Figure 1.-- |
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Jordan annexed the West Bank after the First Isreli-Palestinian War (1948-49). Egypt seized Gaza. The economy in the West Bank and Gaza was stagnant during the era of Jordanian/Egyptian rule. Jordon joined Egypt and Syria in the Six Days War (1967). As a result of the War, Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza . One result of Isreali occupation was a substantial growth of the West Bank and Gaza economy. The per capita income in the West Bank and Gaza was about $360 (1967). This expanded to about $2,400 by 1993, one of the highest levels in the Arab world except for the oil states. Economically the Arab population in the West Bank reached its highest level under Israeli rule. Israel as a result of the Oslo Peace Process granted the Palestinians self rule (1993). The economy, however, again stagnated falling to about $2,000 (2000). Even so, Palestinian Arabs were crossing the border illegally from Jordan in order to live in Occupied Territories because living standards were higher than in Jordon. Than the Intifada started and the Palestinian GDP and income levels plumetted. This primarily was the result of The Palestinian Authority policies to separate the economy from Israel, terrorist avtivity, and the Israeli defense measure--primaily the Security Wall.
Jordan annexed the West Bank after the First Isreli-Palestinian War (1948-49). Egypt seized Gaza. The economy in the West Bank and Gaza was stagnant during the era of Jordanian/Egyptian rule.
Jordon joined Egypt and Syria in the Six Days War (1967). As a result of the War, Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza.
One result of Isreali occupation was a substantial growth of the West Bank and Gaza economy. The per capita income in the West Bank and Gaza was about $360 (1967). This expanded to about $2,400 by 1993, one of the highest levels in the Arab world except for the oil states. Economically the Arab population in the West Bank reached its highest level under Israeli rule. Israel as a result of the Oslo Peace Process granted the Palestinians self rule (1993). The economy, however, again stagnated falling to about $2,000 (2000). Even so, Palestinian Arabs were crossing the border illegally from Jordan in order to live in Occupied Territories because living standards were higher than in Jordon. Than the Intifada started and the Palestinian GDP and income levels plumetted. This primarily was the result of The Palestinian Authority policies to separate the economy from Israel, terrorist avtivity, and the Israeli defense measure--primaily the Security Wall.
Intifada (انتفاضة ) is the Arabic word meaning 'tremor' (alternatively shivering or shuddering. The root word is 'nafada' is a verb meaning 'to shake' (variously 'shake off' or 'get rid of'. It is best known today as the Palestiniamn uprising against the Isreali occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. It is commnly translated as uprising, resistance, or rebellion. The first modern usage of the term was the demostrayions organized by socialist and communist parties protesting thee Hashemite monarchy in Iraq. They were inspired by the Egyptian Revolution ahainst King Farouk (1952). The term is best known today as the Palistinian Resistance Resistance to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. The First Intifada was the extended Palestinian uprising (1987-93). It began one day after an Israeli truck crashed into a station wagon carrying Palestinian workers in the Jabalya refugee district of Gaza. Four Palestinians wee killed and ten injired. Palestinians in Gaza believed it was not an accident, nut deliberate retaliation for Palistinians killing an israeli several days earlier. Gazans oraganized not just protests, but began throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at the Israeli police and troops. The Second Intifada was renewd violence (2000-2005). Subsequent outbreaks of violence have since been referred to as Intifada such as the Jerusalem unrest (2014). The resistance are a kinf of intrermediate actions between non-violence and outright war. Rock throwing is commom althoughtghe violence rarely arise to gunireand open wafarer. Palestinians sometimes describe it as 'aggressive nonviolent resistance'.
A coalition of Arab states led principally Egyptian President Gamel Abdel Nassar preared a massive invasio of Israel (1967). It had to be Egypt organizing the campaign. Egypt was the most powerful Arab country. No other Arab country had the capapability to attack Israel. The Soviet Union delivered massive quantities quantities of modern weaponry to the Arabs. (America was still imposing an arms ebargo.) Nassar and his military commander, Army Chief of Staff Abdel Hakim Amer were confident of victory. The Arabs held the advatage in every category (men, aircraft, tanks, artillery, etc.). The resulting Six Days War was an astonishing Israeli victory (June 1967). Israeli forces defeated the arab armies and seized East Jerusalem, the Golan Hights, the West Bank, Sianai (inclsing the Canal, and Gaza. The West Bank and Gaza had seizeable Palestinian populatins. Despite the resounding Israel victory, the Arab League isued Khartoum Resolution (September 1967) including the "Three No's" -- "no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations ...." Israel was vulnerable to attacks from the West Bank, potentially cutting the country in two. And the Arabs were clearly commiyd to another war.
Both Israel's major political parties (Labor and Likud) supported establishing settlements in the Occupied Territories. (Labour has snce vasilated on the settlements, but Likud has been a firm supporter.) Labour Government built the first settlements (1968-77). The objective was to establish Jewish populations at strategic points on the West Bank, particularly the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem corridor. This was tghe scene of heavy fighting in both the 1948 and 1967 wars.
And without it Jerusalem could be isolated. The ininital effrt was limited. Only five sparsely populated settlements existed beyond the Green Line (1969). A group of Jews without authorization seized the Park Hotel in Hebron. This was a town with a long Jewish history, but subject to Arab pogroms during the British Mandate (1920s-48) and actions by the Jordaian Army to eradicate any evidence of Jewish presence 1948-67). This led to a second wave of settlement construction. The settlement issue has since become a stumbling block to negotiations. The PA refuses to negotiate until the settlements are removed. The Israelis who removed the settlemets from Gaza as part of peace agreement found that the Palistinians not only found that the Palistinians not only were no more willing to make peace, but begam using their control of Gaza to stage attacks on Israel, including in recent years massive rocket barages. This makes the West Bank issue much more difficult to solve. Israeli withdrawl would mean that the Palestinans would have launch sites able to hit virtually anywhere in Israel.
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