated to Jewish settlements in the West Bank in the government’s 2003 budget.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**In January 2003 parliamentary elections, Likud emerged as the dominant party, and Sharon retained the post of prime minister. In the spring of 2003 U.S. president George W. Bush unveiled what was referred to as a “road map” toward the goal of independent Israeli and Palestinian states living side by side in peace and security. The PNA and, eventually, Israel accepted the road map, and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire. Summit meetings followed. However, violence surged in August with a bloody Palestinian suicide bombing in Jerusalem followed by Israeli missile strikes against top Hamas leaders.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**In late 2003 Sharon announced that Israel would take unilateral steps to ensure the country’s security in the perceived absence of a Palestinian partner for peace. These steps included a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the dismantling of Gaza Strip settlements. Israel continued to build a fence, sometimes referred to as a security barrier, to separate Israel from the West Bank. Israel has been criticized by Palestinians and international organizations for building the barrier within West Bank territory in some stretches. Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israel continued and Israeli forces also continued to target Hamas leadership. An Israeli missile strike in March 2004 killed Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin, and another strike killed the new Hamas leader the following month.** Current Situation <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**The latest news from the region are not to bring optimism. With Israelis forces very active in Gaza the Palestinian militants are fighting back on the streets and shooting rockets at Israeli settlements. This has resulted in more loss of lives each day than anytime before in the four years that have past since the start of the second Palestine Intifada. Peace negotiations are almost non-existent and the Israeli withdrawal that Sharon had promised to the world seem a distant dream. Arafat seems to have no control over Hamas and other Palestinian organizations and the future seems darker than ever. It is clear to everyone that an international help to settle the dispute is unavoidable and the United Nations should have clear role in that process. “An eye for an eye makes the whole blind”, seems to be the truth in this case.** **Israeli leader:** **Ariel Sharon** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">**Born in 1928 in Palestine when it was a British mandate, Mr. Sharon became prime minister in February 2001 after beating the Labor incumbent, Ehud Barak, in the prime ministerial elections. He was elected in the midst of the second Palestinian Intifada (uprising) on a pledge to ensure total security for Israel. One of the principal catalysts of the Intifada was Mr. Sharon's controversial visit to Jewish holy sites on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, an area of the old city known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and considered to be Islam's third holiest site. Mr. Sharon had become closely identified with the invasion of Lebanon in 1982 when, as defense minister, he sent Israeli troops all the way to Beirut, where the PLO was then based. Israeli-allied right-wing Lebanese militiamen forced him from office in 1983 after an Israeli tribunal found him “indirectly responsible” for the massacre of hundreds of Palestinian refugees. A wealthy cattle farmer, Mr. Sharon has a house in Jerusalem's Muslim Quarter. As housing minister in the early 1990s, he presided over the largest expansion of Jewish settlements since the 1967 war.** **Palestinian leader:** **Mahmoud Abbas** ** Former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, the candidate of the ruling Fatah faction, won the January 2005 poll to replace the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Mr. Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, had already succeeded Yasser Arafat as leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), having been Mr. Arafat's deputy since 1969. Many analysts regard Mahmoud Abbas as a moderate. He has condemned the armed Palestinian-uprising and favors the resumption of negotiations with Israel. But he faces the key challenge of persuading armed groups to stop their campaign of anti-Israeli attacks. Mahmoud Abbas was born in 1935 in Safed, a town in present-day northern Israel. He co-founded Fatah - the main political grouping within the PLO - with Yasser Arafat in the late 1950s. Mr. Abbas established contacts with left-wing Israelis in the 1970s, and was the main Palestinian architect of the 1993 Oslo accords, which led to the foundation of the Palestinian Authority. His brief stint as premier was plagued by power struggles with Mr Arafat over the control of the Palestinian security apparatus and over planned reforms. Mr Abbas resigned in September 2003. The former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died in a French hospital on 11 November 2004, aged 75. ** ** Palestinian prime minister:  ** ** Ahmed Qurei ** ** The new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas tasked Ahmed Qurei, also known as Abu Ala, with forming a cabinet. One of the architects of the Oslo peace accords, Mr. Qurei is regarded as a moderate and a pragmatist. He took office in September 2003. ** **Past international actions:** **UN concern over the Arab-Israeli conflict spans five decades and five full-fledged wars. The UN has defined principles for a just and lasting peace, including two benchmark Security Council resolutions — 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) — which remain the basis for an overall settlement.** **The UN has supported other initiatives aimed at solving underlying political problems, and has dispatched various peacekeeping operations to the region. The UN's first military observer group was set up in 1948 and maintains its presence in the area to this day. The UN's first peacekeeping force was also set up there, during the Suez crisis of 1956. Two peacekeeping forces are currently in the region. One, established in 1974, maintains an area of separation on the Golan Heights between Israeli and Syrian troops. The other, established in 1978, contributes to stability in southern Lebanon and in 2000 verified the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area. Since the events of September 2000 in Jerusalem and the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, the Secretary-General has intensified his efforts to end the violence and bring the Israelis and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. He participated in the October 2000 Summit meeting at Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt — co-chaired by United States President Bill Clinton and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak — which resulted in the establishment of a fact-finding committee chaired by U.S. Senator George Mitchell. Its April 2001 report remains the only broadly acceptable blueprint for confidence-building measures between the parties and eventual resumption of the peace process. The Secretary-General and his representatives participate actively in efforts to implement its recommendations, in close coordination with other interested actors — including the United States, the Russian Federation, the European Union and countries of the region.** **Following is an abstract from the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution nr. 29 from November 1947 as well as the two main Security Council - 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) - that have had the most influence during this long conflict. You can also find the quartet’s “road map” and the Balfour-declaration from 1917.** **The Balfour Declaration** **The Balfour Declaration of 1917 was the first significant declaration by a world power in favor of a Jewish "national home" in what was known as Palestine. Historians disagree as to what the then British Foreign Secretary, Arthur James Balfour, intended by his declaration. The letter has no mention of the word "state", and insists that nothing should be done "which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine". The letter was addressed to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the Jewish community in Britain. It became an important arm of the movement to create a Jewish state in Palestine.** **The letter:** **Foreign Office** **November 2nd, 1917** **Dear Lord Rothschild,** **I have much pleasure in conveying to you on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet:** **His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.** **I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist** **Federation.** **Yours,** **Arthur James Balfour** **The General Assembly adopted a resolution regarding the Palestinian state in 1947.** **Summary of UN General Assembly Resolution 181** **The territory of Palestine should be divided as follows:** **• A Jewish State covering 56.47% of Mandatory Palestine (excluding Jerusalem) with a population of 498,000 Jews and 325,000 Arabs;** **• An Arab State covering 43.53% of Mandatory Palestine (excluding Jerusalem), with 807,000 Arab inhabitants and 10,000 Jewish inhabitants;** **• An international trusteeship regime in Jerusalem, where the population was 100,000 Jews and 105,000 Arabs.** **The** **partition plan also laid down:** <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">**• A guarantee of the rights of minorities and religious rights, including free access to and the preservation of Holy Places;** <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">**•** **A constitution of an Economic Union between the two states: custom union, joint monetary system, joint administration of main services, equal access to water and energy resources.** **The General Assembly also proposed:** <span style="margin-left: .75in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">** · ** **A two-month interim period beginning 1 August 1948, date of expiry of the mandate when the British troops were to be evacuated, with a zone including a port to be evacuated in the territory of the Jewish State by 1 February;** <span style="margin-left: .75in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">** · ** **A five-country Commission (Bolivia, Denmark, Panama, Philippines, Czechoslovakia) in charge of the administration of the regions evacuated by Great Britain, of establishing the frontiers of the two states and of setting up in each of them a Provisional Council of Government;** <span style="margin-left: .75in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">** · ** **The gradual take-over of the administration by the Provisional Council of Government in both States, and the organization of democratic elections for a** **Constituent Assembly within two months.** **Through the years, the United Nations Security Council has taken up the issue of Israel and its relations with its neighbors. Here are examples of how the Council has called on the parties to settle half a century of conflict.** **Two General Assembly resolutions, which do not carry the force of Security Council resolutions, have spoken to broader issues like the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and the future of Jerusalem.** = Security Council Resolution 242 Nov. 22, 1967 = **Calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories occupied in the war that year and "the acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every state in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."** = Security Council Resolution 337, Aug. 15, 1973 = **Calls on all parties to stop fighting and start negotiations "aimed at establishing a just and durable peace in the Middle East."** = Security Council Resolution 446, March 22, 1979 = **"Determines that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East."** **Security Council Resolution 1397, March 12, 2002** **Affirms "a vision of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders."** **General Assembly Resolution 194, Dec. 11, 1948** **"Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible."** **General Assembly Resolution 3236, Nov. 22, 1974** **Reaffirms "the inalienable right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced."** = General Assembly Resolution 3237, Nov. 22, 1974 = **Gives the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status in the General Assembly.**

Security Council Resolutions
**Resolution 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 **
 * //The Security Council,//

//Expressing// its continuing concern with the grave situation in the Middle East,

//Emphasizing// the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war and the need to work for a just and lasting peace in which every State in the area can live in security,

//Emphasizing further// that all Member States in their acceptance of the Charter of the United Nations have undertaken a commitment to act in accordance with Article 2 of the Charter,

1. //Affirms// that the fulfilment of Charter principles requires the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East which should include the application of both the following principles:

(i) Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;

(ii) Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force;

2. //Affirms further// the necessity

//(a)// For guaranteeing freedom of navigation through international waterways in the area;

//(b)// For achieving a just settlement of the refugee problem;

//(c)// For guaranteeing the territorial inviolability and political independence of every State in the area, through measures including the establishment of demilitarized zones;

3. //Requests// the Secretary-General to designate a Special Representative to proceed to the Middle East to establish and maintain contacts with the States concerned in order to promote agreement and assist efforts to achieve a peaceful and accepted settlement in accordance with the provisions and principles in this resolution;

4. //Requests// the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council on the progress of the efforts of the Special Representative as soon as possible. **  **//Adopted unanimously at the 1382nd meeting.//** **Resolution 337 (1973)** **of 15 August 1973** The Security Council, **//Having considered// the agenda contained in document S/Agenda/1736,** **//Having noted// the contents of the letter from the Permanent Representative of Lebanon addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/10983),** **//Having heard//** **the statement of the representative of Lebanon concerning the violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and the hijacking, by the Israeli air force, of a Lebanese civilian airliner on lease to Iraqi Airways,** **//Gravely concerned//** **that such an act carried out by Israel, a Member of the United Nations, constitutes a serious interference with international civil aviation and a violation of the Charter of the United Nations,** **//Recognizing//** **that such an act could jeopardize the lives and safety of passengers and crew and violates the provisions of international conventions safeguarding civil aviation,** **//Recalling//** **its resolutions 262 (1968) of 31 December 1968 and 286 (1970) of 9 September 1970,** **1. //Condemns// the Government of Israel for violating Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the forcible diversion and seizure by the Israeli air force of a Lebanese airliner from Lebanon’s air space;** **2. //Considers// that these actions by Israel constitute a violation of the Lebanese-Israeli Armistice Agreement of 1949, the cease-fire resolutions of the Security Council of 1967, the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, the international conventions on civil aviation and the principles of international law and morality;** **3. //Calls// on the International Civil Aviation Organization to take due account of this resolution when considering adequate measures to safeguard international civil aviation against these actions;** **4. //Calls// on Israel to desist from any and all acts that violate Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and endanger the safety of international civil aviation and solemnly warns Israel that, if such acts are repeated, the Council will consider taking adequate steps or measures to enforce its resolutions.** **//Adopted unanimously at the 1740th meeting//** **Resolution 446 (1979)** **of 22 March 1979** **//The Security Council,//** **//Having heard//** **the statement of the Permanent Representative of Jordan and other statements made before the Council,** **//Stressing//** **the urgent need to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East,** **//Affirming once more//** **that the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, is applicable to the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem,** **1. //Determines// that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East;** **2. //Strongly deplores// the failure of Israel to abide by Security Council resolutions 237 (1967) of 14 June 1967, 252 (1968) of 21 May 1968 and 298 (1971) of 25 September 1971, by the consensus statement made by the President of the Council on 11 November 1976 and by General Assembly resolutions 2253 (ES-V) and 2254 (ES-V) of 4 and 14 July 1967, 32/5 of 28 October 1977 and 33/113 of 18 December 1978;** **3. //Calls once more upon// Israel, as the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, to rescind its previous measures and to desist from taking any action which would result in changing the legal status and geographical nature and materially affecting the demographic composition of the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, and, in particular, not to transfer parts of its own civilian population into the occupied Arab territories;** **4. //Establishes// a commission consisting of three members of the Security Council, to be appointed by the President of the Council after consultation with the members of the Council, to examine the situation relating to settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem;** **5. //Requests// the Commission to submit its report to the Security Council by 1 July 1979;** **6. //Requests// the Secretary-General to provide the Commission with the necessary facilities to enable it to carry out its mission;** **7. //Decides// to keep the situation in the occupied territories under constant and close scrutiny and to reconvene in July 1979 to review the situation in the light of the findings of the Commission.** **//Adopted at the 2134th meeting by 12 votes to none, with 3 abstentions (Norway, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America).//** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"> **United Nations** **S****/RES/1397 (2002)** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"> **Security Council** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"> **Distr.: General** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"> **12 March 2002** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"> **Resolution 1397 (2002)** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"> **Adopted by the Security Council at its 4489th meeting, on** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"> **12 March 2002** **//The Security Council,//** **//Recalling// all its previous relevant resolutions, in particular resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973),** **//Affirming//** **a vision of a region where two States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders,** **//Expressing//** **its grave concern at the continuation of the tragic and violent events that have taken place since September 2000, especially the recent attacks and the increased number of casualties,** **//Stressing//** **the need for all concerned to ensure the safety of civilians,** **//Stressing also//** **the need to respect the universally accepted norms of international humanitarian law,** **//Welcoming and encouraging//** **the diplomatic efforts of special envoys from the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the European Union and the United Nations Special Coordinator and others, to bring about a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East,** **//Welcoming//** **the contribution of Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah,** **1. //Demands// immediate cessation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction;** **2. //Calls upon// the Israeli and Palestinian sides and their leaders to cooperate in the implementation of the Tenet work plan and Mitchell Report recommendations with the aim of resuming negotiations on a political settlement;** **3. //Expresses// support for the efforts of the Secretary-General and others to assist the parties to halt the violence and to resume the peace process;** **4. //Decides// to remain seized of the matter.**

General Assembly Resolutions
<span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;">

Resolution 181 (II). Future government of Palestine
**//The General Assembly,//** **//Having met//** **in special session at the request of the mandatory Power to constitute and instruct a special committee to prepare for the consideration of the question of the future government of Palestine at the second regular session,** **//Having constituted//** **a Special Committee and instructed it to investigate all questions and issues relevant to the problem of Palestine, and to prepare proposals for the solution of the problem, and** **//Having received and examined//** **the report of the Special Committee (document A/364) including a number of unanimous recommendations and a plan of partition with economic union approved by the majority of the Special Committee,** **//Considers//** **that the present situation in Palestine is one which is likely to impair the general welfare and friendly relations among nations,** **//Takes note//** **of the declaration by the mandatory Power that it plans to complete its evacuation of Palestine by 1 August 1948,** **//Recommends//** **to the United Kingdom, as the mandatory Power for Palestine, and to all other Members of the United Nations the adoption and implementation, with regard to the future government of Palestine, of the Plan of Partition with Economic Union set out below,** **//Requests//** **that** <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**(a)** **The Security Council take the necessary measures as provided for in the plan for its implementation;** <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**(b)** **The Security Council consider, if circumstances during the transitional period require such consideration, whether the situation in Palestine constitutes a threat to the peace. If it decides that such a threat exists, and in order to maintain international peace and security, the Security Council should supplement the authorization of the General Assembly by taking measures, under Articles 39 and 41 of the Charter, to empower the United Nations Commission, as provided in this resolution, to exercise in Palestine the functions which are assigned to it by this resolution;** <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**(c)** **The Security Council determines as a threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression, in accordance with Article 39 of the Charter, any attempt to alter by force the settlement envisaged by this resolution;** <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**(d)** **The Trusteeship Council be informed of the responsibilities envisaged for it in this plan;** **//Calls upon//** **the inhabitants of Palestine to take such steps as may be necessary on their part to put this plan into effect;** **//Appeals//** **to all Governments and all peoples to refrain from taking any action which might hamper or delay the carrying out of these recommendations, and** **//Authorizes//** **the Secretary-General to reimburse travel and subsistence expenses of the members of the Commission referred to in Part I, Section B, paragraph 1 below, on such basis and in such form as he may determine most appropriate in the circumstances, and to provide the Commission with the necessary staff to assist in carrying out the functions assigned to the Commission by the General Assembly.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"> **B** **//The General Assembly//** **//Authorizes//** **the Secretary-General to draw from the Working Capital Fund a sum not to exceed $2,000,000 for the purposes set forth in the last paragraph of the resolution on the future government of Palestine.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"> **//Hundred and twenty-eighth plenary meeting,//** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"> **//29 November 1947.//** **//At its hundred and twenty-eighth plenary meeting on 29 November 1947 the General Assembly, in accordance with the terms of the above resolution, elected the following members of the United Nations Commission on Palestine://** **Bolivia, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Panama and Philippines.** **PLAN OF PARTITION WITH ECONOMIC UNION** **PART I** **Future constitution and government of Palestine** **A. TERMINATION OF MANDATE PARTITION AND INDEPENDENCE** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**1.** **The Mandate for Palestine shall terminate as soon as possible but in any case not later than 1 August 1948.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**2.** **The armed forces of the mandatory Power shall be progressively withdrawn from Palestine, the withdrawal to be completed as soon as possible but in any case not later than 1 August 1948.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**The mandatory Power shall advise the Commission, as far in advance as possible, of its intention to terminate the Mandate and to evacuate each area.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**The mandatory Power shall use its best endeavor to ensure that an area situated in the territory of the Jewish State, including a seaport and hinterland adequate to provide facilities for a substantial immigration, shall be evacuated at the earliest possible dated and in any event not later than 1 February 1948.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**3.** **Independent Arab and Jewish States and the Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem, set forth in part III of this plan, shall come into existence in Palestine two months after the evacuation of the armed forces of the mandatory Power has been completed but in any case not later than 1 October 1948. The boundaries of the Arab State, the Jewish State, and the City of Jerusalem shall be as described in parts II and III below.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**4.** **The period between the adoption by the General Assembly of its recommendation on the question of Palestine and the establishment of the independence of the Arab and Jewish States shall be a transitional period.** **B. STEPS PREPARATORY TO INDEPENDENCE** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**1.** **A Commission shall be set up consisting of one representative of each of five Member States. The Members represented on the Commission shall be elected by the General Assembly on as broad a basis, geographically and otherwise, as possible.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**2.** **The administration of Palestine shall, as the mandatory Power withdraws its armed forces, be progressively turned over to the Commission, which shall act in conformity with the recommendations of the General Assembly, under the guidance of the Security Council. The mandatory Power shall to the fullest possible extent co-ordinate its plans for withdrawal with the plans of the Commission to take over and administer areas which have been evacuated.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**In the discharge of this administrative responsibility the Commission shall have authority to issue necessary regulations and take other measures as required.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**The mandatory Power shall not take any action to prevent, obstruct or delay the implementations by the Commission of the measures recommended by the General Assembly.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**3.** **On its arrival in Palestine the Commission shall proceed to carry out measures for the establishment of the frontiers of the Arab and Jewish States and the City of Jerusalem in accordance with the general lines of the recommendations of the General Assembly on the partition of Palestine. Nevertheless, the boundaries as described in part II of this plan are to be modified in such a way that village areas as a rule will not be divided by state boundaries unless pressing reasons make that necessary.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**4.** **The Commission, after consultation with the democratic parties and other public organizations of the Arab and Jewish States, shall select and establish in each State as rapidly as possible a Provisional Council of Government. The activities of both the Arab and Jewish Provisional Councils of Government shall be carried out under the general direction of the Commission.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**If by 1 April 1948 a Provisional Council of Government cannot be selected for either of the States, or, if selected, cannot carry out its functions, the Commission shall communicate that fact to the Security Council for such action with respect to that State as the Security Council may deem proper, and to the Secretary-General for communication to the Members of the United Nations.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**5.** **Subject to the provisions of these recommendations, during the transitional period the Provisional Councils of Government, acting under the Commission, shall have full authority in the areas under their control, including authority over matters of immigration and land regulation.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**6.** **The Provisional Council of Government of each State, acting under the Commission, shall progressively receive from the Commission full responsibility for the administration of that State in the period between the termination of the Mandate and the establishment of the State’s independence.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**7.** **The Commission shall instruct the Provisional Councils of Government of both the Arab and Jewish States, after their formation, to proceed to the establishment of administrative organs of government, central and local.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**8.** **The Provisional Council of Government of each State shall, within the shortest time possible, recruit an armed militia from the residents of that State, sufficient in number to maintain internal order and to prevent frontier clashes.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**This armed militia in each State shall, for operational purposes, be under the command of Jewish or Arab officers resident in that State, but general political and military control, including the choice of the militia’s High Command, shall be exercised by the Commission.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**9.** **The Provisional Council of Government of each State shall, not later than two months after the withdrawal of the armed forces of the mandatory Power, hold elections to the Constituent Assembly which shall be conducted on democratic lines.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**The election regulations in each State shall be drawn up by the Provisional Council of Government and approved by the Commission. Qualified voters for each State for this election shall be persons over eighteen years of age who are: (a) Palestinian citizens residing in that State and (b) Arabs and Jews residing in the State, although not Palestinian citizens, who, before voting, have signed a notice of intention to become citizens of such State.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**Arabs and Jews residing in the City of Jerusalem who have signed a notice of intention to become citizens, the Arabs of the Arab State and the Jews of the Jewish State, shall be entitled to vote in the Arab and Jewish States respectively.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**Women may vote and be elected to the Constituent Assemblies.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**During the transitional period no Jew shall be permitted to establish residence in the are of the proposed Arab State, and no Arab shall be permitted to establish residence in the area of the proposed Jewish State, except by special leave of the Commission.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**10.** **The Constituent Assembly of each State shall draft a democratic constitution for its State and choose a provisional government to succeed the Provisional Council of Government appointed by the Commission. The constitutions of the States shall embody chapters 1 and 2 of the Declaration provided for in section C below and include //inter alia// provisions for:** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**a.** **Establishing in each State a legislative body elected by universal suffrage and by secret ballot on the basis of proportional representation, and an executive body responsible to the legislature;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**b.** **Settling all international disputes in which the State may be involved by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**c.** **Accepting the obligations of the State to refrain in its international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**d.** **Guaranteeing to all persons equal and nondiscriminatory rights in civil, political, economic and religious matters and the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion, language, speech and publication, education, assembly and association;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**e.** **Preserving freedom of transit and visit of all residents and citizens of the other State in Palestine and the City of Jerusalem, subject to considerations of national security, provided that each State shall control residence within its borders.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**11.** **The Commission shall appoint a preparatory economic commission of three members to make whatever arrangements are possible for economic co-operation, with a view to establishing, as soon as practicable, the Economic Union and the Joint Economic Board, as provided in section D below.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**12.** **During the period between the adoption of the recommendations on the question of Palestine by the General Assembly and the termination of the Mandate, the mandatory Power in Palestine shall maintain full responsibility for administration in areas from which it has not withdrawn its armed forces. The Commission shall assist the mandatory Power in the carrying out of these functions. Similarly the mandatory Power shall co-operate with the Commission in the execution of its functions.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**13.** **With a view to ensuring that there shall be continuity in the functioning of administrative services and that, on the withdrawal of the armed forces of the mandatory Power, the whole administration shall be in the charge of the Provisional Councils and the Joint Economic Board, respectively, acting under the Commission, there shall be a progressive transfer, from the mandatory Power to the Commission, of responsibility for all the functions of government, including that of maintaining law and order in the areas from which the forces of the mandatory Power have been withdrawn.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**14.** **The Commission shall be guided in its activities by the recommendation of the General Assembly and by such instructions as the Security Council may consider necessary to issue.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**The measures taken by the Commission, within the recommendations of the General Assembly, shall become immediately effective unless the Commission has previously received contrary instructions from the Security Council.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**The Commission shall render periodic monthly progress reports, or more frequently if desirable, to the Security Council.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**15.** **The Commission shall make its final report to the next regular session of the General Assembly and to the Security Council simultaneously.** **C. DECLARATION** **A declaration shall be made to the United Nations by the provisional government of each proposed State before independence. It shall contain // inter alia // the following clauses:** **General Provision** **The stipulations contained in the declaration are recognized as fundamental laws of the State and no law, regulation or official action shall conflict or interfere with these stipulations, nor shall any law, regulation or official action prevail over them.** **Chapter 1** **// Holy Places, religious buildings and sites //** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**1.** **Existing rights in respect of Holy Places and religious buildings or sites shall not be denied or impaired.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**2.** **In so far as Holy Places are connected, the liberty of access, visit and transit shall be guaranteed, in conformity with existing rights, to all residents and citizens of the other State and of the City of Jerusalem, as well as to aliens, without distinction as to nationality, subject to requirements of national security, public order and decorum.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**Similarly, freedom of worship shall be guaranteed in conformity with existing rights, subject to the maintenance of public order and decorum.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**3.** **Holy Places and religious buildings or sites shall be preserved. No act shall be permitted which may in any way impair their sacred character. If at any time it appears to the Government that any particular Holy Place, religious building or site is in need of urgent repair, the Government may call upon the community or communities concerned to carry out such repair. The Government may carry it out itself at the expense of the community, or communities concerned if no action is taken within a reasonable time.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**4.** **No taxation shall be levied in respect of any Holy Place, religious building or site which was exempt from taxation on the date of the creation of the State.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**No change in the incidence of such taxation shall be made which would either discriminate between the owners or occupiers of Holy Places, religious buildings or sites, or would place such owners or occupiers in a position less favourable in relation to the general incidence of taxation than existed at the time of the adoption of the Assembly’s recommendations.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**5.** **The Governor of the City of Jerusalem shall have the right to determine whether the provisions of the Constitution of the State in relation to Holy Places, religious buildings and sites within the borders of the State and the religious rights appertaining thereto, are being properly applied and respected, and to make decisions on the basis of existing rights in cases of disputes which may arise between the different religious communities or the rites of a religious community with respect to such places, buildings and sites. He shall receive full cooperation and such privileges and immunities as are necessary for the exercise of his functions in the State.** **Chapter 2** **Religious and minority rights** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**1.** **Freedom of conscience and the free exercise of all forms of worship, subject only to the maintenance of public order and morals, shall be ensured to all.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**2.** **No discrimination of any kind shall be made between the inhabitants on the ground of race, religion, language, or sex.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**3.** **All persons within the jurisdiction of the State shall be entitled to equal protection of the laws.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**4.** **The family law and personal status of the various minorities and their religious interests, including endowments, shall be respected.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**5.** **Except as may be required for the maintenance of public order and good government, no measure shall be taken to obstruct or interfere with the enterprise of religious or charitable bodies of all faiths or to discriminate against any representative or member of these bodies on the ground of his religion or nationality.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**6.** **The State shall ensure adequate primary and secondary education for the Arab and Jewish minority, respectively, in its own language and its cultural traditions.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**The right of each community to maintain its own schools for the education of its own members in its own language, while conforming to such educational requirements of a general nature as the State may impose, shall not be denied or impaired. Foreign educational establishments shall continue their activity on the basis of their existing rights.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**7.** **No restriction shall be imposed on the free use by any citizen of the State of any language in private intercourse, in commerce, in religion, in the Press or in publications of any kind, or at public meetings.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**8.** **No expropriation of land owned by an Arab in the Jewish State (by a Jew in the Arab State) shall be allowed except for public purposes. In all cases of expropriation full compensation as fixed by the Supreme Court shall be paid previous to dispossession.** **Chapter 3** **Citizenship, international conventions and financial obligations** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**1.** **// Citizenship //****. Palestinian citizens residing in Palestine outside the City of Jerusalem, as well as Arabs, and Jews who, not holding Palestinian citizenship, reside in Palestine outside the City of Jerusalem shall, upon the recognition of independence, become citizens of the State in which they are residents and enjoy full civil and political rights. Persons over the age of eighteen years may opt, within one year from the date of recognition of independence of the State in which they reside, for citizenship of the other State, providing that no Arab residing in the area of the proposed Arab State shall have the right to opt for citizenship in the proposed Jewish State and no Jew residing in the proposed Jewish State shall have the right to opt for citizenship in the proposed Arab State. The exercise of this right of option will be taken to include the wives and children under eighteen years of age of persons so opting.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**Arabs residing in the area of the proposed Jewish State and Jews residing in the area of the proposed Arab State who have signed a notice of intention to opt for citizenship of the other State shall be eligible to vote in the elections to the Constituent Assembly of that State, but not in the elections to the Constituent Assembly of the State in which they reside.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**2.** **// International conventions //****.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**a.** **The State shall be bound by all the international agreements and conventions, both general and special, to which Palestine has become a party. Subject to any right of denunciation provided for therein, such agreements and conventions shall be respected by the State throughout the period for which they were concluded.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**b.** **Any dispute about the applicability and continued validity of international conventions or treaties signed or adhered to by the mandatory Power on behalf of Palestine shall be referred to the International Court of Justice in accordance with the provisions of the Statute of the Court.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**3.** **// Financial obligations //****.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**a.** **The State shall respect and fulfil all financial obligations of whatever nature assumed on behalf of Palestine by the mandatory Power during the exercise of the Mandate and recognized by the State. This provision includes the right of public servants to pensions, compensation or gratuities.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**b.** **These obligations shall be fulfilled through participation in the Joint Economic Board in respect of those obligations applicable to Palestine as a whole, and individually in respect of those applicable to, and fairly apportionable between, the States.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**c.** **A Court of Claims, affiliated with the Joint Economic Board, and composed of one member appointed by the United Nations, one representative of the United Kingdom, and one representative of the State concerned, should be established. Any dispute between the United Kingdom and the State respecting claims not recognized by the latter should be referred to that Court.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**d.** **Commercial concessions granted in respect of any part of Palestine prior to the adoption of the resolution by the General Assembly shall continue to be valid according to their terms, unless modified by agreement between the concession-holder and the State.** **Chapter 4** **Miscellaneous provisions** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**1.** **The provisions of chapter 1 and 2 of the declaration shall be under the guarantee of the United Nations, and no modifications shall be made in them without the assent of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Any Member of the United Nations shall have the right to bring to the attention of the General Assembly any infraction or danger of infraction of any of these stipulations, and the General Assembly may thereupon make such recommendations as it may deem proper in the circumstances.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**2.** **Any dispute relating to the application or the interpretation of this declaration shall be referred, at the request of either party, to the International Court of Justice, unless the parties agree to another mode of settlement.** **D. ECONOMIC UNION AND TRANSIT** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**1.** **The Provisional Council of Government of each State shall enter into an undertaking with respect to Economic Union and Transit. This undertaking shall be drafted by the Commission provided for in section B, paragraph 1, utilizing to the greatest possible extent the advice and co-operation of representative organizations and bodies from each of the proposed States. It shall contain provisions to establish the Economic Union of Palestine and provide for other matters of common interest. If by 1 April 1948 the Provisional Councils of Government have not entered into the undertaking, the undertaking shall be put into force by the Commission.** **The Economic Union of Palestine** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**2.** **The objectives of the Economic Union of Palestine shall be:** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**a.** **A customs union;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**b.** **A joint currency system providing for a single foreign exchange rate;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**c.** **Operation in the common interest on a nondiscriminatory basis of railways; inter-State highways; postal, telephone and telegraphic services, and ports and airports involved in international trade and commerce;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**d.** **Joint economic development, especially in respect of irrigation, land reclamation and soil conservation;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**e.** **Access for both States and for the City of Jerusalem on a nondiscriminatory basis to water and power facilities.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**3.** **There shall be established a Joint Economic Board, which shall consist of three representatives of each of the two States and three foreign members appointed by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The foreign members shall be appointed in the first instance for a term of three years; they shall serve as individuals and not as representatives of States.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**4.** **The functions of the Joint Economic Board shall be to implement either directly or by delegation the measures necessary to realize the objectives of the Economic Union. It shall have all powers of organization and administration necessary to fulfil its functions.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**5.** **The States shall bind themselves to put into effect the decisions of the Joint Economic Board. The Board’s decisions shall be taken by a majority vote.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**6.** **In the event of failure of a State to take the necessary action the Board may, by a vote of six members, decide to withhold an appropriate portion of that part of the customs revenue to which the State in question is entitled under the Economic Union. Should the State persist in its failure to cooperate, the Board may decide by a simple majority vote upon such further sanctions, including disposition of funds which it has withheld, as it may deem appropriate.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**7.** **In relation to economic development, the functions of the Board shall be the planning, investigation, and encouragement of joint development projects, but it shall not undertake such projects except with the assent of both States and the City of Jerusalem, in the event that Jerusalem is directly involved in the development project.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**8.** **In regard to the joint currency system the currencies circulating in the two States and the City of Jerusalem shall be issued under the authority of the Joint Economic Board, which shall be the sole issuing authority and which shall determine the reserves to be held against such currencies.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**9.** **So far as is consistent with paragraph 2 (b) above, each State may operate its own bank, control its own fiscal and credit policy, its foreign exchange receipts and expenditures, the grant of import licenses, and may conduct international financial operations on its own faith and credit. During the first two years after the termination of the Mandate, the Joint Economic Board shall have the authority to take such measures as may be necessary to ensure that – to the extent that the total foreign exchange revenues of the two States from the export of goods and services permit, and provided that each State takes appropriate measures to conserve its own foreign exchange resources – each State shall have available, in any twelve months’ period, foreign exchange sufficient to assure the supply of quantities of imported goods and services for consumption in its territory equivalent to the quantities of such goods and services consumed in that territory in the twelve months’ period ending 31 December 1947.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**10.** **All economic authority not specifically vested in the Joint Economic Board is reserved to each State.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**11.** **There shall be a common customs tariff with complete freedom of trade between the States, and between the States and the City of Jerusalem.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**12.** **The tariff schedules shall be drawn up by a Tariff Commission, consisting of representatives of each of the States in equal numbers, and shall be submitted to the Joint Economic Board for approval by a majority vote. In case of disagreement in the Tariff Commission, the Joint Economic Board shall arbitrate the points of difference. In the event that the Tariff Commission fails to draw up any schedule by a date to be fixed, the Joint Economic Board shall determine the tariff schedule.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**13.** **The following items shall be a first charge on the customs and other common revenue of the Joint Economic Board:** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**a.** **The expenses of the customs service and of the operation of the joint services;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**b.** **The administrative expenses of the Joint Economic Board;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**c.** **The financial obligations of the Administration of Palestine consisting of:** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.5in; text-indent: -9.0pt;"> **i.** **The service of the outstanding public debt;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.5in; text-indent: -9.0pt;"> **ii.** **The cost of superannuation benefits, now being paid or falling due in the future, in accordance with the rules and to the extent established by paragraph 3 of chapter 3 above.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**14.** **After these obligations have been met in full, the surplus revenue from the customs and other common services shall be divided in the following manner: not less than 5 per cent and not more than 10 percent to the City of Jerusalem; the residue shall be allocated to each State by the Joint Economic Board equitably, with the objective of maintaining a sufficient and suitable level of government and social services in each State, except that the share of either State shall not exceed the amount of that State’s contribution to the revenues of the Economic Union by more than approximately four million pounds in a year. The amount granted may be adjusted by the Board according to the price level in relation to the prices prevailing at the time of the establishment of the Union. After five years, the principles of the distribution of the joint revenues may be revised by the Joint Economic Board on a basis of equity.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**15.** **All international conventions and treaties affecting customs tariff rates, and those communications services under the jurisdiction of the Joint Economic Board, shall be entered into by both States. In these matters, the two States shall be bound to act in accordance with the majority vote of the Joint Economic Board.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**16.** **The Joint Economic Board shall endeavour to secure for Palestine’s exports fair and equal access to world markets.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**17.** **All enterprises operated by the Joint Economic Board shall pay fair wages on a uniform basis.** **Freedom of transit and visit** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**18.** **The undertaking shall contain provisions preserving freedom of transit and visit for all residents or citizens of both States and the City of Jerusalem, subject to security considerations; provided that each State and the City shall control residence within its borders.** **Termination, modification and interpretation of the undertaking** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**19.** **The undertaking and any treaty issuing therefrom shall remain in force for a period of ten years. It shall continue in force until notice of termination, to take effect two years thereafter, is given by either of the parties.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**20.** **During the initial ten-year period, the undertaking and any treaty issuing therefrom may not be modified except by consent of both parties and with the approval of the General Assembly.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**21.** **Any dispute relating to the application or the interpretation of the undertaking and any treaty issuing therefrom shall be referred, at the request of either party, to the International Court of Justice, unless the parties agree to another mode of settlement.** **E. ASSETS** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**1.** **The movable assets of the Administration of Palestine shall be allocated to the Arab and Jewish States and the City of Jerusalem on an equitable basis. Allocations should be made by the United Nations Commission referred to in section B, paragraph 1, above. Immovable assets shall become the property of the government of the territory in which they are situated.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**2.** **During the period between the appointment of the United Nations Commission and the termination of the Mandate, the mandatory Power shall, except in respect of ordinary operations, consult with the Commission on any measure which it may contemplate involving the liquidation, disposal or encumbering of the assets of the Palestine Government, such as the accumulated treasury surplus, the proceeds of Government bond issues, State lands or any other asset.** **F. ADMISSION TO MEMBERSHIP IN THE UNITED NATIONS** **When the independence of either the Arab or the Jewish State as envisaged in this plan has become effective and the declaration and undertaking, as envisaged in this plan, have been signed by either of them, sympathetic consideration should be given to its application for admission to membership in the United Nations in accordance with Article 4 of the Charter of the United Nations.** **PART II** **Boundaries** **A. THE ARAB STATE** **The area of the Arab State in Western Galilee is bounded on the west by the Mediterranean and on the north by the frontier of the Lebanon from Ras en Naqura to a point north of Saliha. From there the boundary proceeds southwards, leaving the built-up area of Saliha in the Arab State, to join the southernmost point of this village. Thence it follows the western boundary line of the villages of ‘Alma, Rihaniya and Teitaba, thence following the northern boundary line of Meirun village to join the Acre-Safad sub-district boundary line. It follows this line to a point west of Es Sammu’i village and joins it again at the northernmost point of Farradiya. Thence it follows the sub-dstrict boundary line, passing to the west of the junction of the Acre-Safad and Lubiya-Kafr I’nan roads. From the south-west corner of Kafr I’nan village the boundary line follows the western boundary of the Tiberias sub-district to a point close to the boundary line between the villages of Maghar and Eilabun, thence bulging out to the west to include as much of the eastern part of the plain of Battuf as is necessary for the reservoir proposed by the Jewish Agency for the irrigation of lands to the south and east.** **The boundary rejoins the Tiberias sub-district boundary at a point on the Nazareth-Tiberias road south-east of the built-up area of the Tur’an; thence it runs southwards, at first following the sub-district boundary and then passing between the Kadooric Agricultural School and Mount Tabor, to a point due south at the base of Mount Tabor. From here it runs due west, parallel to the horizontal grid line 230, to the north-east corner of the village lands of Tel Adashim. It then runs to the north-west corner of these lands, whence it turns south and west so as to include in the Arab State the sources of the Nazareth water supply in Yafa village. On reaching Ginneiger it follow s the eastern, northern and western boundaries of the lands of this village to their south-west corner, whence it proceeds in a straight line to appoint on the Haifa-Afula railway on the boundary between the villages of Sarid and El Mujeidil. This is the point of intersection.** **The south-western boundary of the area of the Arab State in Galilee takes a line from this point, passing northwards along the eastern boundaries of Sarid and Gevat to the north-eastern corner of Nahalal, proceeding thence westwards along that village boundary to the eastern boundary of Beit Lahm, thence northwards and north-eastwards along its western boundary to the north-eastern corner of Waldheim and thence north-westwards across the village lands of Shafa ‘Amr to the south-eastern corner of Ramat Yohanan. From here it runs due north-north-east to a point on the Shafa’Amr-Haifa road, west of its junction with the road to I’Billin. From there it proceeds north-east to a point on the southern boundary of I’Billin situated to the west of the I’Billin-Birwa road. Thence along that boundary to its westernmost point, whence it turns to the north, follows across the village land of Tamra to the north-westernmost corner and along the western boundary of Julis until it reaches the Acre-Safad road. It then runs westwards along the southern side of the Safad-Acre road to the Galilee-Haifa District boundary, from which point it follows that boundary to the sea.** **The boundary of the hill country of Samaria and Judea starts on the Jordan River at the Wadi Malih south-east of Beisan and runs due west to meet the Beisan-Jericho road then follows the western side of that road in a north-westerly direction to the junction of the boundaries of the sub-districts of Beisan, Nablus, and Jenin. From that point it follows the Nablus-Jenin sub-distrcit boundary westwards for a distance of about three kilometers and then turns north-westwards, passing to the east of the built-up areas of the villages of Jalbun and Faqqu’a, to the boundary of the sub-districts of Jenin and Beisan at a point north-east of Nuris. Thence it proceeds first north-westwards to a point due north of the built-up area of Zir’in and then westwards along the district boundary line to the point of intersection on the Hejaz railway. From here the boundary runs south-westwards, including the built-up area and some of the land of the village of Kh.Lid in the Arab State to cross the Haifa-Jenin road at appoint on the district boundary between Haifa and Samaria west of El Mansi. It follows this boundary to the southernmost point of the village of EL Buteimat. From here it follows the northern and eastern boundaries of the village of Ar’ara, rejoining the Haifa-Samaria district boundary at Wadi’Ara, and thence proceeding south-south-westwards in an approximately straight line joining up with the western boundary of Qaqun to a point east of the railway line on the eastern boundary of Qaqun village. From here it runs along the railway line some distance to the east of it to a point just east of the Tulkarm railway station. Thence the boundary follows a line half-way between the railway and the Tulkarm-Qalqiliya-Jaljuliya and Ras el Ein road to a point just east of Ras el Ein station, whence it proceeds along the railway some distance to the east of it to the point on the railway line south of the junction of the Haifa-Lydda and Beit Nabala lines, whence it proceeds along the southern border of Lydda airport to its south-west corner, thence in a south-westerly direction to a point just west of the built-up area of Sarafand el’Amar, whence it turns south, passing just to the west of the built-up area of Abu el Fadil to the north-east corner of the lands of Beer Ya’-Aqov. (The boundary line should be so demarcated as to allow direct access from the Arab State to the airport.) Thence the boundary line follows the western and southern boundaries of Ramle village, to the north-east corner of El Na’ana villagen, thence in a straight line to the southernmost point of El Barriya, along the eastern boundary of that village and the southern boundary of ’Innaba village. Thence it turns north to follow the southern side of the Jaffa-Jerusalem road until El Qubab, whence it follows the road to the boundary of Abu Shusha. It runs along the eastern boundaries of Abu Shusha, Seidun, Hulda to the southernmost point of Hulda, thence westwards in a straight line to the north-eastern corner of Umm Kalkha, thence following the northern boundaries of Umm Kalkha, Qazaza and the northern and western boundaries of Mukhezin to the Gaza District boundary and thence runs across the village land of El Mismiya, El Kabira, and Yasur to the southern point of intersection, which is midway between the built-up areas of Yasur and Batani Sharqi.** **From the southern point of intersection the boundary lines run north-westwards between the villages of Gan Yavne and Barqa to the sea at a point half way between Nabi Yunis and Minat el Qila, and south-eastwards to a point wet of Qastina, whence it turns in a south-westerly direction, passing to the east of the built-up areas of Es Sawafir, Esh Sharqiya and Ibdis. From the south-west corner of Ibdis village it runs to a point south-west of the built-up area of Beit’Affa, crossing the Hebron-El Majdal road just to the west of the built-up area of Iraq Suweidan. Thence it proceeds southwards along the western village boundary of El Faluja to the Beersheba sub-district boundary. It then runs across the tribal lands of ‘Arab el Jubarat to a point on the boundary between the sub-districts of Beersheba and Hebron north of Kh.Khuweilifa, whence it proceeds in a south-westerly direction to a point on the Beersheba-Gaza main road two kilometers to the north-west of the town. It then turns south-eastwards to reach Wadi Sab’ at a pint situated one kilometer to the west of it. From here it turns north-eastwards and proceeds along Wadi Sab’ and along the Beersheba-Hebron road for a distance of one kilometer, whence it turns eastwards and runs in a straight line to Kh.Kuseifa to join the Beersheba-Hebron sub-district boundary. It then follows the Beersheba-Hebron boundary eastwards to a point north of Ras Ez Zuweira, only departing from it so as to cut across the base of the indentation between vertical grid lines 150 and 160.** **About five kilometers north-east of Ras ez Zuweira, it turns north, excluding from the Arab State a strip along the coast of the Dead Sea not more than seven kilometers in depth, as far as Ein Geddi, whence it turns due east to join the Transjordan frontier in the Dead Sea.** **The northern boundary of the Arab section of the coastal plain runs from a point between Minat el Qila and Nabi Yunis, passing between the built-up areas of Gan Yavne and Barqa to the point of intersection. From here it turns south-westwards, running across the lands of Batani Sharqi, along the eastern boundary of the lands of Beit Daras and across the lands of Julis, leaving the built-up areas of Batani Sharqi and Julis to the westwards, as far as the north-west corner of the lands of Beit Tima. Thence it runs east of El Jiya across the village lands of El Barbara along the eastern boundaries of the villages of Beit Jirja, Deir Suneid and Dimra. From the south-east corner of Dimra the boundary passes across the lands of Beit Hanun, leaving the Jewish lands of Nir-Am to the eastwards. From the south-east corner of Beit Hanun the line runs south-west to a point south of the parallel grid line 100, then turns north-west for two kilometers, turning again in a south-westerly direction and continuing in an almost straight line to the north-west corner of the village lands of Kirbet Ikhza’a. From there it follows the boundary line of this village to its southernmost point. It then runs in a southerly direction along the vertical grid line 90 to its junction with the horizontal grid line 70. It then turns south-eastwards to Kh. el Ruheiba and then proceeds in a southerly direction to a point known as El Baha, beyond which it crosses the Beersheba-El’Auja main road to the west of Kh. el Mushrifa. From there it joins Wadi El Zaiyatin just to the west of El Subeita. From there it turns to the north-east and then to the south-east following this wadi and passes to the east of ‘Abda to join Wadi Nafkh. It then bulges to the south-west along Wdi Nafkh, Wadi Ajrim and Wadi Lassan to the point where Wadi Lassan crosses the Egyptian frontier.** **The area of the Arab enclave of Jaffa consists of that part of the town-planning area of Jaffa which lies to the west of the Jewish quarters lying south of Tel-Aviv, to the west of the continuation of Herzl street up to its junction with the Jaffa-Jerusalem road, to the south-west of the section of the Jaffa-Jerusalem road lying south-east of that junction, to the west of Miqve Yisrael lands, to the north-west of Holon local council area, to the north of the line linking up the north-west corner of Holon with the north-east corner of Bat Yam local council area and to the north of Bat Yam local council area. The question of Karton quarter will be decided by the Boundary Commission, bearing in mind among other considerations the desirability of including the smallest possible of number of its Arab inhabitants and the largest possible number of its Jewish inhabitants in the Jewish state.** **B. THE JEWISH STATE** **The north-eastern sector of the Jewish State (Eastern Galilee) is bounded on the north and west by the Lebanese frontier and on the east by the frontiers of Syria and Transjordan. It includes the whole of the Hula Basin, Lake Tiberias, the whole of the Beisan sub-district, the boundary line being extended to the crest of the Gilboa mountains and the Wadi Malih. From there the Jewish State extends north-west, following the boundary described in respect of the Arab State.** **The Jewish section of the coastal plain extends from a point between Minat et Qila and Nabi Yunis in the Gaza sub-district and includes the towns of Haifa and Tel-Aviv, leaving Jaffa as an enclave of the Arab State. The eastern frontier of the Jewish State follows the boundary described in respect of the Arab State.** **The Beersheba area comprises the whole of the Beersheba sub-district, including the Negeb and the eastern part of the Gaza sub-district, but excluding the town of Beersheba and those areas described in respect of the Arab State. It includes also a strip of land along the Dead Sea stretching from the Beersheba-Hebron sub-district boundary line to Ein Geddi, as described in respect to the Arab State.** **C. THE CITY OF JERUSALEM** **The boundaries of the City of Jerusalem area as defined in the recommendations on the City of Jerusalem. (See Part III, Section B, below).** **PART III** **City of Jerusalem** **A. SPECIAL REGIME** **The City of Jerusalem shall be established as a // corpus separatum // under a special international regime and shall be administered by the United Nations. The Trusteeship Council shall be designated to discharge the responsibilities of the Administration Authority on behalf of the United Nations.** **B. BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY** **The City of Jerusalem shall include the present municipality of Jerusalem plus the surrounding villages and towns, the most eastern of which shall be Abu Dis; the most southern, Bethlehem; the most western, Ein Karim (including also the built-up area of Motssa); and the most norther Shu’fat, as indicated on the attached sketch-map (annex B).** **C. STATUTE OF THE CITY** **The Trusteeship Council shall, within five months of the approval of the present plan, elaborate and approve a detailed Statute of the City which shall contain // inter alia // the substance of the following provisions:** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**1.** **// Government machinery; special objectives //****. The Administering Authority in discharging its administrative obligations shall pursue the following special objectives:** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**a.** **To protect and to preserve the unique spiritual and religious interests located in the city of the three great monotheistic faiths throughout the world, Christian, Jewish and Moslem; to this end to ensure that order and peace, and especially religious peace, reign in Jerusalem;** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**b.** **To foster co-operation among all the inhabitants of the city in their own interests as well as in order to encourage and support the peaceful development of the mutual relations between two Palestinian peoples throughout the Holy Land; to promote the security, well-being and any constructive measures of development of the residents, having regard to the special circumstances and customs of the various peoples and communities.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**2.** **// Governor and administrative staff //****. A Governor of the City of Jerusalem shall be appointed by the Trusteeship Council and shall be responsible to it. He shall be selected on the basis of special qualifications and without regard to nationality. He shall not, however, be a citizen of either State in Palestine.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**The Governor shall represent the United Nations in the City and shall exercise on their behalf all powers of administration, including the conduct of external affairs. He shall be assisted by an administrative staff classes an international officers in the meaning of Article 1000 of the Charter and chosen whenever practicable from the residents of the city and of the rest of Palestine on a nondiscriminatory basis. A detailed plan for the organization of the administration of the city shall be submitted by the Governor to the Trusteeship Council and duly approved by it.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**3.** **// Local autonomy //****.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**a.** **The existing local autonomous units in the territory of the city (villages, townships, and municipalities) shall enjoy wide powers of local government and administration.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**b.** **The Governor shall study and submit for the consideration and decision of the Trusteeship Council a plan for the establishment of special town units consisting, respectively, of the Jewish and Arab sections of new Jerusalem. The new town units shall continue to form part of the present municipality of Jerusalem.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**4.** **// Security measures //****.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**a.** **The City of Jerusalem shall be demilitarized; its neutrality shall be declared and preserved, and non para-military formations, exercises or activities shall be permitted within its borders.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**b.** **Should the administration of the City of Jerusalem be seriously obstructed or prevented by the non-co-operation or interference of one or more sections of the population, the Governor shall have authority to take such measures as may be necessary to restore the effective functioning of the administration.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**c.** **To assist in the maintenance of internal law and order and especially for the protection of the Holy Places and religious buildings and sites in the city, the Governor shall organize a special police force of adequate strength, the members of which shall be recruited outside of Palestine. The Governor shall be empowered to direct such budgetary provision as may be necessary for the maintenance of this force.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**5.** **// Legislative organization //****. A Legislative Council, elected by adult residents of the city irrespective of nationality on the basis of universal and secret suffrage and proportional representation, shall have powers of legislation and taxation. No legislative measures shall, however, conflict or interfere with the provisions which will be set forth in the Statute of the City, nor shall any law, regulation, or official action prevail over them. The Statute shall grant to the Governor a right of vetoing bills inconsistent with the provisions referred to in the preceding sentence. It shall also empower him to promulgate temporary ordinances in case the Council fails to adopt in time a bill deemed essential to the normal functioning of the administration.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**6.** **// Administration of justice //****. The Statute shall provide for the establishment of an independent judiciary system, including a court of appeal. All the inhabitants of the City shall be subject to it.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**7.** **// Economic union and economic regime //****. The City of Jerusalem shall be included in the Economic Union of Palestine and be bound by all stipulations of the undertaking and of any treaties issued therefrom, as well as by the decisions of the Joint Economic Board. The headquarters of the Economic Board shall be established in the territory of the City.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**The Statute shall provide for the regulation of economic matters not falling within the regime of the Economic Union, on the basis of equal treatment and non-discrimination for all Members of the United Nations and their nationals.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**8.** **// Freedom of transit and visit; control of residents //****. Subject to considerations of security and of economic welfare as determined by the Governor under the directions of the Trusteeship Council, freedom of entry into, and residence within, the borders of the City shall be guaranteed for the residents or citizens of the Arab and Jewish States. Immigration into, and residence within, the border of the city for nationals of other States shall be controlled by the Governor under the directions of the Trusteeship Council.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**9.** **// Relations with the Arab and Jewish States //****. Representatives of the Arab and Jewish States shall be accredited to the Governor of the City and charged with the protection of the interests of their States and nationals in connexion with the international administration of the city.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**10.** **// Official languages //****. Arabic and Hebrew shall be the official languages of the city. This will not preclude the adoption of one or more additional working languages, as may be required.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**11.** **// Citizenship //****. All the residents shall become // ipso facto // citizens of the City of Jerusalem unless they opt for citizenship of the State of which they have been citizens or, if Arabs or Jews, have filed notice of intention to become citizens of the Arab or Jewish State respectively, according to part I, section B, paragraph 9, of this plan.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**The Trusteeship Council shall make arrangements for consular protection of the citizens of the City outside its territory.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**12.** **// Freedoms of citizens //****.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**a.** **Subject only to the requirements of public order and morals, the inhabitants of the City shall be ensured the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of conscience, religion and worship, language, education, speech and Press, assembly and association, and petition.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**b.** **No discrimination of any kind shall be made between the inhabitants on the grounds of race, religion, language or sex.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**c.** **All persons within the City shall be entitled to equal protection of the laws.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**d.** **The family law and personal status of the various persons and communities and their religious interests, including endowments, shall be respected.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**e.** **Except as may be required for the maintenance of public order and good government, no measure shall be taken to obstruct or interfere with the enterprise of religious or charitable bodies of all faiths or to discriminate against any representative or member of these bodies on the ground of his religion or nationality.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**f.** **The City shall ensure adequate primary and secondary education for the Arab and Jewish communities respectively, in their own languages and in accordance with their cultural traditions.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**The right of each community to maintain its own schools for the education of its own members in its own language, while conforming to such educational requirements of a general nature as the City may impose, shall not be denied or impaired. Foreign educational establishments shall continue their activity on the basis of their existing rights.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**g.** **No restrictions shall be imposed on the free use by any inhabitant of the City of any language in private intercourse, in commerce, in religion, in the Press or in publications of any kind, or at public meetings.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**13.** **// Holy Places //****.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**a.** **Existing rights in respect of Holy Places and religious buildings or sites shall not be denied or impaired.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**b.** **Free access to the Holy Places and religious buildings or sites and the free exercise of worship shall be secured in conformity with existing rights and subject to the requirements of public order and decorum.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**c.** **Holy Places and religious buildings or sites shall be preserved. No act shall be permitted which may in any way impair their sacred character. If at any time it appears to the Government that any particular Holy Place, religious building or site is in need of urgent repair, the Government may call upon the community or communities concerned to carry out such repair. The Government may carry it out itself at the expense of the community, or communities concerned if no action is taken within a reasonable time.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**d.** **No taxation shall be levied in respect of any Holy Place, religious building or site which was exempt from taxation on the date of the creation of the State. No change in the incidence of such taxation shall be made which would either discriminate between the owners or occupiers of Holy Places, religious buildings or sites, or would place such owners or occupiers in a position less favourable in relation to the general incidence of taxation than existed at the time of the adoption of the Assembly’s recommendations.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**14.** **// Special powers of the Governor in respect of the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites in the City and in any part of Palestine //****.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**a.** **The protection of the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites located in the City of Jerusalem shall be a special concern of the Governor.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**b.** **With relation to such places, buildings, and sites in Palestine outside the city, the Governor shall determine, on the ground of powers granted to him by the Constitutions of both States, whether the provisions of the Constitutions of the Arab and Jewish States in Palestine dealing therewith and the religious rights appertaining thereto are being properly applied and respected.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; tab-stops: list 1.0in; text-indent: -.25in;">**c.** **The Governor shall also be empowered to make decisions on the basis of existing rights in cases of disputes which may arise between the different religious communities or the rites of a religious community in respect of the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites in any part of Palestine.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">**In this task he may be assisted by a consultative council of representatives of different denominations acting in an advisory capacity.** <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"> <span style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center;"> **D. DURATION OF THE SPECIAL REGIME** **The Statute elaborated by the Trusteeship Council on the aforementioned principles shall come into force no later than 1 October 1948. It shall remain in force in the first instance for a period of ten years, unless the Trusteeship Council finds it necessary to undertake a re-examination of these provisions at an earlier date. After the expiration of this period the whole scheme shall be subject to re-examination by the Trusteeship Council in the light of the experience acquired with its functioning. The residents of the City shall be then free to express by means of a referendum their wishes as to possible modifications of the regime of the City.** **PART IV** **Capitulations** **States whose nationals have in the past enjoyed in Palestine the privileges and immunities of foreigners, including the benefits of consular jurisdiction and protection, as formerly enjoyed by capitulation or usage in the Ottoman Empire, are invited to renounce any right pertaining to them to the re-establishment of such privileges and immunities in the proposed Arab and Jewish States and the City of Jerusalem.**

Resolution 194 (III). Palestine – Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator
**//The General Assembly,//** **//Having considered further// the situation in Palestine,** **1. //Expresses// its deep appreciation of the progress achieved through the good offices of the late United Nations Mediator in promoting a peaceful adjustment of the future situation of Palestine, for which cause he sacrificed his life; and** **//Extends// its thanks to the Acting Mediator and his staff for their continued efforts and devotion to duty in Palestine;** **2. //Establishes// a Conciliation Commission consisting of three States Members of the United Nations which shall have the following functions:** **3. //Decides// that a Committee of the Assembly, consisting of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, shall present, before the end of the first part of the present session of the General Assembly, for the approval of the Assembly, a proposal concerning the names of the three States which will constitute the Conciliation Commission;** **4. //Requests// the Commission to begin its functions at once, with a view to the establishment of contact between the parties themselves and the Commission at the earliest possible date;** **5. //Calls upon// the Governments and authorities concerned to extend the scope of the negotiations provided for in the Security Council’s resolution of 16 November 1948 and to seek agreement by negotiations conducted either with the Conciliation Commission or directly, with a view to the final settlement of all questions outstanding between them;** **6. //Instructs// the Conciliation Commission to take steps to assist the Governments and authorities concerned to achieve a final settlement of all questions outstanding between them;** **7. //Resolves// that the Holy Places – including Nazareth – religious buildings and sites in Palestine should be protected and free access to them assured, in accordance with existing rights and historical practice; that arrangements to this end should be under effective United Nations supervision; that the United Nations Conciliation Commission, in presenting to the fourth regular session of the General Assembly its detailed proposals for a permanent international regime for the territory of Jerusalem, should include recommendations concerning the Holy Places in that territory; that with regard to the Holy Places in the rest of Palestine the Commission should call upon the political authorities of the areas concerned to give appropriate formal guarantees as to the protection of the Holy Places and access to them; and that these undertakings should be presented to the General Assembly for approval;** **8. //Resolves// that, in view of its association with three world religions, the Jerusalem area, including the present municipality of Jerusalem plus the surrounding villages and towns, the most eastern of which shall be Abu Dis; the most southern, Bethlehem; the most western, Ein Karim (including also the built-up area of Motsa); and the most northern Shu’fat, should be accorded special and separate treatment from the rest of Palestine and should be placed under effective United Nations control;** **//Requests// the Security Council to take further steps to ensure the demilitarization of Jerusalem at the earliest possible date;** **//Instructs// the Conciliation Commission to present to the fourth regular session of the General Assembly detailed proposals for a permanent international regime for the Jerusalem area which will provide for maximum local autonomy for distinctive groups consistent with the special international status of the Jerusalem area;** **The Conciliation Commission is authorized to appoint a United Nations representative, who shall co-operate with the local authorities with respect to the interim administration of the Jerusalem area;** **9. //Resolves// that, pending agreement on more detailed arrangements among the Governments and authorities concerned, the freest possible access to Jerusalem by road, rail or air should be accorded to all inhabitants of Palestine;** **//Instructs// the Conciliation Commission to report immediately to the Security Council, for appropriate action by that organ, any attempt by any party to impede such access;** **10. //Instructs// the Conciliation Commission to seek arrangements among the Governments and authorities concerned which will facilitate the economic development of the area, including arrangements for access to ports and airfields and the use of transportation and communication facilities;** **11. //Resolves// that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible;** **//Instructs// the Conciliation Commission to facilitate the repatriation, resettlement and economic and social rehabilitation of the refugees and the payment of compensation, and to maintain close relations with the Director of the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees and, through him, with the appropriate organs and agencies of the United Nations;** **12. //Authorizes// the Conciliation Commission to appoint such subsidiary bodies and to employ such technical experts, acting under its authority, as it may find necessary for the effective discharge of its functions and responsibilities under the present resolution;** **The Conciliation Commission will have its official headquarters in Jerusalem. The authorities responsible for maintaining order in Jerusalem will be responsible for taking all measures necessary to ensure the security of the Commission. The Secretary-General will provide a limited number of guards for the protection of the staff and premises of the Commission;** **13. //Instructs// the Conciliation Commission to render progress reports periodically to the Secretary-General for transmission to the Security Council and to the Members of the United Nations:** **14. //Calls upon// all Governments and authorities concerned to co-operate with the Conciliation Commission and to take all possible steps to assist in the implementation of the present resolution;** **15. //Requests// the Secretary-General to provide the necessary staff and facilities and to make appropriate arrangements to provide the necessary funds required in carrying out the terms of the present resolution.** **//Hundred and eighty-sixth plenary meeting,//** **//11 December 1948//** **//At the 186th plenary meeting on 11 December 1948, a committee of the Assembly consisting of the five States designated in paragraph 3 of the above resolution proposed that the following three States should constitute the Conciliation Commission://** **France, Turkey, United States of America,** **//The proposal of the Commission having been adopted by the General Assembly at the same meeting, the Conciliation Commission is therefore composed of the above-mentioned three States.//**
 * 1) <span style="mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">** To assume, in so far as it considers necessary in existing circumstances, the functions given to the United Nations Mediator on Palestine by resolution 186 (S-2) of the General Assembly of 14 May 1948;  **
 * 2) <span style="mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">** To carry out the specific functions and directives given to it by the present resolution and such additional functions and directives as may be given to it by the General Assembly or by the Security Council;  **
 * 3) <span style="mso-list: l3 level2 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;">** To undertake upon the request of the Security Council, any of the functions now assigned to the United Nations Mediator on Palestine or to the United Nations Truce Commission by resolutions of the Security Council; upon such request to the Conciliation Commission by the Security Council with respect to all the remaining functions of the United Nations Mediator on Palestine under Security Council resolutions, the office of the Mediator shall be terminated; **

Resolution 3236 (XXIX). Question of Palestine
**//The General Assembly,//** **//Having considered//** **the question of Palestine,** **//Having heard//** **the statement of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people,** **//Having also heard//** **other statements during the debate,** **//Deeply concerned//** **that no just solution to the problem of Palestine has yet been achieved and recognized that the problem of Palestine continues to endanger international peace and security,** **//Recognizing//** **that the Palestinian people is entitled to self-determination in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,** **//Expressing its grave concern//** **that the Palestinian people has been prevented from enjoying its inalienable rights, in particular its right to self-determination,** **//Guided//** **by the purposes and principles of the Charter,** **//Recalling//** **its relevant resolutions which affirm the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination,** **1. //Reaffirms// the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people in Palestine, including:** <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**(a)** **The right to self-determination without external interference;** <span style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">**(b)** **The right to national independence and sovereignty;** **2. //Reaffirms also// the inalienable right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted, and calls for their return;** **3. //Emphasizes// that full respect for and the realization of these inalienable rights of the Palestinian people are indispensable for the solution of the question of Palestine;** **4. //Recognizes// that the Palestinian people is a principal party in the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East;** **5. //Further recognizes// the right of the Palestinian people to regain its rights by all means in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations;** **6. //Appeals// to all States and international organizations to extend their support to the Palestinian people in its struggle to restore its rights, in accordance with the Charter;** **7. //Requests// the Secretary-General to establish contacts with the Palestine Liberation Organization on all matters concerning the question of Palestine;** **8. //Requests// the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its thirtieth session on the implementation of the present resolution;** **9. Decides to include the item entitled “Question of Palestine” in the provisional agenda of its thirtieth session.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"> **//2296th plenary meeting//** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"> **//22 November 1974//**

Resolution 3237 (XXIX). Observer status for the Palestine Liberation Organization
**//The General Assembly,//** **//Having considered//** **the question of Palestine,** **//Taking into consideration//** **the universality of the United Nations prescribed in the Charter,** **//Recalling//** **its resolutions 3102 (XXVIII) of 12 December 1973,** **//Taking into account//** **Economic and Social Council resolutions 1835 (LVI) of 14 May 1974 and 1840 (LVI) of 15 May 1974,** **//Noting//** **that the Diplomatic Conference on the Reaffirmation and Development of International Humanitarian Law Applicable in Armed Conflicts, the World Population Conference and the World Food Conference have in effect invited the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in their respective deliberations,** **//Noting also//** **that the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea has invited the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in its deliberations as an observer,** **1. //Invites// the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly in the capacity of observer;** **2. //Invites// the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in the sessions and the work of all international conferences convened under the auspices of the General Assembly in the capacity of observer;** **3. //Considers// that the Palestine Liberation Organization is entitled to participate as an observer in the sessions and the work of all international conferences convened under the auspices of other organs of the United Nations;** **4. //Requests// the Secretary-General to take the necessary steps for the implementation of the present resolution.** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"> **//2296th plenary meeting//** <span style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"> **//22 November 1974//**

FURTHER RESEARCH
**Other resources for further research about the topic (can apply for country research as well):** **In this chapter you can find further resources for you research for the upcoming West MUN conference. Before each link is a short introduction about what kind of information you can find there which hopefully will be useful:**

**The single most important page for any delegate at West MUN 2004, this website gives a comprehensive guide to the Israel-Palestine conflict, with information about the countries involved, all the important documents, links to other relevant information and so on:** **http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2001/israel_and_the_palestinians/default.stm**

**These pages give a good historical background on the conflict and can be useful for further research:** **http://www.britannica.com** **http://encarta.msn.com** **http://www.bbc.co.uk**

**This is a very interesting webpage, gives the pro´s and con´s of all the major issues in the Israel-Palestine conflict. An impartial webpage that gives quotes from major players in the conflict:** **http://www.israelipalestinianprocon.org**

**Here you can find information about the “road map to peace” and the road map itself, it is in the middle of the page:** **www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=70&Body=Palestin&Body1=**

**Here you can find a official press release by the Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People on the developments since the world court opinion on Israeli wall was published:** **http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/gapal963.doc.htm**

**The United Nations main webpage, and for current news on the UN:** **www.un.org and http://www.un.org/News/**

**For basic information about the United Nations, its bodies and the charter of the UN:** **http://www.un.org/aboutun/index.html**

**For Israeli news:** **http://www.haaretz.com/**

**For Palestinian news:** **http://english.wafa.ps/**

**The following web pages could be viewed as pro Palestinian and give an interesting viewpoint on the thinking of Palestinian people or their supporters:** **http://electronicintifada.net** **http://www.stopthewall.org** **http://www.palestinemonitor.org/new_web/4_years_intifada_anniversary.htm**

**The following web pages could be viewed as pro Israelian and give an interesting viewpoint on the thinking of Israelian people or their supporters:** **http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa** **http://www.aipac.org/** **http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/mftoc.html** And finally here you can find a link to the permanent observer mission of Palestine to the United Nations: **http://www.palestine-un.org/**

**Other resources for further research about your country:** **CIA world fact book gives a comprehensive fact sheet about your country, and should not have any bias information:** **http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/**

**Try your country’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, for example:** **http://www.mofa.go.jp/**

**Try your country’s permanent mission to the UN website, for example:** **http://www.un.int/iran/**

**Put in the search field at these websites, your country, the topic or the body that you are in, for general news about the country or its connection to the topic or body:** **http://www.un.org/search/** **http://www.google.com** **http://www.altavista.com,** **http://www.bbc.co.uk (see information web sites above)**