Figure 1.-- |
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Living conditions have declined disatrously in the Palestinian Territories since the Oslo Peace Accord led to turning over the administration of the occupied territories to the Palestinian Authority (1993). The decline has been particularily preciptious since the Second Iterfada following the failed Camp David Talks (2000). This means essentially that living conditions were substatially higher during Isreali occupation. Many issues concerning the Isreali-Palestinian issue are in dispute. The decline in living standards is an undisputable fact. This decline has been seen in jobs, wages, nutrition, education and many other areas. Children in particular have suffered. An important question here is why have living conditions declined. One reason that living conditions were higher during the Isreali occupation was that many Palestinians had access to jobs in Israel. The Palestinians hold Israel responsible, butthis is a little hard to accept because standards were much higher durin the occupation when Israel was in charge of the adninistration of the occupied territories.
The Oslo Peace Process seem to offer the possibility of peace. The official name of the Oslo accords was the "Declaration of Principles On Interim Self-Government Arrangements". It was the foundation of the Oslo Process--peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians between 1993 and 2000. They were signed at a Washington ceremony hosted by President Bill Clinton (September 13, 1993). Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin famously shook hands, seemingly ending decades as sworn enemies. The foundation of the process was the idea that Israel would trade land for peace. The Oslo Process envisaged that the Israelis would proceed to transfer portions of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip to the control of the Palestinian Authority, a quasi-state organization. The Palestinian Authority would in exchange guarantee Israel's security by ending Palestinian Organization (PLO) terrorism and supressing armed Palestinian groups that failed to comply. After progress was made in these areas, Israel and the PA would negotiate a final agreement involving a mutual recognition of each other's territorial claims. The "land for peace" transfers were seen as building mutual trust and confidence. Finally the two sides would negotiations the "final status" issues that were left unresolved at Oslo. These included some of the most difficult issues: Palestinian statehood, the status of Jerusalem, Jewish settlements, and the right of return. Although the Oslo Accords were signed with great optimism, there was considerable opposition to the agreement, especially among various Palestinian groups. Living conditions have declined disatrously in the Palestinian Territories since the Oslo Peace Accord led to turning over the administration of the occupied territories to the Palestinian Authority (1993).
President Clinto brought PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and Isreali Primier Ehud Barak together at Camp David to reach a final resollution of the issues set in motion by the Oslo Peace Process. The negotiations were protracted and contentious. President Clinton did a comendable job of keeping the negotiations going and wringing concessions from both sides. Considerable controversy exists over what the final Isreali offer was to the Palestinians. The offer is, however, a matter of clear historical record. [Ross] One can argue the value of the accord hammered out and wether is was a fair and just resolution, but the details are a matter of public record. The Palestinians can argue that the Isreali offer was not adequate. They can not, however not argue that the Isrealis did not make substantial concessions and meet many of their legitimate demands. Israel offered Arafat 94-96 percent of the West Bank and all of Gaza. Israel would ceed 1-3 percent of its territory to the Palestinians. [Clinton, p. 936.] Thus the Palestinians were essentially offered 97 percent of the West Bank. This is a matter of historical record. Individuals who deny that Israel offered the Palestinians 97 percent of the West Bank are either in error or dishonest. The areas retained by the Isrealis contained 80 percent of the Jewish population in the East Bank. The Arab neigborhoods of Jeruselum would be incorprated into the new Palestinian state, this included parts of the Old City. This both states could claim Jersuselum as their capital. The Palestinians were given soverignity over the Temple Mount/Haram and the Isrealis soverignity over the Western Wall. There was to be no excavations without mutual consent. There were a variety of arrangements governing Isreali withdrawl from the West Bank and provisions to satisfy Isreali security concerns. The right of return was to be limited to the new Palestinian state, although it was understood that Israel would except small numbers of Palestinians, especially from the refugees in Lerbanon. [Clinton, p. 937.] There was to be a major international effort to help resettle the refugees. A international aid package ofg about $30 billion was discussed. [Ross] Yasser Arafat's rejection of the Israeli peace offer led to a new Interfada, disastrous for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. Arafat has widely been blamed for the failure of the talks and the violence that followed. His moytives are not known. Some believe that he calculated that a brief resumption of violence would improve his baragaining position. He may have also believed that he could had got a better deal with Bush. What ever his reasons, the violence quickly spiraled beyond his control. This may be the case. It also may be the case that he believed that signing the agreement would be like signing his death warrant. Other Arab leaders attempting to makes peace with Israel were assasinated (Jordanian King Abdullah and Egyptian President Sadat). It may also be the case that the Palestinian people are simply not ready for peace.
An unusual aspect of the current Isreali-Palestinian conflict is that children (Arab and Jewish) are not only the victims of the conflict, but they are also participating in the violence. We have all seen the images of rock-throwing Palestinian boys, some as little as 6 years old. Palestinian youth have carried out suicide bombing attacks killing Isrealis of all ages. We wonder about who these suiside bombers are what motivates them to kill civilians including childre. One of the best recent journalist accounts has insights on this difficult topic. [Hammer] Americans watchinging a steady stream of Palestinian suiside attacks and Isareli reprisals, despair of a sollution. Not all obrvers are as pessamistic. One observer believes that demographic trends strongly push Isreal to withdrw from the Wwest Bank, otherwise Jew would find themselves a minority in their own country. [Wasserstein] The Jewish settlers on the West Bank are often portrayed as religious zealots seeking anexation of the West Bank and a substantial threat to the peace process. They may well be less of a threat than believed. One observer believes that the attractiin of cheap rents may be more important than religious zealotry. [Wasserstein] Other observers after the bloodleating of the Iterfada is deeply pessimistic. He believes that it clearly shows that the Palestinians have not accepted either Israel or the peace process. He fears it is just a matter of time before the Palestinians make the transition from suiside bombings to weapons of mass destruction. [Hertzberg] One positive aspect of the struggle is that it has been a largely secular conflict of copeting nationalism. If religious zealtory enters the picture, than the conflict could be come even worse. [Hertzberg]
The decline in Pakestinian living standards have been particularily preciptious since the Second Iterfada following the failed Camp David Talks (2000). This means essentially that living conditions were substatially higher during Isreali occupation. Many issues concerning the Isreali-Palestinian issue are in dispute. The decline in living standards is an undisputable fact. This decline has been seen in jobs, wages, nutrition, education and many other areas. There are many indicators in the decline. Children in particular have suffered.
Public health in the occupied territories is collapsing. This is because both the Palestinian Austhority (PA) is increasingly unable to finance a public health system and parents are unavle to pay for health care. A number of NGOs are involved with attempting to assist the PA.
One of the NGO groups is Medicines sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders), a group which has done wonderful work around the world. Medicines sans Frontieres has attempted to be politically neutral so as to provide health care to needy people regardless of poklitical issues. It appears, however, to have diverged from this commitment in the Isreal-Palestinian Conflict. The group has criticised Israel for degrading Palestinian healthcare. Here there is some accuracy in their charges, basically related to Isreali security measures. What seems unfair here is that there seems to be no comparable criticism of Palestinian violence and terror which also affect the public health system, but have caused the Isreali protective actions necessary. This surely has to be part of any responsible assessment of the Palestinian health situation. This issue has been adressed by NGO Monitor. A 2007 news story brought this situation to public attention. A Jerusalem District Court charged a Palestinian with gathering intelligence to prepare an attack on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The man was Masa'b Bashir, a 25-year-old man living in Dir el-Balah in the Gaza Strip. He had Isreali entry permit because he worked with "Doctors without Borders". [Haaretz] It appears that Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) members in Dir el-Balah recruited Bashir. When Olmert proved to be to tough a target, the PHLP assigned Bagir to kill an Israeli archeologist working in East Jerusalem. The PFLP trained Bashir in martial arts and small arms.
The situation in Gaza since Hamas took control has attracted consideravle attention. A major indicator of public health is infant mortality. Available data suggests that infant mortality in Gaza is high (18 per thousand). It is of course much higher than Israel (4 per thousand), but actually lower than many other Arab states (Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen) as well as Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. [Indexmundi] Notice that there is no public outcry about the humanitarian crisis in these countries. We are not entirely sure why the infant mortality rate is lower in Gaza than most Arab states (except the oil states) as well as other regional countries (Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey). We suspect the reason is the impact of the British mandate and the Israeli occupation, but perhaps readers will know more. One reader writes, "No one knows how accurate these statistics are. There are, however, several factors which may explain this. The British Mandate policies ahd prgrams may be a factor. In additiion, Israel occupied Gaza after the Six Days War (1967). The Israeles helped set up some good facilities in both the East Bank and Gaza. In addition, the Palestinians are more educated than manu other Arabs. The big problem is getting people to do perinatal care." The education factor is particularly interesing. Here again, both the British Mandate and the Isreali occupation appear to be factors.
An important question here is why have living conditions declined. One reason that living conditions were higher during the Isreali occupation was that many Palestinians had access to jobs in Israel. The Palestinians hold Israel responsible, butthis is a little hard to accept because standards were much higher durin the occupation when Israel was in charge of the adninistration of the occupied territories.
Clinton, Bill. My Life (Knopf: New York, 2004), 957p.
Hammer, Joshua. A Season in Bethleham: Holy War in a Sacred Place (2003).
Hertzberg, Arthur. The Fate of Zionism: A Secular Future for Israel and Palestine (Harper: San Francisco, 2003).
Indexmundi. This is based on CIA Facttbook data. This means date collected by the CIA from national reporting agencies.
Ross, Dennis. The Missing Peace. Ambassador Ross was deeply involved in the Camp David discussions. Ross includes in his book a verbatim copy of the final offer Barak made and that Arafat refused to accept.
Wasserstein, Bernard. Israelis and Palestinians: Why Do They Fight? Can They Stop? (Yale University Press, 2003).
"Palestinian charged with plan to kill Olmert," Haaretz (Tel Aviv) reported by Al Bawaba (May 17, 20007).
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