No World Peace Without Central Asia Truce

On May 15, 1948, the declaration by the Jews of the first Jew state, not only originated the first & only Jew country in the Central Asian Arab region but with the rise of this Jew country named Israel, there arose the most controversial & perplexing problem in the world. Arab countries have started to gather to struggle against this newly formed country. To the extent, there was a debate that which Arab country will lead the struggle, to be started against Israel, by the Arab countries. Palestinians remained as silent on lookers there. After a long interval, in 1964, many Arab countries organized Palestine Liberation Organization (P.L.O.). In 1969, a struggler Arab leader Yassar Arafat took holds the reins of this independent Organization for fighting for the rights of the Palestinians. On the other side, just 5 years after the setting up of P.L.O., an organization named ‘Fateh’ has blown the bigule of armed struggle against the Israelis. This organization had started a secret mission of attacking the Jews. In 1968, in a very violent action, Fateh killed a large number of Israeli soldiers at Karameh in Jordan.

Such types of violent actions were called terrorism by Israel whereas Palestine activists called them a war for their rights. This conflict resulted in another Arab-Israel war on June 5, 1967. This war lasted for only six days but the end of the war not only changed the map of Middle East but the boundaries drawn after the war gave birth to more controversial matters. In this war, Israel snatched Golan Hills of Syria in northern region & in the south; it took away Gaza & Sinai area from Egypt. Along with it, Israel armies pushed away soldiers of Jordan from Eastern Jerusalem & Western Coasts. This victory of Israel on Arab countries encouraged the Pro-Israel countries including America & Britain. But in the meantime, United Nations Organization passed a resolution no. 242 in which it was stressed that the areas won in the war will not be given recognition. United Nations Organization also appealed to Israel to immediately vacate the areas won in the war.

During this war, about 5 lakhs, Palestinians became homeless & took shelter in Jordan, Syria, Egypt & Lebanon. As neither Syria & Egypt could take its lost areas from Israel nor Israel vacated the area, acting upon the resolution no.242 of United Nations Organization then Egypt & Syria attacked Israel again. This war too proved a losing bargain for the Arab countries. Israel was getting direct & indirect military, diplomatic & economic help from America & Britain expanded its boundaries in this war that lasted for three weeks. After all this war ended with the diplomatic efforts of United Nations, America & Soviet Union. About 8500 soldiers of Egypt & Syria & 6000 soldiers of Israel lost their lives in this war. Now Israel was completely dependent on America in all forms, military, diplomacy & economic.

Saudi Arabia put restriction on supply of petroleum products on all the countries that helped Israel, in this war. At that time the oil prices increased at the world level & it remained at high level up to march 1974. Worrying from the new controversies that arose from the Arab Israel conflict, United Nations Security Council passed a resolution no. 338 in October 1973. Under this resolution, all the countries that took part in this war were appealed to immediately stop their military movements & to discuss the proposals for the permanent peace in Middle East.

Now a feeling that was changing into the belief among the Arab world was that their rights were being snatched in a planned way by getting their areas taken. This thought took the form of anything that may be called revolt, revolution or terrorism. A faction of Palestine Liberation Organization & other extremist groups as Abu Nedal made many secret attacks on many important places of Israel. This type of an extremist action was taken in 1972 during Munich Olympic when 11 Israel Athletes were killed.

A surprising turn in Palestine Liberation Struggle came when P.L.O. leader Yassar Arafat, in 1974, personally went to the main office of United Nations Organization. There he made a declaration to find a peaceful solution of this controversial problem by adopting a peaceful way. In his historical speech there Arafat asked for help to establish a separate & independent Palestine country. There was a new turn in this upheaval happening between Israel & Arab countries, when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visited Israel in 1997. During this Arab-Jew conflict, Sadat was the first Arabian leader who visited Israel. During his visit, he addressed the Israel parliament on November 19, 1997 at Jerusalem. Not only this, he was the first Arab leader to recognize Israel.

Now there flowed a stream of constant improvement in the relations of Egypt & Israel. In 1978, both the countries signed the Camp David agreement. Under this agreement, a framework was prepared for establishment of peace. Giving of limited autonomy to Palestinians was also discussed in this agreement. There was a bilateral agreement between Egypt & Israel in 1979. The increasing intimacy between the two countries resulted in the return of that Sinai area to Egypt by Israel that Israel had won during the 1967 war. But this road building for peace process in Central Asia was perhaps, unbearable to the extremists. The fundamentalist elements in Egypt army killed their president Anwar Sadat in 1981. The faction that took part in this killing was against all types of peace talks with Israel. Now there started another wave of anarchy & restlessness. In 1982, Israel army attacked Lebanon. In 1987-88, the Palestinians started disobedience (Intifada), strike & boycott of Israel showing a protest against Israel possession on their land. Palestinians began to pelt stones on Israel soldiers at every place. This disobedience movement (Intifada) went on up to 1993 & more than one thousand people were killed. In spite of it, the P.L.O. leader Yassar Arafat, adopting the peace process & wanted to have a peaceful solution of this controversial issue. America also began to give importance to Arafat as P.L.O. leader. But Israel always considered Yassar Arafat as a chief of a terrorist group & avoided to discuss with him. In 1991, at the time of Gulf war, Arafat took such a step because of which the rich gulf countries began to avoid Palestine conflict. In 1991, Gulf war, Arafat stood by the side of Saddam Hussain on the issue of illegal possession of land in Kuwait. This incident weakened the Palestine movement. On November 20, 2004 Yassar Arafat being ill was admitted in a hospital in Paris, where he breathed his last. Even today Palestinians believe that the day will come when they would rule over Jerusalem & their popular leader Arafat will be buried at Jerusalem. For the time being, the dead body of Arafat has been kept in an orderly manner, in a grave made of marble stone at Ramalla City at Western Coast so that whenever the need arises, the body may be taken out safely.

Anyhow Central Asia conflict seems somewhat away from solution. Now, even the elected government in Palestine is not getting recognition by Israel & Pro-Israel countries saying that ruling Hamas Organization is a terrorist Organization. So consequently, this bloody game is still going on. So it is not a blunder to say that without solution of this horrible problem of Central Asia, the thought of world peace is meaningless.

(CONCLUDED)

(Authors Introduction)
Writer Tanveer Jafri is a columnist in India related with hundreds of most popular daily news papers/portals in india and abroad.Almost, he writes in the field of communal harmony, world peace, anti communalism, anti terrorism, national integration, national & international politics etc.He is a devoted social activist for world peace, unity, integrity & brotherhood. He is also a member of Haryana Sahitya Academy & Haryana Urdu Academy (state govt. bodies in India). Thousands articles of the author have been published in different newspapers, websites & newsportals throughout the world. He is also a receipent of so many awards in the field of Communal Harmony & other social activities.

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