Topic: Question of Palestine
Country: United Kingdom
Delegate Name: Stephan Bae
School: Cranbrook Kingswood
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All United Kingdom position papers GLIMUN 2009 committees
Since the mid-twentieth century, the situation in Palestine has been a quagmire for numerous nations. Fueled by religious differences and each faction’s feeling of entitlement to the area, this situation in the past has been exceedingly difficult to manage and efforts have proven to be futile. Current tensions are further exasperated by both Hamas’ hostility and Israel’s continued settlements on the West Bank. Despite the inherent difficulties, a lasting solution to the questions surrounding Palestine is of paramount importance to allay the tensions surrounding not only the immediate region but the international community as a whole. Thus, the United Kingdom firmly believes that extensive action should be taken in order to improve relations between the warring factions and to ensure that future aggression is limited.
Admittedly, the United Kingdom has been a major influence in Palestine since the early twentieth century. Our nation’s well-intended declaration to support both factions and to fulfill each party’s desires was a major factor in causing this debacle. Despite the fact that problems have existed prior to the United Kingdom’s mandate of Palestine, these issues were exacerbated with the mandate’s termination. Currently, the United Kingdom is attempting to improve upon this situation through the United Nations.
The United Kingdom believes that over the past several decades, the situation in Palestine has continued to deteriorate and thus has become increasingly complex to resolve. The current lack of desire to achieve lasting peace in the area by the dominant parties of Hamas and the Israeli government is the most pressing issue, for international assistance is ineffective provided that the belligerent factions in the area are extremely influential and continually breed conflict. Thus, the United Kingdom first encourages the United Nations, and especially the United States, Israel’s close ally, to significantly restrict support. As plain requests for increased peace have led to backlash by the Israeli government, the most viable option available is to limit political aid in order to exhort a more amiable stance. In addition, the United Kingdom supports the Palestinians’ desire for the formation of their own small, separate state. Our nation firmly believes that Israel’s consent to this concession, essentially an act of appeasement, would decrease Hamas’s support in Palestine, for the Palestinians would possess less aversion towards Israel to utilize. These actions would consequently result in the supremacy of parties, such as Fatah, more open towards peace in the region and therefore increase negotiations. While not a definite or complete answer to the situation in Palestine, the United Kingdom supports the formation of separate states on the grounds that the execution of this action will both provide the foundation for lasting peace and be more effective than the “agreements in principle” that have previously occurred.
