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ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CLASHES OVER JERUSALEM

Recently, Israeli armed forces attacked Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Haram esh-Sharif in Jerusalem, ahead of a march by Zionist nationalists commemorating Israel’s capture of the eastern half of the city in 1967. The threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah escalated the crisis further. Zionism is a worldwide Jewish movement that resulted in the establishment and development of the state of Israel and that now supports the state of Israel as a Jewish homeland.

Al-Aqsa Mosque: It is one of the holiest structures in the Islamic faith. It sits inside a 35-acre site known by Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, and by Jews as the Temple Mount. The site is part of the Old City of Jerusalem, sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is believed to have been completed early in the eighth century and faces the Dome of the Rock, the golden-domed Islamic shrine that is a widely recognized symbol of Jerusalem. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, has classified the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls as a World Heritage Site.

CONFLICT OVER JERUSALEM: ISRAEL-PALESTINE

Jerusalem has been at the centre of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to the original 1947 United Nations (UN) partition plan, Jerusalem was proposed to be an international city. But in the first Arab Israel war of 1948, the Israelis captured the western half of the city, and Jordan took the eastern part, including the Old City that houses Haram al-Sharif. Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the Six-Day War 1967 and annexed it later. Since its annexation, Israel has expanded settlements in East Jerusalem. Israel sees the whole city as its “unified, eternal capital”, whereas the Palestinian leadership across the political spectrum have maintained that they would not accept any compromise formula for the future Palestinian state unless East Jerusalem is its capital.

Sheikh Jarrah Issue: Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced out of their homes when the State of Israel was created in historical Palestine in 1948. Twenty-eight of those Palestinian families moved to Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem to settle there. In 1956, when East Jerusalem was ruled by Jordan, the Jordanian Ministry of Construction and Development and the UN Relief and Works Agency facilitated the construction of houses for these families in Sheikh Jarrah. But Israel would capture East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967. By the early 1970s, Jewish agencies started demanding the families leave the land. Earlier this year (2021), the Central Court in East Jerusalem upheld a decision to evict four Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah in favor of Jewish settlers. The issue remains unresolved and potentially inflammable.

INDIA'S STAND ON ISRAEL-PALESTINE ISSUE

India recognised Israel in 1950 but it is also the first non-Arab country to recognise Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole representative of the Palestinian. India is also one of the first countries to recognise the statehood of Palestine in 1988. In 2014, India favored UNHRC’s resolution to probe Israel’s human rights violations in Gaza. Despite supporting the probe, India abstained from voting against Israel in UNHRC in 2015. As a part of Link West Policy, India has de-hyphenated its relationship with Israel and Palestine in 2018 to treat both the countries mutually independent and exclusive. In June 2019, India voted in favor of a decision introduced by Israel in the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that objected to granting consultative status to a Palestinian non-governmental organization. So far India has tried to maintain the image of its historical moral supporter for Palestinian self-determination, and at the same time to engage in the military, economic, and other strategic relations with Israel.

RELATED DEVELOPMENTS ON THE ISSUE

In March 2021, International Criminal Court (ICC) launched investigatations into the war crimes in Palestinian territories occupied by Israel (West Bank and the Gaza Strip). In April 2021, the US restored at least USD 235 million in financial assistance to the Palestinians.

The world at large needs to come together for a peaceful solution but the reluctance of the Israeli government and other involved parties have aggravated the issue more. Thus a balanced approach would help to maintain favorable relations with Arab countries as well as Israel. The recent normalization agreements between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, known as the Abraham Accords, are the steps in the right direction. All regional powers should envisage peace between the two countries on line of Abraham Accords.

TEST YOURSELF

Q.1 Recently, which of the following mosques was attacked by the Israeli forces situated in Haram esh-Sharif in Jerusalem?

1. Al-Aqsa Mosque: ANSWER
2. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
3. Masjid Al-haram
4. None of the above

Q.2 Consider the following statements & state which of the following is/are incorrect in the context of the above mentioned passage?

1. Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of the holiest structures in the Islamic faith & known by Muslims as Haram al-Sharif.
2. Zionism is a worldwide Christian movement that resulted in the establishment and development of the state of Palestine and that now supports the state as a Jewish homeland: ANSWER
3. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, has classified the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls as a World Heritage Site.
4. None of the above

Q.3 Which of the following given statements is/are  incorrect in the reference to the Sheikh Jarrah Issue between Israel & Palestine?

1. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced out of their homes when the State of Israel was created in historical Palestine in 1948.
2. Sheikh Jarrah is a place near East Jerusalem which was earlier ruled by Jordan & later captured by Palestinian forces.

1. Only I follows
2. Only II follows: ANSWER
3. Both I & II follows
4. None of the above

Q.4 Consider the following statements and state which of the following is/are incorrect in the reference to the Abraham Accord brokered by the USA?

1. The Abraham Accords also open the door for Muslims around the world to visit the historic sites in Israel and to peacefully pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam.
2. Bringing Israel, Saudi Arabia & Bahrain together through the accord reflects their shared concern about Iraq's rising influence in the region and development of ballistic missiles.

1. Only I follows
2. Only II follows: ANSWER
3. Both I and II are correct
4. None of the above

Q.5 Consider the following statements & state which of the following is/are incorrect in the context of the history of Israel & Palestine conflict?

1. In Six-day Arab- Israeli war, Israeli forces seize the Golan Heights from Syria, the West Bank & East Jerusalem from Jordan and Sinai Peninsula & Gaza strip from Egypt.
2. Under the Stockholm Accords Israel and the PLO agree to officially recognize each other and renounce the use of violence: ANSWER
3. Hamas is regarded as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government & In 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian Authority's legislative elections.
4. None of the above