Israel - Profile
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10/18/2015 Israel Profile http://www.genevaacademy.ch/RULAC/state.php?id_state=113 1/1 ACCESS TO GLOBAL DATABASE BY STATE OR TERRITORY INVOLVEMENT IN ARMED CONFLICT Current conflicts Peace operations Applicable international law LEGAL FRAMEWORK National Legislation Judicial decisions Other International International treaties adherence Judicial decisions Peace treaties UN resolutions and reports Other Israel Population: 7.3 million (UN, 2010) Border countries: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria The division of the former British mandate of Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel in the years after the end of World War II has been at the heart of Middle Eastern conflict for the past half century. The creation of Israel was the culmination of the Zionist movement, whose aim was a homeland for Jews scattered all over the world. After the Nazi Holocaust, pressure grew for the international recognition of a Jewish state, and in 1948 Israel came into being. Much of the history of the region since that time has been one of conflict between Israel on one side and the Palestinians, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), and Israel's Arab neighbours, on the other. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced, and several wars were fought involving Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have lived under Israeli occupation since 1967. The settlements that Israel has built in the West Bank are home to around 400,000 people and are deemed to be illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this. In 2005 Israel withdrew its forces and evacuated its settlers from the Gaza Strip. However, after the militant Islamic group Hamas seized control of Gaza in June 2007, Israel intensified its economic blockade of the Gaza Strip and declared it "hostile territory ". In late December 2008, Israel initiated an aerial attack against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and in early January 2009, its armed forces reentered Gaza. The Israeli government said the operation was aimed at stopping increasingly frequent rocket attacks launched against southern Israel from Gaza. Several hundred Palestinians were reported killed and more than two thousand others injured in the fighting. (See updates on Gaza in Current conflicts section and Applicable international law section.) In 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace agreement, but it was not until the early 1990s, after years of an uprising known as the intifada, that a peace process began with the Palestinians. Despite the handover of Gaza and parts of the West Bank to Palestinian control, a "final status" agreement has yet to be reached. The main stumbling blocks include the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees and Jewish settlements. Israeli and Palestinian leaders resumed direct peace negotiations in Washington in September 2010, their first facetoface talks since December 2008. However, negotiations have been stalled since September 2011 following Israel’s refusal to extend a tenmonth freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory. On 29 March 2011, a United Nations regional meeting to support IsraeliPalestinian peace opened in Uruguay with the purpose of resuming the peace process. This overview is adapted from the BBC online country profile of Israel. Israel links Sunday, 18 October 2015 Copyright 2015 © Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, Switzerland webmaster
Transcript of Israel - Profile
10/18/2015 Israel Profile
http://www.genevaacademy.ch/RULAC/state.php?id_state=113 1/1
ACCESS TO GLOBAL DATABASE BY STATE OR TERRITORY
I NVOLVEMENT I NARMED CONFL ICT Current confl icts Peace operations Appl icable in ternational law LEGAL FRAMEWORK Na t i o n a lLegisla tion Judicia l decisions Other I n t e r n a t i o n a lIn ternational treaties adherence Judicia l decisions Peace treaties UN resolutions and reports Other
I s r a e l
Populat ion: 7.3 million (UN, 2010) Border countries: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Sy r ia
The div is ion of the former Br it ish mandate of Pales tine and the c reation of the s tate of Is rael inthe years after the end of Wor ld War II has been at the hear t of Middle Eas tern conflic t for thepas t half century .
The c reation of Is rael was the culmination of the Z ionis t movement, whose aim was a homelandfor Jews scattered all over the wor ld. After the Naz i Holocaus t, pressure grew for theinternational recognit ion of a Jewish s tate, and in 1948 Is rael came into being.
Much of the his tory of the region s ince that t ime has been one of conflic t between Is rael on ones ide and the Pales tinians , represented by the Pales tine Liberation Organisation (PLO) , andIs rael's Arab neighbours , on the other . Hundreds of thousands of Pales tinians were displaced,and several wars were fought involv ing Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Sy r ia.
Pales tinians in the Wes t Bank , inc luding Eas t Jerusalem, have lived under Is raeli occupations ince 1967. The sett lements that Is rael has built in the Wes t Bank are home to around 400,000people and are deemed to be illegal under international law, although Is rael disputes this .
In 2005 Is rael withdrew its forces and evacuated its sett lers from the Gaza Str ip. However ,after the militant Is lamic group Hamas seized control of Gaza in June 2007, Is rael intens if ied itseconomic blockade of the Gaza Str ip and dec lared it "hos tile ter r itory ". In late December 2008,Is rael init iated an aer ial attack agains t Hamas in the Gaza Str ip and in ear ly January 2009, itsarmed forces reentered Gaza. The Is raeli government said the operation was aimed ats topping inc reas ingly frequent rocket attacks launched agains t southern Is rael from Gaza.Several hundred Pales tinians were repor ted k illed and more than two thousand others injured inthe f ighting. (See updates on Gaza in Cur rent conflic ts sec tion and Applicable international lawsec tion.)
In 1979, Egypt and Is rael s igned a peace agreement, but it was not until the ear ly 1990s , afteryears of an upr is ing known as the int ifada, that a peace process began with the Pales tinians .Despite the handover of Gaza and par ts of the Wes t Bank to Pales tinian control, a " f inal s tatus "agreement has yet to be reached. The main s tumbling blocks inc lude the s tatus of Jerusalemand the fate of Pales tinian refugees and Jewish sett lements .
Is raeli and Pales tinian leaders resumed direc t peace negotiations in Washington in September2010, their f ir s t face to face talks s ince December 2008. However , negotiations have beens talled s ince September 2011 following Is rael’s refusal to ex tend a tenmonth freeze onsett lement ac tiv ity in the occupied Pales tinian ter r itory . On 29 March 2011, a United Nationsregional meeting to suppor t Is raeliPales tinian peace opened in Uruguay with the purpose ofresuming the peace process .
This overv iew is adapt ed f rom t he BBC onl ine c ount ry prof i le of I s rael .
I s r a e l l i n k s
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