West Bank of the Jordan River: history of the conflict and problems for its peaceful resolution. Life on the West Bank

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The West Bank is a region in the Middle East.

During the year we were busy in unilaterally annexed by Transjordan (Jordan after their annexation) in 1950, which gave them the name "West Bank" to distinguish it from the eastern bank, which was its main territory before the war.

Jordan granted citizenship to the Arab residents of the West Bank, which some of them still retain, while the Jewish residents of the territories captured by Transjordan fled or were expelled by Transjordan to Israel.

The unilateral annexation was condemned by many countries, including most members of the Arab League. The USSR recognized the legality of the annexation. From the point of view of international law, the West Bank was under Jordanian occupation. Any resolutions on such actions of Jordan as the occupation and annexation of the West Bank of Jordan, the expulsion of Jews, the destruction of dozens of synagogues, and others, from 1948 to 1967. The UN was not adopted.

During 1967 it was occupied by Israel. Since 1994, following the signing between Israel and the PLO, parts of the West Bank have been controlled by the (PNA), created as a result of these agreements.

From the point of view of the UN Security Council, the West Bank is under Israeli occupation. From Israel's perspective, it "has rights to the West Bank" and considers it disputed territory until negotiations are completed. After Six Day War Israel has begun creating settlements in the West Bank where Israeli citizens live. The UN Security Council considers the creation of such settlements to be contrary to international law and has demanded that Israel not create them; Israel does not agree with this. At the same time, Israel has never announced the annexation of the territory of the West Bank (except) and stated that it cannot be responsible for observing the rights of citizens in territories not controlled by it.

The area of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is 5,640 km², which is 27.1% (within 1949 borders) or 25.5% (including annexed territories) of Israel's territory.

According to CIA statistics, the population of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) is 2,514,845. Of these, about 2,090,000 are Palestinian Arabs and about 430,000 are Jewish Israelis.

Major historical events

Until the 13th century. BC e. On the territory of the western bank of the Jordan River there were several city-states of various nations.
During the XIII-XII centuries BC. e. these territories were and have since become part of. The name "" was given to the territory ceded to the tribe of the Jews (in Jewish terminology -).
In the 11th century BC e. this territory became part of the city, the capital of which was first the city, and then became.
After the collapse of the united Kingdom of Israel in the 10th century. BC e. on his former territory two kingdoms were created - Judah and. The Israeli kings founded the new capital of their kingdom - the city of Samaria. The territory adjacent to the new capital began to be called.
Jewish statehood was finally destroyed by the Roman Empire during the period of Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century. n. e. after . The land of Israel was renamed by the Romans into the province of Palestine, after the name of one of the Sea Peoples (Hebrew: פלישתים‎) who lived there in the past.
Over the next 18 centuries, this territory was alternately part of the Roman Empire (until 395), the Byzantine Empire (395-614 and 625-638), and the Arab Caliphate (614-625 and 638-1099). , possessions of the Crusaders (1099-1187 and 1189-1291), Egypt (1187-1189), the Mongol Empire and the Khwarezmians (1244-1263), Egypt (Mamluks) (1263-1516), (1516-1917) and (1917-1948).

Modern history

According to the UN Partition Plan for Palestine of 1947, almost all of the West Bank was to become part of an Arab Palestinian state. The remaining part (Jerusalem, Bethlehem and their surroundings) was to become an enclave under UN administration.
As a result of the Arab-Israeli War of 1947-1949, the territories of Judea and Samaria were occupied and unilaterally annexed in April 1950 by Transjordan (Jordan after annexation), which gave them the name "West Bank" to distinguish it from the eastern bank, which was its main territory before the war. Jordan granted West Bank residents its citizenship, which some still retain. Residents of Jewish settlements in territories captured by Transjordan fled or were expelled by Transjordan to Israel. In 1953, King Hussein declared East Jerusalem as the alternate capital of the kingdom and an indivisible part of Jordan. However, of all the countries in the world, only Great Britain and Pakistan recognized unilateral annexation; many countries, including most members of the Arab League, condemned it. From the point of view of international law, the West Bank was under Jordanian occupation.
In 1954, Jordan passed a law granting the right to citizenship to everyone (except Jews) who had Palestinian citizenship before May 15, 1948 and who resided permanently in Jordan from December 1949 to February 1954...
During the Six-Day War (1967), the West Bank was occupied by Israel and has since been formally under its military occupation.
In 1988, Jordan renounced its claims to the West Bank in favor of a future Palestinian state. Jordan confirmed its renunciation of the West Bank in 1994 when signing a peace treaty with Israel. At the same time, Jordan’s refusal to cede the territory of the West Bank. The Jordan (including East Jerusalem) in anyone's favor does not have legal force, both due to the non-recognition of its rights to this territory during the period of occupation, and because of the inconsistency with the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan (1994), in Chapter 3 of which it is recognized that the borders between states should correspond to the borders that existed during the British Mandate, without taking into account the change in the status of the territory that occurred when it came under Israeli military control in 1967.
In 1993, the Oslo Peace Accords were signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, resulting in the creation of the Palestinian National Authority. Over the years, 17% of the West Bank was transferred to its civilian and police control and another 24% to civilian control only. 59% of the West Bank remained under Israeli military and civilian control.
In 2003, Israel began construction of the separation barrier.
In August 2005, Israel evacuated 4 settlements (Ganim, Kadim, Sanur and Homesh) from the northern West Bank (northern Samaria) under the Unilateral Disengagement Plan.

Borders

The eastern border is formed by the Jordan River, and the western border is formed by green Line(ceasefire line between Israel and Arab armies in 1949). Israel has erected a separation barrier along the West Bank border. In many places, the barrier extends deep into the West Bank and deviates from the 1949 ceasefire line. Israel explains the construction of the barrier by the need to protect its population from the continuous infiltration of suicide bombers into Israeli territory since 2000. The construction of the barrier causes active protest on the part of the Palestinians, since the barrier creates difficulties for movement, separates settlements from each other, and land from villages, de facto cuts off large areas of the West Bank in favor of Israel. Some Palestinian cities were literally surrounded by a barrier on all sides. The existence of the barrier is one of the reasons why Israel is accused of apartheid.

On political maps, published in the USSR, the West Bank (within the boundaries of the 1947 UN resolution) from the beginning of the 60s began to be painted in the colors of Jordan, while the Gaza Strip (including the coast to Ashdod, as well as part of the Negev along the border with Egypt) and the territory between Lebanon and the West Bank (Galilee) continued to be called territories of the Arab state in accordance with the UN resolution. In connection with the proclamation of the State of Palestine in 1988, the territory of the West Bank was declared part of it, and the so-called appeared on Soviet maps (as well as current Russian ones). “Palestinian territories” (despite the recognition of a Palestinian state by the USSR on November 18, 1988, such a state never appeared on the maps; there is also no mention of Palestine in the tables attached to the atlases with information about the states of the world). Due to the ongoing conflict situation in the region, the real borders and status of the West Bank are interpreted differently by the opposing and sympathizing parties. However, the UN's position remains unchanged that these territories are not Israeli territory, but are intended for the Arab state of Palestine.

Name

Cisjordan

Most Romance and some other languages use the New Latin name "Cisjordan" (Cisjordan or Cis-Jordan), literally "on this side of the Jordan." This name is partly justified by the fact that the word “coast” is of little use in mountainous areas. The territory on the opposite bank of the Jordan is called Transjordan and today coincides with the state of Jordan.

Judea and Samaria

Before the term "West Bank" was coined, during the British Mandate of Palestine, the region was referred to by its historical name "Judea and Samaria". UN Resolution 181 of 1947 on the division of the British Mandatory Territory also mentions part of the Judea and Samaria region, classifying the West Bank as Arab territory.

Israelis most often use the historical name "Judea and Samaria", taken from the TANAKH - (Hebrew יהודה ושומרון‎), also using the abbreviation "Yosh" (יו"ש), but sometimes (especially when it comes to international agreements) they use tracing paper " West Bank" (Hebrew: הגדה המערבית‎ "a-ghada ha-maaravit").

Until 1948-1949, the concept of “West Bank” was absent. After the 1949 armistice agreement between Israel and Transjordan designated the region, the name "West Bank" West Bank) came into use first by Jordanians, and then moved into use in English and many other languages.

According to J. Laiter, one of the leaders of the settlement movement, “Jordan called these territories West Bank to erase the linguistic and historical connection of the territory of Judea and Samaria with the Jewish people."

Photo gallery

Helpful information

West Bank
Arab. الضفة الغربية‎‎
Hebrew יהודה ושומרון‎
translit. "Yehuda ve-Shomron"
verbatim "Judea and Samaria"
abbr. יו״ש
or הגדה המערבית
verbatim "West Bank"

Legal status of the territory

From the point of view of the UN Security Council, the territory of the West Bank. Jordan is under Israeli occupation.

Israel disputes the definition of the territory of the West Bank. Jordan (including East Jerusalem) as "occupied", insisting on international term"disputed territory". The main arguments in favor of this position include the defensive nature of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 and the Six-Day War (1967), the lack of recognized international sovereignty over these territories before 1967, and the historical right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. A number of Israeli and foreign politicians and leading lawyers share a similar position.

After the occupation, Israel did not offer Arab residents of the West Bank its citizenship and did not annex the territory (with the exception of East Jerusalem, which was officially annexed with the offer local residents citizenship), but began to create Jewish settlements there. The creation of these settlements has been repeatedly condemned by the UN and many countries around the world, including the United States. Israeli public organization B'Tselem claims that free entry of Arabs into Jewish settlements is prohibited, without specifying that this is mainly due to ensuring the safety of their residents and terrorist attacks carried out by Arabs in the settlements. A number of sources compare the situation in the West Bank to apartheid. A number of other sources reject this view, saying that the restrictions imposed on Arab residents of the West Bank are related solely to Israeli security. The issue of the status and continuation of settlement construction in the West Bank is one of the key issues in the Arab-Israeli conflict. In November 2009, the Israeli government, under pressure from the US administration, froze the construction of new houses in settlements (except East Jerusalem) for 10 months as a gesture of goodwill. This gesture did not lead to the resumption of peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, and in September 2010, despite protests from the United States and a number of other states, construction in the settlements was resumed.

A significant part of the West Bank of the river. Jordan today is governed by the Palestinian National Authority.

Demographics

As of early 2009, the total population of the West Bank is approximately 2,825,000. Of these, approximately 364,000 are Jewish settlers holding Israeli citizenship.

Religious composition

75% are Muslims
17% - Jews
8% are Christians, etc.

Near the city of Nablus (Nablus) remains of the Samaritans, who inhabited Samaria since ancient times, are preserved. Their total number is about 350 people.

Statistical data

Population growth: 2.13% (44th in the world)
Fertility rate: 24.91 births/1000 population
Mortality rate: 3.7 deaths/1000 population (211th in the world)
Population literacy: 92.4%
Number of children: 3.12 children/woman.

Photojournalist Uriel Sinai covered the details of people's lives on west bank Jordan River for news agency Getty Images. He spent a lot of time in the Jewish settlements of Havat Gilad, Migron and Beit Horon, as well as many others, collecting the necessary information.
The photographer sought to capture in his photographs the peaceful and troubled life of the West Bank, which often becomes the scene of clashes between Israelis and Palestinians.

Israeli settler Yehuda Shimon and his wife Ilana with their children in a house in the village of Navat Gilad. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas intends to apply for Palestine's accession to the United Nations during the 66th UN General Assembly in New York. Palestine's intention to join the UN was a natural result of more than twenty years of attempts to hold peace negotiations.

1. A Jewish bride prays on the eve of her wedding in the West Bank settlement of Migron.

2. Ultra-Orthodox Jews approach the tomb of the biblical matriarch Rachel, located in the West Bank in Bethlehem. A little less than a hundred years ago, the tomb was located in a tiny building located on the road between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, while now it is in an enclave guarded by the Israeli army, on the road that leads to the Palestinian city.

3. Fence around Rachel's grave in Bethlehem.

4. Israeli settler Yehuda Shimon and his wife Ilana with their children in their home in the village of Navat Gilad.

5. A boy plays with goats in the village of Hawat Gilad.

6. Children of Israeli settlers in their home in the village of Nawat Gilad.

8. Ilana Shimon with her children at her house in Havat Gilad, West Bank.

9. Israeli settler children play outside their home in Havat Gilad, West Bank.

10. An Israeli woman with her son in her house, the village of Havat Gilad.

11. Israeli settler children play outside a house in Havat Gilad.

12. Israeli Yehuda Cohen from Havat Gilad swims with his son in the pool, August 13, 2011.

13. Israeli soldiers patrol the Tapuah junction north of the Palestinian city of Nablus.

14. A Palestinian shepherd near the Tapuah road junction north of the city of Nablus.

15. Children of Israeli settlers play Shevot Rachel.

16. Wedding celebration in Migron.

17. A Palestinian rests after traveling from the town of Qualqia in front of an Israeli checkpoint at Kibbutz Eyal, Israel.

18. Palestinians against the background of flags in Ramallah. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abaath said on September 19 Secretary General UN Ban Kimun, who strives for Palestine to become a full member of the UN.

19. Palestinians stand in line at an ATM in Ramallah.

20. A Palestinian soldier stands guard at the tomb of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Ramallah.

21. Israeli children wave flags during a protest organized by Jewish settlers of Itamar against Palestinian statehood.

22. Soldiers stand guard during a demonstration organized by Israeli settlers who marched in protest from the village of Itamar to the city of Nablus.

23. Children near an Israeli army post during a protest against Palestinian statehood.

24. An Israeli with his son during a protest against Palestinian statehood.

25. Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah to express their support for the president's plans to seek full membership in the UN.

26. Palestinians at a peaceful demonstration in Ramallah.

Disputes between Israel and Palestine concerning the West Bank of the Jordan River have been going on for many decades. Countless attempts have already been made to resolve this bloody conflict peacefully, but both sides do not intend to give up their positions without a fight. Each side considers its opinion on this issue to be the only correct one, which greatly complicates the negotiation process to restore law and order in this land.

Creation of the State of Israel

In 1947, members of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to create two states in the territory that was previously under British control. After the withdrawal of British troops, Jewish and Arab states were to emerge. But, unfortunately, this plan was not implemented. Palestine categorically refused to comply with it: there was a struggle for territory. If the international community disagreed with these demands, threats were made to seize land by force.

During the first months after Britain withdrew its armed forces, both sides (Jewish and Arab) tried to occupy as much space as possible. large territory, as well as all key communications to control the West Bank of the Jordan River.

Conflict with Arab states

The creation of a Jewish state nearby was not a cause for great joy. Some particularly aggressive groups have openly declared that they will do everything possible to destroy Israel as a state. Until now, the Jewish state is in a state of war and struggle for its own survival. Combat operations and terrorist attacks regularly take place on its territory.

The League of Arab States does not recognize the West Bank as part of Israel and is taking all possible political as well as military steps to ensure that control over this territory passes to the Arabs. Israel opposes this in every possible way, not fulfilling the international agreements reached and risking open conflict with neighboring states.

Background

Literally the very next day after the public announcement of the creation of the state of Israel on May 14, paramilitary groups of the League of Arab States (LAS) invaded Palestine with the aim of destroying the Jewish population, protecting the Arab population and subsequently forming a single state.

This territory was then occupied by Transjordan, which was later annexed by Jordan. The West Bank is land that belonged to Jordan before Israel's War of Independence. This name came to be used throughout the world to refer to this territory.

The occupation of the West Bank by Israel occurred later in 1967 after the end of the Six Day War. Arabs living in these territories and in the Gaza Strip area received the right and opportunity to travel beyond their borders, trade and receive education in Arab states.

Creation of settlements

Almost immediately after the end of the Six-Day War and the actual annexation of these territories by Israel, the first Jewish settlements appeared on the west bank of the Jordan River. Palestine is completely unhappy with this de facto seizure of land and the creation of residential zones there that are under Israeli control. The international community actively condemns the activities of the Jewish state in gradually increasing and expanding settlements. However, on this moment the number of settlers exceeded 400 thousand people. Despite all the UN decisions, Israel continues to create illegal settlements, thereby strengthening its position in this territory.

Possibilities for conflict resolution

After decades of continuous struggle for these lands, the Palestinian Authority was created in 1993, which was given part of the Jordan River (West Bank) territory. Despite persistent efforts by the UN to find a peaceful solution to the current situation, the region continues to remain a place of international tension.

In the 90s, the United States, Russia, Italy, and the European Union played and continue to play an active role as mediators. Unfortunately, many decisions made during difficult negotiations have not entered into force due to contradictory actions of all parties to the conflict who want to control the West Bank. For some time, negotiations and the participation of the four mediators were stopped.

Future prospects

Are replaced political leaders, entire generations of residents have already grown up in this region, and its political fate still remains unresolved. Nobody wants to give in. In Israel, residents' opinions were also divided. Some believe that these lands belong to the Jewish inhabitants and need to be annexed, while others are of the opinion that the territories were previously legally part of Jordan and they need to be returned, and not create unnecessary difficulties.

Unfortunately, creating a Jewish state was not an easy task from the very beginning. No country will agree to the seizure of part of its lands in favor of another.

Now, like decades ago, the West Bank and Gaza Strip are on the front pages of news feeds. Israel and the Arab states still have more than one round of negotiations ahead for a stable and long-term peace to reign in this territory. Greater political will is required from the leaders of the countries, as well as the desire of the population to find a peaceful way to coexist on this land.

Which gave them the name "West Bank" to distinguish it from the eastern bank, which was its main territory before the war. Jordan granted citizenship to the Arab residents of the West Bank, which some of them still retain, while the Jewish residents of the territories captured by Transjordan fled or were expelled by Transjordan to Israel. The unilateral annexation was condemned by many countries, including most members Arab League. The USSR recognized the legality of the annexation. From the point of view of international law, the West Bank was under Jordanian rule. occupation. Any resolutions on such actions of Jordan as the occupation and annexation of the West Bank of Jordan, the expulsion of Jews, the destruction of dozens of synagogues, and others, from to the years. The UN was not adopted.

Area of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is 5640 square kilometers, which is 27.1% (within the borders 1949) or 25.5% (including annexed territories) of the territory Israel.