Contemporary History

Introduction
The nation of Israel was officially created on November 29, 1947 as a result of UN Resolution 181 to provide a homeland for the Jewish people in a region with strong historical significance to people of Jewish faith (as well as Muslim and Christian faiths). This was accomplished by partitioning Palestine, an Arab nation, into two nations, creating animosity among the Arab peoples in the region, particularly the Palestinians, and resulting in decades of conflict between them and the nation of Israel. In the intervening years, Israel has engaged in the practice of expanding its territory into Palestine by creating Israeli settlements there. One of the recent incidents of this practice was address by Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, Executive Committee member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

Instructions
Review the following resources:

• Link (website): UN Resolution 181 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Link (website): Statement of Dr. Hanan Ashrawi in Regard to Jewish Settlements (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Address the following in a case study analysis:

• According to UN Resolution 181, what are the rights of Arabs in Israel and what are the rights of Jews in Palestine?
• Are the resulting conflicts religious, economic, territorial, or a combination of these? Support your assessment with evidence.
• Is the practice of creating Israeli settlements in Palestine illegal? Assess Dr. Ashrawi's statement that "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is more committed to settlement expansion than to peace."
• What is the US position on this practice and how has this affected international relations?

Writing Requirements (APA format)

• Length: 2-3 pages (not including title page or references page)
• 1-inch margins
• Double spaced
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• Title page
• References page