Special Political Committee Position Papers-jacomun

SPECPOL Topic: Israel Palestine Crisis Calcutta Girls' High School France Spanning over a century, preceded by conflicts 3000 years of age, the Israeli-Palestine conflict is an on-going dispute between Israel and the Palestinians. It finds its roots in both the Arabs and the Jews claiming the land of Palestine as their own. This has led to a further development of several crises and other issues. It now stands as an issue of grave concern to the entire global community. France believes that political turmoil is giving way to the use of violence and a lack in security. Acts of terrorism have long destabilized the Middle East region and France wholly condemns all acts of terrorism. The French Republic fully supports demands for an immediate cessation of all acts of violence. France also emphasizes the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace and she is thoroughly committed to working collectively towards a lasting stabilization and maintenance of peace in the Middle East. France believes that military means alone cannot solve the problem and the main focus must be on the social and political processes that can be used. France endorses the Quartet Performance-based Roadmap to a Permanent Two-State Solution. Don Bosco Liluah The Federal Republic of Russia (Федеративная республика России) The Federation of Russia has been an active and loyal member of the United Nations in all its organs and agencies. The Israel and Palestine conflict deals with the land of Palestine and the claims made to it by the two nations. The direct negotiating parties are the Israeli Government currently led by Ehud Olmert, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) currently headed by Mahmoud Abbas. The official negotiations are mediated by the Quartet on the Middle East consisting of the United Kingdom, United States of America, Russia and the United Nations. Spanning over a 100 years already, it is one of the most destructive and debated conflicts in world politics today and we have always endeavoured to give our best possible contribution in resolving the conflict. Russia has always supported the Palestinian Authority and economic growth. As a member of the Quartet we have always supported the two-state policy and would like to call on all parties concerned to take meaningful steps to realize this. We want and suggest both the Israeli and Palestinian Authorities to implement their obligations under the ‘Road Map Plan’. Russia believes Israel should call an immediate halt on its policy of the Gaza blockade as already recognized by the UN. The Russian Government would like to put on record the considerable number of victims and suffering amongst the Palestinian population. Russia would like Israel to freeze all settlement activities, including natural growth and open crossing in West Bank, Golan Height and East Jerusalem; which are seen as a violation of International Law . Our honourable Foreign Minister Mr. Sergey Lavrov have announced that the Russian Government supports the Atomic Energy Ministry’s proposal that cooperation with the Syrian Arab Republic in peaceful use of Atomic Energy (not for military purposes) should be stepped in. We would expect that Israel would not produce an obstacle in this path. Russia is also prepared to sell to Syria and Iran arms of ‘defensive character’ with a ‘limited range’ without violating any international agreements. Russia will also take care that these arms do not fall into wrong hands and are misused. So Israel should not have any security concerns of its own territory regarding this issue and should not produce any blockade in this path.

Russia believes that few possible solutions to the current conflicts could be: Jerusalem should be divided between Israel and Palestine as decided by a committee consisting of both parties and those countries as decided by this council. The Palestinian refugees should be allowed by the Israeli Government to return to their homes which come under the ‘Right to Return’ of the Palestinian refugees and they should be accorded recognition as citizens of an independent state. Our honourable Foreign Minister Mr. Sergey Lavrov said that Russia has been sending signals to Hamas and Palestine Authority President-Mahmoud Abbas in terms of the necessity to cooperate in the most serious way. Thus we also expect the utmost cooperation from the Israeli Government in this regard to frame a way for resolving this conflict. I would like to conclude, by reiterating Russia’s commitment to the United Nations and its preparedness to do whatever is necessary to contribute to efforts to make the Organization more effective with regard to this conflict and also as a whole. Sources: Statement of Foreign Minister of Russia Statement of Prime Minister of Russia Statement issued by the Quartet Statement of Russian Government Officials Don Bosco Park Circus State of Israel The Israel-Palestine crisis has been plaguing not only the middle east for virtually a century, rather it has been slowly crippling the running of the world. Although it is primarily a war with religious implications, the social, economic, statutory, and geographical factors are all big players in this game. It might sound trivial to call this perpetual state of war or uneasy peace a game, but in the end that is exactly what it has played out as. The election of a terrorist organization to man the provincial administration of a territory, the gifting of a “right to return” to this one particular breed of refugees or the absolute disregard for peace treaties with mortar and rocket attacks : all these events are just a part of the the game played. This undoubtedly has to come to end, this modern black age has to be exonerated with. The country of Israel was given its official recognition over 50 years back. The Hamas’ main aim is still to obliterate Israel from the face of the earth. From the moral, social and humanitarian aspect this is sinful malevolence. Even though Israel has put forth its hand on numerous occasions, its neighbour refuses to accept Israelis, i.e., Jews, as creatures fit for survival. The Palestinian claims of discrimination against them thus, are in no way justified. Not only is the land of Israel a promised land, but it has officially been accepted by the UN (even the post war territorial rearrangements). Therefore the claim of Palestine for certain lands is absurd as it directly contradicts the international governing body. Israel has also agreed to the resolutions passed to evacuate the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip has been relinquished of Israeli civilians as part of Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan. The evacuation of the west bank is in progress and it is not going to be a one day effort so patience is requested for. Israel stands firm on its belief and its stance that it, as a country, has a rightful place in the region and is not willing to surrender any territories on the baseless demands of the Hamas. Israel is also not willing to be an easy prey for the predators. As it has done through the ages, Israel is a nation which is hard state that refuses to be pushed around and will deal with attacks on it with means it deems fit. And within humanitarian standards. The delegate of Israel would like to address the issue of the territorial rearrangements first as it seems to be the central issue that is igniting the fire for most of the other issues at hand. Jerusalem, for example, is the most controversial issue at hand and there seems to be an absolute deadlock with no resolution seeming possible. However, the delegate of Israel feels that with the present administration of Jerusalem completely resting in the hands of Israel

there is still a ray of hope for peace. The delegate of Israel feels that if Jerusalem were to be divided, there would definitely be some religious implications cropping up, specially with regard to treatment of the Jews, as it is a well known fact that Anti-Semitism is still propagated in Arab states. If East Jerusalem were to be marked as Palestinian ground, there would be more loss of life, which is something no governing body could ever desire. Regarding issues such as territorial rearrangements and immigrant issues, the delegate of Israel firmly adheres to the stance of Israel : The war changed the map and this change is here to stay, and utmost sympathy for the refugees is a hard concept to follow as they were the very people that were the propagators of the Anti-Semitism movements in the region. The delegate of Israel would like to make it clear, that the country is here to stay and will not back down from its rightful territories and from its counter-attacking philosophies.

DPS Newtown Egypt Religions, inspite of having the same principles, are frequently causes of violent conflicts and never ending quarrels. The conflict over the small strip of land by the Red Sea is no exception. Israel and Palestine is having a conflict since 1948 over a similar problem. Demands and logics are equivalent on both camps, so it is indeed a major international issue. Egypt is a key partner in the search for peace in the Middle East and resolution of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. Egypt played an important role in the negotiations leading to the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991, which, under United States and Russian sponsorship, brought together all parties in the region to discuss Middle East peace. This support has continued to the present, with President Hosni Mubarak often intervening personally to promote peace negotiations. In 1996, he hosted the Sharm El-Sheikh "Summit of the Peacemakers" attended by President Bill Clinton and other world leaders. In 2000, he hosted two summits at Sharm ElSheikh and one at Taba in an effort to resume the Camp David negotiations suspended in July 2000, and in June 2003, Mubarak hosted President George W. Bush for another summit on Middle East peace process. Another summit was convened in Sharm El Sheik in early 2005, which was attended by Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan. The Egyptian Chief of Intelligence, General Omar Suleiman, has played a substantial role in negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian sides and is highly respected on both sides. There should be peaceful talks and conferences between the Israel and the Palestine. There should be efforts to stop the Trans border terrorism between the Israel and the Palestine. The innocent civilians of both the powers should be spared. Both the powers should remove their military forces from the Gaza strip. A small issue often leads to global destruction. A murder in a small European city led to a World War! Petty quarrels should be nipped at the bud and would make the world a more peaceful place to live in. DPS Ruby Park Peoples Republic of China “In the remorseless logic of Middle East, war is a diplomacy by other means...” This was true when Anwar Sadat launched a surprise attack on Israel in 1973. It is also true as the unresolved crisis in Gaza wreaks unacceptable havoc in the fabric of civilian life in Gaza.According to a recent UN report, fighting from December 2008 to January 2009 has destroyed some 4,000 homes and damaged another 40,000. Although donor countriers have pledged billions of dollars for Gaza's reconstruction, it cannot begin because of Israeli blockade. China, from the time of Yasser Arafat maintains that parties concerned should seek a peaceful solution to disputes through diplomatic negotiations and with the spirit of reconciliation. China expects to see a Middle East with peace, stability and development. China feels the need for the full implementation by both parties of the Agreement on Movement and Access and Agreed Principles for the Rafah Crossing of November 2005 and the need in specific for opening all

crossings into and out of Gaza strip for humanitarian supplies, movement and access as well as for commercial flow which are essential for improving the living conditions of the Palestinian people and ensuring the viability of the Palestinian economy. China urges an intensification of diplomatic efforts to achieve long lasting peace in the region. Israel should halt its settlement activities in the West Bank and the Palestinian side should strengthen its internal unity. The parties concerned should concentrate on mediation efforts and consider establishing a multilateral mechanism to provide oversight of peace process. The Chinese Foreign Minister has visited the region and held in depth consultations with the leaders there. China has always provided a platform for Palestinian and Israeli advocators and reconstruction assistance for Palestine. In December 2006, the Chinese Foreign Ministry held Israel - Palestine seminar for peace process in Middle East. China believes that education is a useful means to help young people adopt a correct perception of civilization of the world and has contributed to the UN in form of money and education kits . China proposes solving the Palestine-Israel conflict using the principle “land for peace" through dialogues and political negotiations and the "2 state solution" to enable Palestinian and Israeli people to live and develop in a peaceful environment. La Martiniere for Girls United States of America The Israeli - Palestine conflict is one of the world's major sources of instability. USA as one of the developed countries, plays a major role in trying to bring back peace and stability to this conflict stricken region. The United States, is committed to bringing comprehensive peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors and will pursue it on many fronts. USA will vigorously also pursue a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. USA strongly aknowledges and supports the removal of the permanent roadblocks that had been restricting the movement of the Palestinians between the main Palestinian cities. USA also aknowledges and supports the stop in construction of Israeli settlements in Gaza and the West Bank till a settlement is made by the two states. USA strongly urges the Palestinian Government to participate in the peace talks initiated by Prime-Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu's first act towards the initiation of peace talks with the Palestinian Government has been the formation of an administrative body whose task is to promote economic peace with the Palestinians. The department will have a mandate to concentrate the government's activities vis-a-vis the international community, particularly with the Quartet's special envoy to the region, Tony Blair, and the Palestinian Authority. Netanyahu's government will seek to advance some 25 economic initiatives in the West Bank. So far, there has been no cooperation by the Palestinian Government on the 'economic peace' plans initiated by Prime-Minister Netanyahu. Prior to the elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented his program for "economic peace," which he said would improve the quality of life for Palestinians in the West Bank. However, days after having formed his coalition government, there is no practical progress on economic projects. The main reason for this is the refusal of senior Palestinian Authority officials to cooperate with Netanyahu and Vice Premier Silvan Shalom, who has been assigned the task of promoting the "economic peace" initiative. PA President Mahmoud Abbas refuses to meet Netanyahu, and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will not meet with Silvan Shalom, while Palestinian officials are not permitted to meet their Israeli counterparts. The Palestinian refusal to meet senior Israeli officials resulted in the cancellation of a joint conference scheduled to take place in Tokyo on the Jericho industrial zone. USA strongly supports the peace initiatives taken by the Government of Israel and urges the Government of

Palestine to also lend its full support and participate in the peace initiatives so that the common goal of a two-state solution to the conflict can be reached. USA has been doing everything in its power to better the conditions in Palestine so that Palestine can actively participate in the peace talk. USA has provided aid to address the humanitarian and early recovery needs of the Palestinian people, after the recent conflict, and the United States joins with others in generously stepping forward to help. Our pledge of over $900 million, designed in coordination with the Palestinian Authority and to be submitted to the United States Congress, will deliver assistance to the people of Gaza and the West Bank. USA along with many others recognizes that human progress depends on the human spirit. That a child growing up in Gaza without shelter, health care, or an education has the same right to go to school, see a doctor, and live with a roof over her head as a child growing up in any other country. That a mother and father in the West Bank struggling to fulfill their dreams for their children have the same right as parents anywhere else in the world to a good job, a decent home, and the tools to achieve greater prosperity and peace. That progress toward the goals we seek here today is more likely to grow out of opportunity, than futility; out of hope, than out of misery. Therefore, USA urges the Palestinian government to cooperate with the Government of Israel, and participate in the peace talks. USA also urges Palestinian officials to meet with the Israeli officials so that a comprehensive two-state solution can be reached that benefits both the states. Solutions: USA will work with its Palestinian partners, President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad, to address critical humanitarian, budgetary, security, and infrastructure needs. USA has worked with the Palestinian Authority to install safeguards that will ensure that our funding is only used where, and for whom, it is intended, and does not end up in the wrong hands. In pledging these funds, USA is pursuing both a short- and long-term approach. It is not enough just to respond to the immediate needs of the Palestinian people.Our response to today’s crisis in Gaza cannot be separated from our broader efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace. Only by acting now can we turn this crisis into an opportunity that moves us closer to our shared goals. By providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza, we also aim to foster conditions in which a Palestinian state can be fully realized – a state that is a responsible partner, is at peace with Israel and its Arab neighbors, and is accountable to its people. USA, has always been against the violation of human rights. USA extends all aid within its power to the Palestinian Government to combat the terrorist forces of Hamas at work in the West Bank region of Palestine. As President Obama has said, the United States will engage in this effort with vigor and intensity in pursuit of genuine progress – progress that will improve the lives and the livelihoods of the people of Gaza and the West Bank, the people of Israel, and the neighbors throughout the region. USA will do all in its power to attain the common goal of a two-state solution to the IsraelPalestine conflict and bring back peace,stability and security to this conflict stricken region. Lakshmipat Singhania Academy Country – Ukraine The Israel-Palestine conflict is an ongoing dispute between Israel and the Palestinians. Judea, home of the Jews in ancient times, was conquered by the Romans and renamed Palestine. Palestine was later conquered and inhabited by Arabs for over a thousand years. The Zionist movement arose to restore the Jews to Israel, largely ignoring the existing Arab population. Following the Balfour Declaration in 1917, Palestine was granted to Britain as a League of

Nations mandate to build a national home for the Jewish people. The Arabs resented the Jews coming in to take their land. Led by Grand Mufti Hajj Amin El Husseini, they rioted repeatedly and later revolted, creating a history of enmity between Jews and Arabs in Palestine. Britain stopped Jewish immigration to Palestine. Following the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis, pressure on Britain increased to allow Jewish immigration to Palestine. In 1947, the UN partitioned the land into Arab and Jewish states. The Arabs did not accept the partition and war broke out. The Jews won a decisive victory, expanded their state and created several hundred thousand Palestinian refugees. The Arab states refused to recognize Israel or make peace with it. Wars broke out in 1956, 1967, 1973 and 1982, and there were many terror raids and Israeli reprisals. Each side believes different versions of the same history. Each side views the conflict as wholly the fault of the other and expects an apology. The situation in the Middle East also remains a source of deep concern for Ukraine. It is quite obvious today that the parties have got stuck in the circle of violence that contradicts true aspirations of both peoples and breeds yet ever more hatred and desperation. We fully support the efforts of the international community, first of all of the "Quartet" and the countries of the region aimed at assisting the parties to find peaceful ways of settlement of the conflict and to bring to fruition in three years the "vision" of coexistence of two states, Israel and Palestine, in security and within the limits of internationally recognized borders. There is no alternative to commencement of peace negotiations between the parties on the establishment of the Palestinian State, ending the occupation and finding solution to the issues of borders, status of Jerusalem and refugees. Taking this opportunity, Ukraine would like to confirm its readiness to offer a venue on its territory and provide all appropriate conditions for the conduct of such talks. Ukraine’s proposals are as follows : A clear, unambiguous acceptance by both parties of the goal of a negotiated settlement. The Quartet as well as Ukraine will assist and facilitate implementation of the plan. Palestinian leadership should issue unequivocal statement reiterating Israel’s right to exist in peace and security and calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to end armed activity and all acts of violence against Israelis anywhere. All official Palestinian institutions end incitement against Israel and vice versa. Israel should take measures to improve the humanitarian situation. Israel and Palestinians should seek to improve humanitarian conditions, lifting curfews and easing restrictions on movement of persons and goods, and allowing full, safe, and unfettered access of international and humanitarian personnel, especially in Gaza Strip. Loreto Day School, Dharamtala Iraq Religion has always been a very delicate global issue.The Israeli – Palestine conflict is a classic example showing how often religion has caused global problems.The sacred land of Jerusalem has religious importance for Christians Muslims and Jews.The land of Palestine had been divided to form a Jewish state of Israel which was resented by the Arab Palestinians,and they thus seeked the support of all Islamic nations.In 1948 the state of Israel was attacked by Lebanon,Syria,Iraq,Transjordan and Egypt. My country Iraq supported the Palestinian Liberation Organization,and did not believe in dividing the Palestinian land,it was a part of the Arab league of nations,whose main aim was to establish Arab lands as complete and indivisible whole. Hussein had good relations with theSoviet Union and a number of western countries such as France and Germany, who provided him with advanced weapons systems. He also developed a sane relation with theUnited States, who supported him during the Iran-Iraq war. However, the Invasion of Kuwait that triggered the Gulf War brutally changed Iraq's relations with the Arab world and theWest. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and others were among the countries that supported Kuwait in the UN coalition. Egypt

Iraqi-Egyptian relations were broken in 1990 after Egypt joined the UN coalition that forced Iraq out of Kuwait. Relations have steadily improved in recent years, and Egypt is now one of Iraq’s main trade partners (formerly under the Oil-for-Food Programme). Lebanon Iraq and Lebanon have maintained diplomatic relations since 1943. Both countries have refused to recognize Israel and have supported the Palestinians. Iran Relations appear to have improved since March 2008, when Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a two-day visit to Iraq. Israel Iraq participated in the Arab-Israeli wars of 1948, 1967 and 1973, and traditionally has opposed all attempts to reach a peaceful settlement between Israel and the Arab States. Israel attacked Iraq's nuclear research reactor under construction near Baghdad in July 1981. During the IranIraq war, Iraq moderated its anti-Israel stance considerably. In August 1982 President Hussein stated to a visiting U. S. Congressman that "a secure state is necessary for both Israel and the Palestinians." Iraq did not oppose then President Reagan's September 1, 1982 Arab-Israeli peace initiative, and it supported the moderate Arab position at the Fez summit that same month. Iraq repeatedly stated that it would support whatever settlement is found acceptable by the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia Saudi leaders were relieved when Iraq was defeated, but they recognised that relations with Baghdad had been damaged. Consequently, postwar Saudi policy focused on ways to contain potential Iraqi threats to the kingdom and the region. One elements of Riyadh's containment policy included support for Iraqi opposition forces that advocated the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's government. In the past, backing for such groups had been discreet, but in early 1992 the Saudi's invited several Iraqi opposition leaders to Riyadh to attend a well-publicised conference. To further demonstarate Saudi dissatisfaction with the regime in Baghdad, Crown Prince Abdallah permitted the media to videotape his meeting with some of the opponents of Saddam Hussein. Sudan Sudan has an Embassy in Baghdad and Iraq's Embassy is in Khartoum. Sudanese-Iraqi relations were and still are very close, Sudan supported Iraq during the Gulf war, and following the war, Baghdad established Khartoum as a major center for Iraqi intelligence.[1] Iraq and Sudan are connected by remote cultural similarities such as language (both countries speak Arabic, though the two are different in dialect) and religion, both are Muslim (however Sudan is predominantly Sunni, while the majority of Iraq is Shia). Tension between the two countries intensified during the American invasion, even though Sudan fiercely opposed the proposal. Ties between Iraq and Sudan have since improved. The political states of Iraq and Syria were formed by the United Kingdom and France following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I. Iraq and Syria are united by historical, social, political, cultural and economic relations, but share a long foreign drawn border. The land known as Mesopotamia is Iraq and eastern Syria and is called such by its inhabitants. Political relations between Iraq and Syria have in the past seen difficulties, however, new diplomatic relations described by both sides as "Historic" were established in November 2006, beginning an era of close cooperation and political friendship between Iraq and Syria. [2] United Arab Emirates In June 2008, the Iraqi government announced that the United Arab Emirates would send an ambassador to Baghdad within a few days. This would become the first Arab ambassador in Iraq since the kidnapping and murder of Ihab el-Sherif in July 2005. This announcement was made during a surprise visit by the United Arab Emirates' Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Baghdad on 5 June 2008. This marked the first time a high-ranking official from a Gulf state visited Iraq since March 2003.[3][4] United States of America and European nations: All nations were against Iraq due to it capturing Kuwait,recent relations seem to improve. Solutions to the problem: Establishment of one state of Jerusalem which is binational (Israeli and Palestinian)

Dividing Jerusalem on the basis of Islamic and Jewish territory and giving parts of it to Israel and Palestine both. Establishment of one secular and democratic state. Proper and equal distribution of resources between the two lands. Creating awareness and religious tolerance between people through education. Loreto House United Kingdom The Palestine-Israel conflict is a rather deep rooted problem persisting in the world today. The land variously called Israel and Palestine is a small, (10,000 square miles at present) land at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. During its long history, its area, population and ownership varied greatly. The present state of Israel occupies all the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean ocean, bounded by Egypt in the south, Lebanon in the north, and Jordan in the East. The recognized borders of Israel constitute about 78% of the land. The remainder is divided between land occupied by Israel since the 1967 6-day war and the autonomous regions under the control of the Palestinian autonomy. The Gaza strip occupies an additional 141 square miles south of Israel, and is under the control of the Palestinian authority. History has it that the jews believe that this land is their land given to them by their god as a result they kept fighting back to get their land through the ages. The Arabs too never agreed to give up the land that they had conquered and have been living on for ages instead they were determined to drive away the Jews. This naturally resulted in wars. Jews had never stopped coming to "the Holy land" or Palestine in small numbers throughout the exile. Palestine also remained the center of Jewish worship and a part of Jewish culture. The Zionist movement became a formal organization in 1897. During World War I (1914-1918), a large number of Jews were forced to flee Palestine. Britain and France planned to divide the Ottoman holdings in the Middle East among themselves after the war. However, Britain also offered to back Arab demands for postwar independence from the Ottomans in return for Arab support for the Allies and seems to have promised the same territories to the Arabs at he same time being very fair when the Arabs claimed that Palestine was included in the area promised to them, British refused. In November 1917, before Britain had conquered Jerusalem and the area to be known as Palestine, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration. he declaration stated Britain's support for the creation of a Jewish national home in Palestine, without violating the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities. In 1922, the British declared that the boundary of Palestine would be limited to the area west of the river. The area east of the river, called Transjordan (now Jordan), was made a separate British mandate and eventually given independence. Ever since there have been riots and disputes. During the 2nd world war the British allowed 10,000 Jews to enter the land to the east of the river considering that they were forced to leave their homes due to Hitler’s policies of killing Jews. The United Nations Special Commission on Palestine (UNSCOP) recommended that Palestine be divided into an Arab state and a Jewish state. This act was followed by very unwanted incidents of- the October war, the wars in Lebanon etc. the present day problem mainly lies in the six core issues-Jerusalem, refugees, resources, borders, settlements and security. However situations are made worse with the acts of aggression – Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. He told BBC, “We need an immediate ceasefire. The blame game can continue afterwards, but this dangerous moment, I think, requires us to act.” United Kingdom aims at first solving the problem of terrorism with the cooperation of the global community. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown went further, saying Israel soldiers should withdraw immediately, but also called on Hamas to end the rocket attacks. He said, “This should be just the start of a concerted international effort to stabilize the region. This fragile cease-fire has got to be followed immediately, if it is to be sustainable, by humanitarian access…by troop withdrawals, by an end to arms trafficking.”

Pratt Memorial School (1) Germany The Israel Palestine Conflict is an ongoing dispute between the West Asian country Israel and the Palestinians. It forms a part of the wider Arab-Israeli conflict.Within Israeli and Palestinian society, the conflict generates a wide variety of opinions This serves to highlight the deep divisions which exist not only between Israelis and Palestinians, but also within each society.A hallmark of the conflict has been the level of violence witnessed for virtually its entire duration. Fighting has been conducted by regular armies, paramilitary groups, terror cells and individuals.Casualties have not been restricted to the military, with a large number of fatalities in civilian population on both sides, who took no part in the fighting when they were killed. Germany has been actively involved in the continuous Peace-process in Israeli-Palestinian conflict which make Germany arguably Israel's closest ally, next to the United States. Germany is also working bilaterally to support a peaceful solution. This is evident in the many political talks with representatives of the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority as well as frequent visits to the region.The central idea is a political one: The initiative doesn't want to content itself with the promise of peace at the end of the peace process, rather it wants to demonstrate the benefits of the difficult negotiations to the population as the political process continues. A two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only be achieved through an end to violence and terrorism, when the Palestinian people have a leadership acting decisively against terror and willing and able to build a practicing democracy based on tolerance and liberty, and through Israel’s readiness to do what is necessary for a democrati c Palestinian state to be established, and a clear, unambiguous acceptance by both parties of the goal of a negotiated settlement as described below. The Quartet will assist and facilitate implementation of the plan, starting in Phase I, including direct discussions between the parties as required. The plan establishes a realistic timeline for implementation. However, as a performance-based plan, progress will require and depend upon the good faith efforts of the parties, and their compliance with each of the obligations outlined below. Should the parties perform their obligations rapidly, progress within and through the phases may come sooner than indicated in the plan. Non-compliance with obligations will impede progress. Drawing the border high on the Judean and Samarian mountains as depicted above, is the only way to give Israel a modicum of strategically sensible borders. Drawing the borders in the western lowlands and leaving control of the high ground and the Jordan-Dead Sea rift valley to Palestine and the Golan Heights to Syria, is tantamount to asking Israel to defend itself from a strategically suicidal position. East Jerusalem, including the temple mount under a trusteeship, should go to Palestine to be its capital: with the border dividing the city as it was divided by the armistice line up to June 1967; with the exception that the borderline be drawn to include in Israel the Jewish Quarter of the old city and the Wailing Wall. There shouldn’t be any Jewish enclaves or presence in East Jerusalem or Arab ones in Israeli Jerusalem.Except as just suggested for Jerusalem, only security considerations, being vital to the existence of Israel, should be relevant to the determination of the borders. Putting Israelis and Palestinians in one state will ultimately result in disaster. This is not ideology but reality. The creation of a Jewish state and a separate Arab entity in Palestine is a recommended solution. The suggested partition lines were drawn so as to separate as far as practicable the Jewish population from the Arab one. Separation was an imperative action in the past and it’s now even more so. Pratt Memorial School (2) Iran Iran's stand on the issue - Palestinian and Israeli conflict:

Iran condemns Israel on both political and religious platforms. It denies support to the Hamas in any way other than spiritually. It has and will continue to provide humanitarian aid to the affected areas in Palestine. It will also submit proposals for the possible solution to the crisis in a political manner and hopes that this crisis is dealt in a just and fair manner. It urges this international body to give the Palestinians what they deserve without further delay. Since the Iranian nuclear crisis and national security have priority and is more important than militarily supporting Hamas against Israel, thus, Iran’s support to Hamas has just been limited by these political and diplomatic efforts. Iran would prefer to sit back and follow the developments without any involvement. Iran would like to point out that peace is all it wants, it does not wish to threaten international peace. It would also like to point out that if the political instability in that area continues it will not take long for the local wars to develop into something greater. these developments should not be used as tools for the western countries to realize their targets. In the current circumstances Iran will not renounce its pragmatic policies and endanger a possible dialogue route with the U.S. St James School (1) Harakat al-Muqawamat al-Islamiyah (Hamas) Hamas combines Palestinian nationalism with Islamic fundamentalism. Its founding charter commits the group to the destruction of Israel, the replacement of the PA with an Islamist state on the West Bank and Gaza, and to raising "the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine." Its leaders have called suicide attacks the "F-16" of the Palestinian people. Hamas believes "peace talks will do no good," said the Hamas leader Abd al-Aziz Rantisi in April 2004. "We do not believe we can live with the enemy." Hamas grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood, a religious and political organization founded in Egypt with branches throughout the Arab world. Beginning in the late 1960s, Hamas's founder and spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, preached and did charitable work in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, both of which were occupied by Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1973, Yassin established al-Mujamma' al-Islami (the Islamic Center) to coordinate the Muslim Brotherhood's political activities in Gaza. Yassin founded Hamas as the Muslim Brotherhood's local political arm in December 1987, following the eruption of the first intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israeli control of the West Bank and Gaza. Hamas published its official charter in 1988, moving decidedly away from the Muslim Brotherhood's ethos of nonviolence. The United States lists Hamas as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization".[35] Canada officially describes Hamas as a "a radical Sunni Muslim terrorist organization."[229][230] The European Union lists Hamas among the entities against which it applies restrictions in order to combat terrorism.[38] Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that "Hamas maintains a terrorist infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank, and acts to carry out terrorist attacks in the territories and Israel."[231] Japan stated in 2005 that it had frozen the assets of "terrorist organizations, including... Hamas."[232] It is highly unfair to call Hamas as “just a terrorist group”. In addition to its military wing, the so-called Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigade, Hamas devotes much of its estimated $70-million annual budget to an extensive social services network. Indeed, the extensive social and political work done by Hamas - and its reputation among Palestinians as averse to corruption - partly explain its defeat of the Fatah old guard in the 2006 legislative vote. Hamas funds schools, orphanages, mosques, healthcare clinics, soup kitchens, and sports leagues. "Approximately 90 percent of its work is in social, welfare, cultural, and educational activities," writes the Israeli scholar Reuven Paz. The Palestinian Authority often fails to provide such services, and Hamas's efforts in this area—as well as a reputation for honesty, in contrast to the many Fatah officials accused of corruption—help to explain the broad popularity it summoned to defeat Fatah in the PA's recent elections. St James School (2) Jordan

In the years following the Arabian Gulf War, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has been involved in extensive peace initiatives and has worked towards achieving a united Arab region where all countries are equal and there is peace and stability for economic and cultural development .It has always supported the rights of the Palestinian people and has proved to be one of Israel’s largest trading partners as well {following the Israel-Jordan peace initiative i.e. The Washington Declaration of 1994}. This initiative though representing Jordanian Peace policy has also proved costly for Jordan as the country witnessed an influx of Palestinian Refugees due to Israeli offensives, which increased the country’s population by around 1 million. The Kingdom has always been at the forefront of the Israel Palestine Issue and would categorize it into ten different issues of immediate concern. These issues are as follows: 1] The Palestinian Refugee Crisis 2] Adherence of The Israeli government to the Oslo Agreement 3] Security of both Palestine and the Israel Jordan border. 4] Territorial and political sovereignity for Palestine 5] Proper division of settlements on both sides of the border. 6] Access to resources 7] Neutralization of Jerusalem or Joint Government between Israel, Palestine and Jordan. 8] Establishment of Bilateral talks between Israel and the Arab League 9] Eradication of Terrorism based in Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian Territory 10] Guarantee of Peaceful relations between the principal parties. It is only by peaceful resolution between the parties involved that a solution to the problem can be reached and the region be able to experience a peaceful and development oriented, secure future. Without adoption of the terms set down in the Taba, Barak and Clinton Compromise, or the Geneva Accord, Quartet Road Map and the Arab Peace Initiative, there is fear of widespread anarchy and the loss of lives will be rampant as there are escalating tensions between the extremist Hamas and the Fatah-Israelis who support peace. Jordan is above all a peace loving nation and hopes to be reciprocated in attitude by the Israeli and Palestinian authorities. The Heritage School Palestinian National Authority A conflict is generally due to issues concerning land, resources and sovereignty. The Israel Palestine conflict is an ongoing fight between the Arabs living in the area and the Jews. The Jews believe that the land belongs to them as that is god’s gift to them and the Arabs believe that they are the natural heirs to the land because it is their national land. However, certain bodies like the PNA have been formed to have control over Palestine urban areas civilly as well as in matters of security and to also control rural areas civilly. The Palestinian National Authority was formed in 1994, pursuant to the Oslo Accords between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the government of Israel, as a 5-year interim body during which final status negotiations between the two parties were to take place but never did.The PNA is a governing body in Palestine and supports the cause of law and order in the state of Palestine.The PNA has een I favour of an independent Palestine state and will always be. The delegate from the Palestine National Authority wants to state very clearly that Palestine is in favour of International peace and security.The Palestine National Organization has for the welfare of the sate of Palestine created the PNA.The PNA seeks to resolve the matter by giving the land to the original Arabs of Palsetine as well as the Jews.The Arabs and Jews are both corret in their respective beliefs but as this has taken an international shap it is for the best of the future of Palestine that PNA seeks to resolve this matter with negotiations for the benefit of each state.

Welland Gouldsmith School India The Israel - Palestine conflict centering on mutually exclusive claims to the area called "Palestine" by the Palestinians and the "Land of Israel" by Israelis , has been raging for over 100 years. The hostility and bitter relations between Israel and Arab states has resulted in innumerable futile wars with the recent Gaza attack on 27th december,2008 by Israel. Such wars pose an unprecedented danger for the international community. It has now become increasingly necessary for the world community to resolve the dispute so as to maintain international peace and security. India recognizes Israel as a separate state in the Middle East with the right to self defence .It believes in the establishment of a just and durable structure of peace in the Middle East . The ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict is a dent in the world's armour of security. While India is aware of the cross-border provocations resulting from rocket attacks, particularly against targets in Southern Israel, it urges an immediate end to the use of force in the Gaza strip that has resulted in huge number of casualties . India suggests the formation of a Peace Building Commission under the aegis of the United Nation to deal with the normalization of the Israel-Palestine relation and to seek a solution to all the disputes between the two states. The Indian Government has already issued an aid of USD (United States Dollar ) one million for the civilian victims of the attack on Gaza . It requests the other member states to also provide financial aid to the victims.Furthermore, India requests the Arab states to recognise Israel as a separate state and to respect its sovereignty. Let the member states of the United Nations come together and solve this conflict as "there is no problem without a solution." Frank Anthony Public School Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic: ‫)ةيروسلا ةيبرعلا ةيروهمجلا‬ Religion, is believed, are the teachings of God no matter in what form. However, in the current crisis and dispute over the strip of Gaza it has been the culprit. The dispute has appalled the Syrian Arab Republic to such an extent that she has already pledged its services to the UN. Syria has often been related to this topic. Syria would like to clarify all doubts in its commitment to peace negotiations as it too does not like to see the horrifying sights of the killing of thousands of civilians no matter to which country they belong. The color of blood does not differ from one country to another and Syria firmly believes in the motto. Syria has long been an active and loyal member nation to the United Nations and has attempted to do whatever is in its power to find a peaceful solution to the ongoing ISRAELPALESTINE Conflict. The Syrian Arab Republic deeply believes in finding a peaceful and solution to this grave problem which seems to gathering momentum every minute. The nation believes that the Two-State policy would be a proper and just solution and expresses support to Palestine. It does not believe that the use of arms and ammunition is a viable solution to this problematic situation. War has not and never will be a solution. Syria has believed in maintaining human rights and preventing their exploitation. Thus Syria is totally In and out ready to provide its services to the United Nations and would also request the cooperation of all the other member nations to help find a peaceful solution to the ongoing dispute .The nation of Syria looks forward to brighter times in this dark region. Our Lady Queen of the Missions (Not submitted)