Peace Process in the Middle East: briefing
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Meeting report
FOREIGN AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
25 June 2003
PEACE PROCESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST: BRIEFING
Chairperson: Dr. J P Jordan
Documents handed out
Israeli Briefing Notes (Appendix)
SUMMARY
The representative from the Israeli Governement emphasised that Israel was committed to peace and wanted the Road Map to peace to succeed. The Palestinians however were not prepared to co-operate and control the terror attcks. Members felt that Israel was also guilty of committing acts of violence and was not giving the Palestinians a chance.
MINUTES
Mr. V Biran, the Director General for Foreign Affairs in Israel addressed the committee on the peace process in the Middle East. He stated that much is said about Israel and the Middle East in the media. In reality however things are very different to that which is reported. Israel was engaged daily in talks with the Palestinians concerning the Road Map to Peace. Israel was keen to see progress and peace in the region. He emphasised that no other state had been subjected to attacks because of its very existence as Israel had. From the outset it had been subjected to these attacks. The conflict, he said, was really because the Israelis and the Palestinians had different approaches. The Arabs wanted the use of the land exclusively even though the Jews had been there from the beginning. Israel however believed that there was room for all. It supported partition so that there was a separate state of Palestine. He pointed out that some Arab states had changed and had agreed to peace with Israel. They were however hoping for genuine peace with all their neighbours.
With the change in Iraq, it was hoped that peace would come to the Middle East region. There were problems within Arab countries and also between some countries. The West had been very supportive of Arab regimes as long as they supported them despite their governance. There was however hope with the new Palestinian Prime Minister. It seemed as if he was keen to act for the benefit of the people. There was a need for a new government in Palestine because they realised that they needed to change. He pointed out that more and more Palestinians were not in favour of Yasser Arafat. They did not support the intifada anymore, there was corruption in the system and they felt that he did not follow through on agreements which was reached with former Israeli Prime Minister Barak. Some felt that Arafat's role was over and that there was a need for new leadership so that bi-lateral discussions could proceed. There was a need for compromise on both sides. Jis government was committed to compromise even though they might be painful. They accepted President Bush's proposals that the road to peace must be a three stage process so that two states would eventually be established. The first stage would be to end all violence, terrorism and incitement to violence. There would also have to be a change in the Palestinian authority. Israel was prepared to hand over the security of the region to the Palestinians, but it also had the right to protect its people against violence.
Discussion
Mr. Bapela (ANC) said that it was his experience that Israelis were united about the existence of the state of Israel but there were different views though in the country concerning Palestine. He regretted that there was loss of life on both sides, but added that there was a perception that there was cleansing campaign against Palestinians. It did not seem as if there would be a cessation of violence as this seemed to be ongoing.
Mr. Biran replied that there were different views in Israel as democracy was in action. He added that no Arab society was as free as Israel. The Arabs who stayed in Israel were free to vote. It was not true that there was a cleansing campaign against the Palestinians. No one wanted to wipe them off. Israel wanted the dismantling of terrorist organisations so that violence would cease and they could restructure and an accountable security force established.
Mr. Eglin (DA) said that the Israelis wanted Israel recognised, yet he wondered when Mr. Sharon had recognised the Palestinian state as this was crucial. He wanted to know whether Israel rejected the 1947 boundaries and asked what would be done about Jerusalem.
Mr. Biran said that it was inconceivable to go back to 1947. The Road Map had left boundaries open. These would be decided in bi-lateral negotiations.
An ANC member said that the view propagated that Arafat was failing the Palestinians was incorrect. Palestinians still regarded him as their leader. Not everybody supported Israel's response to the suicide bombers.
Mr. Biran said that the majority of people wanted the problems to be solved, but that they did not trust Arafat. The mistrust however was on both sides and therefore they needed to build trust. Arafat had proved that he was not ready for any compromise as he did not accept the Camp David agreement.
Dr. Geldenhuys (NNP) said that there would be no peace as long as Israel was under threat. He did not see the Road Map as a solution as it was offering less than what the Camp David agreement had offered. He pointed out that on the committee's fact finding commission to Israel they had found that the Palestinian Authority had no control over the suicide bombers. He therefore wanted to know why Hamas was also not included in negotiations.
Mr. Biran said that the Road Map had mentioned no figures as far as territory was concerned. He also added that the Palestinian authority could control Hamas. This had happened in 1996. It had happened that Israel had told the Palestinian authority of attacks yet they had done nothing but rather informed the terrorist groups that Israel knew about them. Israel did not expect 100% success but 100% effort on the part of the Palestinian authority. Israel had the political will for peace and could be tested on this.
Mr. Mokoena (ANC) said that the problem in the Middle East was based on six pillars and asked Mr. Biran to respond to them.. These were Jerusalem, occupation of settlements by Jews, return of Palestinian exiles, fragmentation of the Palestinian areas by Israeli roadblocks, Zionism which was the same as racism and the influence of the US. He referred to Israel as "spoilt brats".
Mr. Biran denied that Zionism was the same as racism. He said that it was a liberation movement just as the ANC had been. There was no difference. He added that Israel had never said that exiles could not return to Palestine. The Palestinians however asked their exiles to go to Israel to commit acts of sabotage. He was of the view that the refugees also had the right to return to Palestine yet he thought that they stayed in Israel so that they could disturb the demographics there. The question of Jerusalem was a complicated and loaded one. He pointed out however that it had always been the capital of ancient Israel. He agreed that the US supported Israel and said that they needed this support because of attacks by the Palestinians.
An ANC member referred to the fact that Mr. Biran had said that Israel supported the Road Map to peace. She said that this seemed to be a contradiction since Mr. Sharon had not accepted 14 clauses of the document. The Palestinian Authority was weakened by actions of the Israelis yet they expected them to control Hamas. There seemed to be a constant problem of retaliation which did not seem to come to an end.
Mr. Biran said that there had been new drafts of the Road Map due to comments by interested parties. The Israeli government had only commented after all the changes had been made. He added that if the Palestinian authority did not do anything it was their responsibility to act. He believed that the Palestinian authority was not too weak that it could not control Hamas.
Ms. Mohammed (ANC) said that if Israel aspired to peace, it would have to address the occupation of the territories, the pre-emptive strikes by Israel, the persistent border harassment of Palestinians, the condition of Palestinian refugees and the destruction of the Palestinian infrastructure such as schools and hospitals. Israel had committed gross human rights violations and wanted the Israelis view on multilateralism.
Mr. Biran said that the roadblocks were not a healthy situation and that soldiers were attacked at them. Israelis have made many mistakes. He felt that they were however victims of their situation.
Mr. Macintosh (DA) referred to the new situation in Iraq and Afghanistan due to the action of the US. He asked how the Israeli government reacted to this since it seemed as if the US was waving a big stick over nations.
Mr. Biran said that this was a very complex issue. He regarded the UN as important, but it was disappointed in its performance. There was a need for better structures.
The Chair thanked Mr. Biran for the briefing, but said they did not agree with everything that had been said. He especially pointed out that the fact that the Jews had forefathers who had been born in the territory did not give them a right to return there much later. He referred to the many Africans who were also scattered across the world. He said however that they would agree to disagree.
The meeting was adjourned.
Appendix
PARLIAMENTARY INFORMATION SERVICES: RESEARCH
20 June 2003
Israel Briefing Notes
Introduction
This research brief provides an overview of Israel's history, government, economy, political and economic relations with South Africa and issues for Members to consider.
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Director-General - Israeli Foreign Ministry
Ambassador Yoav Biran is the Director General of Israel's Ministry of Foreign affairs. He joined Israel's diplomatic service in 1963 and held various other senior positions in the Ministry, among then Senior Deputy Director General for the Middle East and the Peace Process Coordination and Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He has a BA in International Relations from the Hebrew University Of Jerusalem.
History Of Relations With South Africa
Israel established a Legation in South Africa in 1952 and in 1974 it was upgraded to an Embassy. In 1972 South Africa established a Consulate General in Tel Aviv which was upgraded to an Embassy in December 1975. Israel continued to enjoy close relations with the Apartheid Government in South Africa. Following the democratic transition in South Africa and the establishment of full diplomatic relations with Palestine, after South Africa adopted an approach which favors resolution of the Israeli-Arab conflict through peaceful negotiations, on the basis of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
In September 1995 Foreign Minister Alfred B Nzo paid an official visit to Israel and signed an Agreement establishing a Joint Commission of Co-operation with the Israeli Government. The first meeting of this Joint Commission took place in June 1996. On this occasion, five bilateral agreements were negotiated for co-operation in the following spheres: Agriculture, Tourism, Culture, Environment and Science, as well as Nature Conservation. Israel contributes to development in South Africa through two farming projects worth nearly R2.5 million in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape.
South Africa has an Embassy in Tel Aviv with 10 diplomats. Israel has an Embassy in Pretoria with 9 diplomats. One of whom is based in Johannesburg. The consulate in Cape Town was closed due to budgetary constraints, though an apartment was kept for the Ambassador who spends approximately a third of her time there. Visas are required for South African tourists to Israel.
Trade Statistics (All Figures In Zar)
| SA EXPORTS | SA IMPORTS |
1994 | 1 066 589 021 | 609 991 373 |
1995 | 1 396 599 222 | 613 234 090 |
1996 | 1 648 796 342 | 735 498 477 |
1997 | 1 733 851 777 | 788 819 579 |
1998 | 1 911 811 210 | 995 619 990 |
1999 | 2 090 911 316 | 1 149 317 286 |
2000 | 2 186 756 014 | 1 172 826 506 |
2001 | 4 344 861 | 1 119 098 |
2002: 01-10 | 4 790 206 | 1 320 578 |
Agreements Between South Africa And Israel
Agreement for the Establishment of a Joint Commission of Cooperation (1995).
Memorandum of Understanding on Multiple Cooperation (1991).
Double Taxation Agreement on Income from Shipping and Aircraft (1978).
Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and Capital Gains (1978).
Extradition (1959) and Amendment to Extradition Treaty (1976).
Visa Agreement (1956)
Background Data
Background: | Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives (from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip) and Syria, to achieve a permanent settlement. But progress toward a permanent status agreement has been undermined by the outbreak of Palestinian-Israeli violence since September 2000. |
Area: | total: 20,770 sq km |
Land boundaries: | total: 1,017 km |
Natural resources: | timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand |
Land use: | arable land: 17.02% |
Natural hazards: | sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes |
Environment - current issues: | limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides |
Geography - note: | there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.); Sea of Galilee is an important freshwater source |
Population: | 6,029,529 (July 2002 est.) |
Population growth rate: | 1.48% (2002 est.) |
Infant mortality rate: | 7.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 78.86 years |
Total fertility rate: | 2.54 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.08% (1999 est.) |
People living with HIV/AIDS: | 2,400 (1999 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 100 (1999 est.) |
Ethnic groups: | Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%, Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab) (1996 est.) |
Religions: | Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.) |
Languages: | Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language |
Literacy: | total population: 95% |
Government type: | parliamentary democracy |
Capital: | Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv |
Administrative divisions: | 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv |
Independence: | 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
Legal system: | mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
Executive branch: | chief of state: President Moshe KATSAV (since 31 July 2000) |
Legislative branch: | unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) |
Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president) |
Political parties and leaders: | Center Party [Dan MERIDOR]; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA]; Democratic Movement [Roman BRONFMAN]; Gesher [David LEVI]; Herut [michael KLEINER]; Labor Party [Binyamin BEN-ELIEZER]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meimad [Rabbi Michael MELCHIOR]; Meretz [Yossi SARID]; National Democratic Alliance (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National Religious Party [Yitzhak LEVY]; National Union [Benyamin ELON] (includes Tekuma and Moledet); One Israel [Ra'anan COHEN]; One Nation [Amir PERETZ]; Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Shinui [Tommy LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Meir PORUSH]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or YBA [Natan SHARANSKY]; Yisra'el Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders: | Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors human rights abuses |
Economy - overview: | Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel is largely self-sufficient in food production except for grains. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current account deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the US, which is its major source of economic and military aid. The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR during the period 1989-99 coupled with the opening of new markets at the end of the Cold War, energized Israel's economy, which grew rapidly in the early 1990s. But growth began moderating in 1996 when the government imposed tighter fiscal and monetary policies and the immigration bonus petered out. Growth was a strong 6.4% in 2000. But the bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict, increasingly the declines in the high-technology and tourist sectors, and fiscal austerity measures in the face of growing inflation have led to declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. |
GDP: | purchasing power parity - $122 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate: | -1.1% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 3% |
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2% |
Inflation rate: | 5.7% (2002 est.) |
Labor force: | 2.4 million (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation: | public services 31%, manufacturing 20%, finance and business 13%, commerce 13%, construction 8%, personal and other services 6%, transport, storage, and communications 6%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3% (1996) (1996) |
Unemployment rate: | 10.4% (2002 est.) |
Budget: | revenues: $40 billion |
Industries: | high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, diamond cutting |
Industrial production growth rate: | -1.5% (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products: | citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products |
Exports: | $28 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
Exports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel |
Exports - partners: | US 42.8%, Benelux 7.4%, Hong Kong 6.8%, Germany 4.8%, UK 4.8%, Japan 3.2% (2001) |
Imports: | $30.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
Imports - commodities: | raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, consumer goods |
Imports - partners: | US 23.5%, Benelux 10.2%, Germany 7.9%, uk 6.7%, Switzerland 6.0%, Italy 5.2% (2001) |
Debt - external: | $42.8 billion (2001 est.) |
Exchange rates: | New Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.2757 (December 2001), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494 (1997) |
Telephones - main lines in use: | 2.8 million (1999) |
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 2.5 million (1999) |
Radios: | 3.07 million (1997) |
Televisions: | 1.69 million (1997) |
Internet users: | 1.94 million (2001) |
Military branches: | Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (includes ground, naval, and air components with Air Defense Forces), Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal); note - historically there have been no separate Israeli military services |
Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,542,835 |
Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 1,262,973 |
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $8.97 billion (FY02) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 8.75% (FY02) |
Disputes - international: | West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights) |
Illicit drugs: | increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and increasingly Jordan |
Issues For Members To Consider
How can South Africa assist the Israelis and Palestinians in the peace processes?
What pressure can South Africa exert in this regard?
What lessons can South Africa offer from its experiences to the role players?
Sources
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/803257.stm
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/is.html
http://www.dfa.gov.za/for-relations/bilateral/israel.htm
http://www.dfa.gov.za/foreign-sa/fori.htm#ISRAEL
http://www.dfa.gov.za/sa-abroad/ISRAEL
http://www.dti.gov.za/econdb/raportt/413Summary$.html
http://www1.idc.ac.il/ips/content/speakers.asp
http://www.statssa.gov.za
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