Master in Global Studies: March 2010

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Lecture #1: Introduction and Lecture #2: Historical Background

Michael Schulz, Course Coordinator

Please see powerpoint entitled LectureintroRS2235vt10.ppt posted at

http://kursportal.student.gu.se/inst/S2GLS%7C_%7CNONE/RS2235/filuppladdning/browse2.php?dir=Kursmoment%2FLecture+notes+and+ppt

The following notes are not comprehensive because the lecture was presented via powerpoint. Please see the powerpoint file for additional information.

Introduction
-Academia is highly politicized in this conflict.

-One over-arching theme: Can this conflict be resolved?

- Throughout this course, we will take a scientific approach to the debates and literature.

- This course is framed as a conflict resolution case study which will incorporate both theory and practice as well as a critical analysis of academic debates.

- During the first week, we will discuss the historical "facts" of 1948.

How should we study national conflicts?

- Hobsbawn, "...no serious historian of nations and nationalism can be a committed political nationalist..."

What is the conflict about?

- While root causes exist, the situation has changed over time.

- According to Schulz, the conflict is about nationalism.

- Others contend that it is a conflict that pits the East vs. the West. Still other argue that it is a conflict about oil, religion, water, and/or historical hatred.

- This is conflict about two national movements' struggle over historical Palestine.

- There are spoilers of both sides. On the Palestinian side there is Hamas and on the Israeli side there are the Israeli settlers.

- The media only presents violent images of the conflict. However, the situation is not one of incessant violence. It is far more complex.

Who are the parties in the conflict?

- The core parties include Israel; the Palestinians/ PLO/ PA/ Hamas; Arab states.

- Involved parties include Iran and Turkey.

- Third parties include the international community including the U.S., UN, EU, Russia, Sweden, etc.

What is the criteria for defining a region? / What is the Middle East?

- What is known as the Middle East has no geographical unity, no homogenous culture, no clear historical connectedness, no inclusive regional organization.

The Israeli-Palestinian Security Complex

- Why would Jews, who had been praying for a Messiah for 2,000 years, suddenly decide to claim a state for themselves?

- Jewish nationalism began in Europe.

- Around 1850, the majority of Jews were religious not Zionist.

- How did the Jewish identity survive for so long?

- Jewish identity was perpetuated by the synagogue.

- Political Zionism started as a small, militant group in Central Europe.

-Meanwhile, on the Arab side...

- 1915, McMahon-Hussein Agreement was drafted between the British and Arabs to defeat the Ottoman Empire.

- 1916, Syces-Picot Agreement

- 1919, the Zionist Plan

- The Belfour Declaration

- David Ben-Gurion believed that two basic aspirations underlie all work in the country of Israel: to be like all nations, and to be different from all nations.

- Three major nation-state projects can be identified:
1. The Jewish nation-state project.
2. The Israeli nation-state project.
3. The Anti-state project.

- The ideology of the Jewish nation-state project is usually labelled as political Zionism or Jewish nationalism.

- Zionism can be historically divided into Labour Zionism (diplomatic), Revisionist Zionism (military), and Religious Zionism.

- In 1897, Theodor Herzl stated that the Jews would have a Jewish state in 50 years.

- While Herzl is often seen as the founding father of Zionism, he also advocated assimilation. He shifted is position after the Dreyfus Affair.

Important Milestones in Zionism

- Basel Congress (1897) and the foundation of the 1st World Zionist Organization
- The Jewish National Fund (1901)
- The Anglo-Palestine Bank (1902)
- First Kvutza (1907), this was a form of collective farming in small groups
- First Kibbutz (1910)
- Jewish Agency (1920), this was a pre-state organization

- Many Jewish refugees were initially drawn to Palestine after 1905 and the failure of the 1st Russian Revolution. These settlers wanted to build an ideal society in Palestine and initiated a socialist-inspired movement.

- Huge debate: What role did the British play? Did they support the Zionists or the Palestinians or neither?

Arabs Divided

- Internal leadership competitions
- 1920s Hussein's sons Feisal and Abdullah
- In Palestine, differences emerge among powerful families.
- Arabs become increasingly mobilized against Jewish immigration to Palestine.
- 1936-1939, Arab Revolt
- 1937-1938, Peel Commission issues partition plans that are rejected by both sides.
- 1939, White Paper

1920s: Mobilization
-Organization and confrontation
-Rule and divide

1930s: Increased competition and fears
- 1st uprising in 1936
- horrors in Europe

1940s: Towards Armed Conflict
- post-war (WWII) situation
- from Civil War to regional conflict
-Britain out, UN in

- Many Zionists actually believed that Palestine was a land without people for a people without land.

UN proposal 181 (1947)
- partition
- Zionists agreed, Arabs did not

The Naqba/ War of Independence (1948-49)
- Plan Daled, plan to expel the Arabs or plan of defense?
- 800 Palestinians died during the war, there was at least one massacre in a village outside of Jerusalem. The massacre fuled fears and mass flight.
-Between 400,000 and 800,000 Palestinians fled in 1948. Those who stayed were placed in military detention.
-Most historians agree that in 1948, Palestinians fled. However, why they fled is subject to intense debate.
-After the ceasefire, hundreds of thousands of Jews came to Israel from the Middle East, particularly Iraq. This led to prejudice against "Oriental" Jews many of whom settled in new developments and politically devisive areas.
- The UN Refugee, Relief and Works Agency was created to oversee Palestinian refugees.
-Meanwhile, the Israelis bulldozed "abandoned" Palestinian homes in Israel. This became a new root cause in the conflict and, according to Professor Schulz, this is the most difficult obstacle to peace yet.
- Contrary to popular belief, the USSR initially supported the state of Israel, not the U.S.
-In fact, during the "War of Independence" Israeli arms were supplied by the USSR via Czechoslovakia.

The Suez War (1956)
- This war was started by the French and the British in an effort to protect their business interests in the region.
- The British and French were forced to withdraw by order of the Security Council.
-However, prior to that, there was a coordinated attack on the Sinai Penninsula (held by Egypt) by Israel, the UK and France.

The 6-Day War/ June War
- Defeat in this war was a terrible blow to Arab states.

***Like I said before, these notes aren't great. Hopefully, Professor Schulz will post his powerpoint in the near future.***

Monday, March 15, 2010

Examination/Question

Imagine that we are facing a situation where an imminent 'ethnic cleansing' situation is at hand in a country somewhere in region X. What can the international community do in order to prevent 'ethnic cleansing' (UN, regional organizations, great powers, top-leaders, civil society, grassroots, etc.) and how could these actions be legitimized? Furthermore, what are the risks that the action taken in order to establish 'liberal peace' may lead to, and what are the challenges?

- 3,000 words max.
- due on March 22, 2010
- submit to Urkund only--- Do not email or submit a hard copy!

Lecture #9: SSR/ Defense Reform in DRC

Maria Eriksson Baaz

The lecturer used a very detailed powerpoint throughout her presentation. Unfortunately, the powerpoint file is not (yet) posted on the course portal.

Lecture #8: Goverance and International Law

Mikael Baaz

This was a somewhat interactive lecture with constant reference to the Charter of the United Nations. In other words, you had to be there. (Sorry.)

Here are the highlights:

- The United Nations was created by and for the victorious powers of World War II. In fact, the name, "United Nations," was another name for the Allied Powers.

- According to the preamble, the United Nations was established in order to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war" which is another way of saying that the chief goal was to avoid World War III.

- The preamble emphasizes the importance of peace as well as justice, social progress, and "better standards of life in larger freedom."

- Chapter I, Article 1 advocates the peaceful resolution of conflict and implies that peace is paramount over human rights.

- Article 2(1) states that the United Nations "is based on the principle of sovereign equality" and is thus not a world government.

-Article 2(3) establishes the responsibility of all members states to resolve disputes by peaceful means.

-Article 2(4) articulates a coherent prohibition on "the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state..." (See Articles 39 and 51 for exceptions.)

- Article 2(7) establishes the principle of non-intervention. (Again, see Articles 39 and 51 for exceptions.)

- According to the Chapter 2, Article 6, a member state can be expelled by recommendation of the Security Council but this has no historical precedent.

-Chapter IV explains the composition and role of the General Assembly while Chapter V explains the composition and role of the Security Council.

-According to Article 23(1), the Security Council shall consist of fifteen members-- five permanent members including the US, Russia, France, China, and the UK.

-As implied in Article 27(1), any one of the five permanent members of the Security Council can stop an international action through veto.

-Chapter VI is entitled "Pacific Settlement of Disputes" and advocates peaceful resolution of international disputes.

-Chapter VII, entitled "Action with Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression," articulates the two exceptions to the prohibition on the use of force. Article 39 states that "the Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat of the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression" and shall decide appropriate actions and responses. Article 51 permits the use of force in self-defense.

-In order to enforce sanctions or use of force, the Security Council must first determine the existence of a threat to international peace. This was especially difficult during the Cold War when the US and the USSR often pursued contradictory political and economic interests. This also explains why there has been a virtual explosion of peace operations following the end of the Cold War.

- In addition to the use of force, the Security Council can also impose political and economic sanctions.

-If the Security Council decides to forcefully intervene, troops must be provided by member states or the Security Council must designate a state or organization to act on behalf of the United Nations. This is because the UN does not maintain a standing army.

- In terms of self-defense, a state may act unilaterally to protect its territorial integrity and/or political independence. However, a state cannot use excessive force or more force than necessary. Furthermore, a state can act pre-emptively but not preventively. It is also important to note that self-defense does not equal revenge and must be undertaken in a timely manner.

-In April, Mikael will begin with Article 55 as the point of departure for his lecture on humanitarian intervention.