Terrorism: Violence against individual,
community, and government, to achieve political, religious and ideological
objective.
Root of terrorism is
as old as human existence to achieve its political and ideological and
religious greed. One of the earliest groups, ‘The Sicarii’, a jewish group,
emerged to resist the Roman rule in the region, which began in 40 BCE.
After Fifty years, 10 CE, Judea put under the control of Roman rule. Jewish
groups began violent resistance and started guerrilla or terrorist tactics. The
war ended with the devastation of Roman forces from Jerusalem.
Modern
Terrorism:
The 18th
century, France’s costly engagement in the American Revolution, imposition
of heavy taxes and extravagant spending by King Louis XVI during 1754-1793
marked the severe poverty, unrest among society. It led a desperate attempt of
rebels to overthrow the Louis regime.
The French revolution
initiates the modern terrorism during 1791-93. ‘The Reign of Terror’ put in
motion by Maxmilien Robespierre in 1793 in reaction of France’s first
written constitution, setting a constitutional monarchy. He installed a dictatorship
to stabilize the country and defended his approach for transformation of the monarchy
to a liberal democracy. He was a member of the Jacobins, a political party, and
attacked his political enemies, the Girondins. More than 17,000 people were
tried and executed on record in era of Reign of Terror.
Declining of Colonial era marks: Internationalization of
Terrorism:
Militant Islamic Terrorism rooted in Middle
East & South Asia has taken a lead role in and after the colonial rule. Most
of these extremist groups are religious and political motivated. The colonial
era has played an important role in the growth of nationalism and anti western
attitude among the Asian and African nations. Gradually, these anti western
attitude, political and ideological gain stimulate some militant groups towards
kidnapping, extortion, and contract killing. Post colonial era also worked as
oxygen in the fire in these states during the independence and formation of
states. Creation of Israel stimulates a series of pro Marxist philosophy,
revolution, and anti western attitude throughout the Islamic world.
Creation
of Israel, 1948, a spark of terrorism:
On May
14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the State
of Israel under the Balfour Declaration of 1917
after the end of British mandate in Palestine. The same was also recognized
by U.S. President Harry S. Truman. While President Franklin D. Roosevelt had
assured the Arabs in 1945 that the United States would not interfere in the internal matter of both the Jews and
the Arabs unless their invitation. On the other hand, Palestinian Arab said
that the same area had been promised to them in First World War for fighting
against the Turks (a German ally).
“The Balfour
Declaration of 1917: The Balfour Declaration was made in
1917. Which led the Jewish community in America and Britain by assuring that
Great Britain would extend its support the creation of a new Jewish state in
the Middle East. Balfour declaration was accepted by the Jewish community as
Great Britain’s support for a Jewish homeland? Other nations that fought for
the Allies in First World War also extended their support for the declaration.
On the other hand, Palestinian Arab said that the same area had been promised
to them in First World War for fighting against the Turks (a German ally).Once
the war was over, Palestine was given to British for governing it as a League of Nation’s mandate. At the end
of war both the Jews and the Arabs believed to be betrayed over same piece of
land. After 1918, many Jews immigrated to Palestine under the Balfour
Declaration. The Arabs perceived Jews emigration as threat on their autonomy
and independence of Palestine. This marks the beginning of terror in Palestine.”
The British, having a colonial mandate for Palestine, also was
not in favor of creation of a Jewish state and an Arab state in Palestine due
to its political and economical relations with the Arabs. In 1946, Once Truman
assumed his office, appointed an expert committee to study the Palestinian
future. Soon Truman extended his support for the creation of a Jewish state. In
1947, United Nations Special Commission also examined the issue and recommended
the partition of Palestine by adopting Resolution 181 (popularly known as the
Partition Resolution) once the British mandate was scheduled to end. Under this
resolution, the area surrounding of religious significance Jerusalem (a holy
city) would remain under international control administered by the United
Nations. British government and King Abdallah of Transjordan, other Arabian
nations objected to the UN partition resolution. Hajj Amin al Husseini,
charismatic leader in Jerusalem and Head of the Supreme Muslim Council strongly
denied a single piece of Palestine for Jewish-Zionist community and started to
use violence and terror against Jews, as well as against the moderate
Palestinian Nashashibi faction that for many years cooperated with the Jewish
community and recognized them brothers. Creation
of Israel spark a civil war in Palestine, and later it turned into an
Arab-Israeli war on May 14, 1948. Israel defeated both the Arab armies and militants
of the Palestinian and occupied more land than allocated UN resolution.
“Palestine Liberation Organization PLO: the Arab
League in Cairo Summit 1964, marked the creation of an organization
representing the Palestinian people to carry out planning to resolve inter-Arab conflicts
and to adopt common principles regarding the struggle against imperialism and
the "aggressive policies"”
In 1960s, Palestinian secular movement began
to establish an independent state of Palestine. This movement was popularly
known as ‘Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’ in 1964. The PLO was
seen as a terrorist group by US and Israel until the Madrid
Conference in 1991(The conference, initiated by US and Soviet Union, was
aiming to resolve their rival territorial claims including the Gaza Strip, West
Bank and Jerusalem). Now PLO is enjoying observer status at the United
Nations since 1974 as the "sole legitimate representative of
the Palestinian people". In 1993, the PLO accepted Israel's existence
by accepting UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338,
and gave up "violence and terrorism". Many extremist and terrorist
groups like Popular Liberation Front of Palestine – General
Command (PLFP-GC) associated with PLO started to isolate them after PLO’s
acceptance of Israel in 1993.
The Oslo Accords: Creation of the Palestinian
Authority (PA)
Oslo Accords are a set of agreements
between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO),
created the Palestinian Authority (PA). Palestinian Authority is limited
to have self-governance over parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Oslo
Accords acknowledged that the PLO is now Israel's partner in permanent status
negotiations about the remaining issues like the borders of Israel and
Palestine and military presence and
the Palestinian right of return. However, Conflicts are still going on.
Emergence of HAMAS, A Militant Group:
Hamas was founded in 1987 an offshoot of the
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. HAMAS, an
organization, designated as terrorist group by some nations like Australia, Canada, Egypt, the European
Union, Israel, Japan, the United Kingdom, and
the United States, and is strictly banned in Jordan. On the
other hand, it is not considered a terrorist organization by Iran, Turkey,
Russia, China and some Arab nations. HAMAS got ground based on the principles of Islamism throughout the Arab
world in the 1980s. Its aim is to
liberate Palestine, including modern-day Israel to establish
an Islamic state. This group is very active in Gaza Strip.
Israel occupied the territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in
the Six-Day War of 1967, which had been earlier occupied by
Jordan and Egypt respectively during the 1948 Israel and Arabian
war, and has maintained control of them since.
HAMAS–PLO-affiliated FATAH party Conflict:
In the
January 2006, HAMAS won a majority of seats in Palestinian parliamentary
elections by defeating the PLO-affiliated Fatah party. After election the Quartet (the
United States, Russia, United Nations and European Union) made future foreign aid
to the Palestinian Authority conditional upon the future government's
commitment to non-violence, recognition of the state of Israel, and acceptance
of past treaties and promises. Rejection demand of Quartet led to the suspension
of foreign assistance program.
In March 2007, a national unity
government was formed under leadership of Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh of Hamas but failed to regain international financial aid. After
the formation of the Hamas-led cabinet on March 20, 2006, tensions between
Fatah and Hamas militants progressively rose in the Gaza strip as Fatah
commanders refused to take orders from the government while the Palestinian
Authority initiated a campaign of demonstrations, assassinations and abductions
against Hamas, which led to Hamas responding. Soon Israel and Egypt then imposed an economic blockade of the Gaza Strip;
on the grounds of Fatah expulsion from Gaza Strip by HAMAS militants group. In
2011, Hamas and Fatah announced a reconciliation agreement after a long talk
for providing a joint caretaker Palestinian government. Progress has
stalled further agreement to form a compromise unity government, after elections
to be held in late 2014.
Sachin Raj Singh Chauhan
Chief Sub Editor, Ground Report India
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