Topic: Question of Palestinian Statehood
Country: Spain
Delegate Name: Joe Murphy
School: Vicksburg High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Spain position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
The main problem stems from back in the 1940’s after World War 2 when many European Jews were relocated to Palestine and given there own area called Israel. This angered local Arab groups in the Middle East. So the issue of whether, after the violence of a few wars, Palestine should be a state came into question in the U.N. The main obstacles are that both Jews and Arabs claim the area as a holy land and are unwilling to give it up. Spain believes that Palestine should be given full statehood with the right to govern itself as the area was theirs to begin with.
The idea of whether the Palestinian Authority’s unilateral approach to securing international recognition as a state is a good idea. It will most likely fail due to the fact that the United States has declared that it will use its Security Council veto against the Palestinian Authority’s bold move to gain statehood, but will progress towards being a state. The Palestinian Authority will
certainly ask the U.N. to be considerd an oberver state and that will most likley pass the general assembly. Though it may be harmfull to the peace by trying to declare statehood as it requires both sides to agree to accomplish anything. In taking steps to declare statehood it could be seen as abold move that could disrupt the fragile peace.
Isreal wishes to expand and keep its settlements in what would become Palestine. The fact that Isreal will negotiate without precondtions is helpful in trying to speed things along but not in starting negotiations with the Palestians. They wish for their precondtions to be met before starting negotiations with Isreal.
