The Peace Glossary is a "work in progress", containing important definitions about the Middle-East peace process, Israeli-Arab conflict, peace talks between Israel and Egypt, Jordan and Palestine.
You are welcome to contribute new content or send feedback by emailing info@PforP.net.

A


Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi - Co-founder and senior member of Hamas. Born in Yubna, near Jaffa, in 1947. Fled with his family to Gaza, following the 1948 war. Assassinated by Israeli army in 2004.
 
Abu Ala (Ahmed Qureia) - was Arafat`s close and confidential financial adviser and was one of only four or five Palestinian leaders who shared the secret of the Oslo negotiations. He submitted a secret memorandum to the European Union at the end of 1992, on the prospects of economic development in a Middle East with peace, which caught the eyes of Yossi Beilin, then Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister, and some of his close advisers. The memorandum was apparently the result of the most difficult financial situation of the PLO, following the First Gulf War in 1991 , in which Arafat supported the Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein, despite the fact that he had invaded and annexed Kuweit. Eventually, Abu Ala was given permission by Arafat to enter secret negotiations with an Israeli delegation, that was headed by Uri Savir, at the time the Director-General of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Abu Ala was the first Speaker of the Palestinian Parliament, a post he had to give up when he was appointed Prime Minister. He is reported to be holding extensive business interests in the West Bank,  which include the important cement trade.

Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) - elected President of the Palestinian Authority, the  Palestinian entity that emerged from the Oslo Agreement of September 1993, after the death of Yasser Arafat in November 2004. He is a key-member of the PLO and Fatah leadership which returned from Tunisia to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in July 1994. Abu Mazen secretly initialed the Oslo Agreement in August 1993 in Oslo on behalf of the PLO with then Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and afterwards officially signed the joint Israeli-Palestinian Declaration of Principles - DOP- in Washington with Peres, in the presence of President Bill Clinton, Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat. Although the Oslo Agreement was secretly negotiated near Oslo by Abu Ala (Ahmed Qureia), it was Abu Mazen who formally signed it.
Abu Mazen was the first Palestinian Prime Minister, whom Arafat was forced to appoint in an attempt to put an end to the Intifada that began in September 2000. He was consistent in his opposition to the use of violence and the ongoing Intifada and remained convinced that it caused grave political damage to the Palestinian cause. It was over this issue that he fell out with Arafat and was forced to resign. Abu Ala became his successor as Palestinian Prime Minister, until he resigned on January 26, 2006, the  day after the sweeping victory of Hamas in the elections for the Palestinian Parliament. There is strong international pressure on Abu Mazen to remain in his post as President of the Palestinian Authority.
 
Ahmed Yassin - former spiritual leader and founder of Hamas. Born 1937, he was assassinated in 2004 by the Israeli army.

Al-Aqsa Intifada - also called the 2nd Intifada. Outbreak of Palestinian violence in Israel, after the failure of the Camp David summit of 2000. Palestinians saw it as a liberation from Israeli occupation and discrimination, while Israelis saw it as a terrorist threat.
 
Al Quds - Arabic name for Jerusalem, found in Bible translations.

Al-Haram Al-Sharif - sacred muslim area inside old Jerusalem, including the Dome of the Rock & the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Amman - Capital city of Jordan. Population: 1.6 people. Located in a hilly area of north-eastern Jordan.

Anwar Sadat - Third president of Egypt from 1970 until his 1981 assassination. Born in 1918, he succeded Gamal Abdul Nasser after his death. Signed the Camp David Peace Accords of 1978 with Israel, during the Jimmy Carter administration.

Arab Israeli Conflict  - Long Middle East dispute between Zionist Jews and native Palestinians & Arabs of the region. Involves issues such as the Palestinian refugees problem, establishment of a Palestinian state, status of Jerusalem and relationship with Syria.

Arab League - Organization of Arab states, formed in 1945, headquartered in Cairo. Main goals: Serve the common good of all Arab countries, ensure better conditions for all Arab countries, guarantee the future of all Arab countries and fulfill the hopes and expectations of all Arab countries.


Arabs - Large, diverse and heterogeneous ethnic group. Found throughout the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. Today, Arab identity is comprised of ethnic, linguistic, genealogical and political elements.

Ariel Sharon - Prime Minister of Israel since 2001. Former head of the Likud party. Famous major general in the Israeli army. Responsible for the Gaza disengagement plan, as for notorious military actions such as the Lebanon Invasion of 1982.

Armistice line of 1949  - Multinational borders established between Israel and Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt at the end of the 1948 war.

Avi Dichter - Head of the Israeli General Security Service ("Shabak") between 2000-2005. Born in 1952, he climbed to the top of the service after his southern department successfully assassinated Hamas bomber Yahya Ayash in 1996. Joined Kadima party in 2005. Destined to play a leading role in Ehud Olmert`s government.

 

 
B

 
Balfour Declaration - Official letter from British Foreign Office headed by Arthur Balfour, to Lord Rothschild, member of the British House of Commons. Accepted as the UK`s commitment to the establishment of a Jewish national home in the British Mandate of Palestine.

Bantustan - African term, also describing any country or region that lacks any real legitimacy or power, divided to unconnected slices by super-powers for their own interests. Used by Palestinians to describe the Israeli policy in the West Bank.

Bashar al-Assad - President of Syria, son of former President Hafez al-Assad. Born in 1965. Involved in the death of Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri, in 2005. Forced to pull out of Lebanon.
Beirut - Capital City of Lebanon. Chief seaport of Lebanon. Also known as Beyrouth (from French mandate times). Population: 2 million. Also called "Paris of the East".
 
Benjamin Netanyahu - 9th Prime Minister of Israel (1996-1999). Born 1949 in Tel Aviv. Nicknamed "Bibi". Leader of Likud party. Hardline politician, associated with right-wing forces of Israeli soceity, including Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox religious groups. Objected to the Oslo Accords. Failed to progress in the peace process during his term, although involved in the Wye River Accords of 1998. Resigned from Sharon government after opposing the Gaza Disengagement Plan.

Bil`in Village - (also spelled bilin, Billin and Bileen) Palestinian village which became a center of struggle between Israeli & Palestinian peace activists and the Israeli army. The Bil`in struggle is focused on the Israeli government`s decision to build a separation wall inside Palestinian territory. The route of the wall separates Palestinian villagers from their land, their crops and their neighbours.

Bill Clinton - United States president between 1993 to 2001. Born in 1946, he mediated the peace talks between Israel and the PLO, resulting in the Oslo Accords of 1993, signed in the white house. Also involved in the failure of the 2000 Camp David summit, resulting in the al-Aqsa Intifada.


Birzeit University - Palestinian university in the town of Bir Zeit, near Ramallah. Considered the foremost third-level educational institute in the Palestinian territories and has played a significant role in Palestinian political affairs.

British Mandate - Former territory in the Middle East which included the modern territories of Israel, Jordan, West Bank and Gaza Strip, formerly belonging to the Ottoman Empire. Entrusted by the League of Nations after World War I, to the UK to administer. Ended in 1948, after both Palestinians and Jews protested the British regime.

Btselem - Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. Established in 1989 by a group of academics, attorneys, journalists, and Knesset members. It endeavors to document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and help create a human rights culture in Israel.

 
 

C

Cairo - Capital city of Egypt. Population: 15.2 million, the largest in Africa. Located on the banks and islands of the Nile River in the north of Egypt.

Camp David 2000 - Middle East Peace Summit at the American Camp David, July 2000. Took place between US President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. Failed due to mutual distrust between Barak and Arafat, but also due to Barak`s hardline terms.

Camp David Accords - Peace agreements signed in 1978 between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Signed at the American White House, supervised by US President Jimmy Carter.
 
Condoleezza Rice - 66th US Secretary of state, working for the Bush administration. National security advisor to the US president (2001-2005). Replaced Colin Powell in the state department in 2005. Professor of political science at Stanford University (1993-1999). Born in 1954 Alabama.

 

D

Damascus - Capital city of Syria. Population: 2 million. Also known as "Dimashq" or "ash-Sham". French rule in the city ended in 1946.

David Ben Gurion - First prime minster of Israel from 1949 to 1963 (but not 1953-1955). Chief founder of the state of Israel. Born 1886, died 1973.
 

 

E

East Jerusalem - Part of Jerusalem held by Jordan from the 1948 war until the 1967 war. Includes holy places for Jews, Muslims and Christians. Lies at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Palestinians wish it to be the capital of the state of Palestine. Suggestions for international governance are still being made.

Ehud Barak - 10th prime minister of Israel from 1999 to 2001. Born in 1942, he served as Chief of General Staff of the Israeli army. Ordered the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon. Failed in the Camp David 2000 Peace Summit. Negotiated secret peace talks with Syria, but was removed from office in the 2001 elections, following the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada.
 
Ehud Olmert - Prime Minister of Israel since January 2006, when Ariel Sharon went into coma after suffering stroke. Leader of Kadima Party. Acted as finance minister for the Sharon Government. Born in 1945, he was most famous as mayor of Jerusalem in 1993-2003.


Ezer Weizmann - Seventh President of Israel in 1993-2000. Nephew of Chaim Weizman, first President of Israel. Commander of Israeli Air Force in 1958-1966. Promoter of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty with Anwar Sadat.
 
Ezzedeen-al-Qassam - Military wing of Hamas organization. Considered a terrorist group by western standards. Created in 1992 by Yahya Ayyash (assassinated by Israel in 1996).

 

 

F

Faisal-Weizmann Agreement - Short-lived agreement for Arab-Jewish coexistence and development of a Jewish homeland in Palestine and an Arab nation in a large part of the Middle East. Signed in 1919, by Emir Faisal and Chaim Weizmann (later President of the World Zionist Organization) as part of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, settling disputes stemming from World War I.

Fatah - Reverse acronym for Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini ("Palestinian National Liberation Movement"). Major Palestinian faction and largest constituency of the PLO, headed in the past by Yasser Arafat. One of the leading parties in the Palestinian Parliament.

 
 

G

Galilee  - North district of Israel, bordering with south Lebanon and south of Syria.

Gaza - Main city of the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 500,000 Palestinians.

Gaza Strip  - Narrow coastal strip along the Mediterranean sea, bordering with Israel & Egypt. Population: 1.4 million Palestinians. Controlled by the Palestinian Authority, but still occupied by Israel.

Geneva Conventions - International treaties dealing with law at war: Torture, mutilation, rape, slavery and arbitrary killing; Genocide; Crimes against humanity, which include forced disapparance and deprivation of humanitarian aid; War crimes like apartheid, settlements by occupaying forces, biological experiments, hostage tacking, attacks on cultural objects, right to a fair trial etc.

Geneva Initiative - Blueprint for an Israeli-Palestinian permanent status agreement. Based on the Clinton parameters of December 2000, which were accepted by the Government of Israel and the PA as a basis for negotiations. It also builds on former permanent status negotiations, including those held in Camp David and Taba. Drafts the realization of the permanent status peace component envisaged in President Bush`s speech of June 24, 2002 and in the Quartet Road Map process.

Golan  - Hilly area bordering with Lebanon and southern Syria, occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Not recognized as Israeli territory by the United Nations and most of the world governments.

Golda Meir - Fourth prime minister of Israel from 1969 to 1974. Born in 1898, she succeded Levi Eshkol who died suddenly. Resigned from office after the Yom Kippur War. Replaced by Yitzhak Rabin.

Green Line - Alternative name for the 1949 Armistice lines established between Israel and Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt at the end of the 1948 war.
 

 
 
H

 
Hafez al-Assad - President of Syria from 1971 to 2000. Born in 1930, climbed to presidency after the 1966 coup of the Syrian Ba`th party. Considered a dictator, allied with the Soviet Union and fought the Muslim Brotherhood uprising, while controling the weak Lebanon regime. Denied recognition of the state of Israel, and rejected open peace negotiations regarding the Golan heights. Died in 2000 and succeeded by his son, Bashar.
 
Haifa - Northern city in Israel. Population: 330,000. A symbol of Israeli-Arab co-existence.

Hamas - initials of the Arabic name Harake Mukawame al-Islamiyeh, which means the Islamic Resistance Movement. It emerged originally in 1987 in the Gaza Strip, as offshoot of Egypt`s Moslem Brotherhood, when it was still mainly a religious, educational movement that centered around the Mosques. At that stage, Hamas was encouraged by the Israeli Military Government under Defence Minister Yitzhak Rabin as counterweight to Fatah and the PLO. Eventually, Hamas took up armed resistance to the Israeli occupation during the first Intifada (Palestinian resistance) (1987-1993) but continued its militant, terrorist activities, including suicide bombings, also after the Oslo Agreement of  September 1993 between Israel and the PLO, which it rejected from the outset. After the kidnapping and killing of an Israeli Border-Policeman by Hamas in December 1992, then Prime Minister and Defence Minister Rabin ordered the deportation of some 400 Hamas activists to South Lebanon. Their stay in a camp in Lebanon for many months brought them into close contact with Hizbollah, the Islamic Fundamentalist Movement in Lebanon which has intensive links to Iran via Syria. After many of the deportees were allowed to return to the West Bank and to the Gaza Strip, most of them had become well-trained underground fighters and terrorists.  The spokesman of the Hamas deportees was Dr. Abd al-Aziz Rantissi, a physician, who followed Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as the leader of Hamas in Gaza. Both were killed by "targeted missiles" of the Israeli security forces, but new Hamas leaders emerged time and again. The armed units of Hamas are the "Ezzadin al-Qassam Brigades".
Following repeated American and international attempts to put an end to the Intifada that erupted in October 2000, Hamas agreed to observe a "Hudna" -- Truce -- that was mediated and negotiated by Egypt. After the Hudna expired, Hamas agreed to observe a "Tahadiye", which is just a temporary Calm, or Cease-Fire, until after the Palestinian elections on January 25, 2006.
The current political Charter of the Hamas regards all of Palestine from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea as Islamic Mosque property , "Waqf", in which there is no room for a State like Israel. The current, accepted leaders of Hamas are Khaled Mash`al, whose headquarters are in Damascus, and Mahmoud A-Zahar and Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza.
 
Hanan Ashrawi - Palestinian Authority Minister of Higher Education and Research (1996-1998). Born in Ramallah on 1946. Spokesperson of the Palestinian Delegation to the Middle East peace process. Headed the Preparatory Committee of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens` Rights in Jerusalem. Elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Jerusalem District. Founder of Miftah, Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy.



Hebrew - Language of the Jewish people; Official language of the state of Israel.

Hebron - Palestinian town in the southern West Bank of around 130,000 Palestinians and 500 Israeli settlers. Major clashing point between Jewish religious extremists and native Palestinian population. Remembred for the Jewish massacre of 1929 (67 Jews killed) and the Muslim massacre of 1994 (29 Muslims killed).
 
Henry Kissinger - Secretary of state in the Nixon administartion. Negotiated the end of the 1973 Yom Kippur war, warming Israeli-Egyptian relations, that led to the Camp David accords of 1978.



Hezbollah  - ("Party of God" - Arabic); Shi`a Islamist political and militant group in Lebanon. Founded in 1982 during the Israel invasion of Lebanon. Goal: fighting the Israeli occopuation in southern Lebanon, while aiming for an Islamic republic in Lebanon. UN Resolution 1559 called for the disbanding of its military wing.

Holocaust (Shoa) - Genocide of 6 million Jews in Europe by Nazi Germany, during the 2nd world war (1939-1946).

Hosny Mubarak - Fourth president of Egypt since 1981. Born in 1928, he succeded Anwar Sadat after his assassiniation.
 
Hudna - Arabic term, meaning a lasting truce between warring tribes or nations that can include, or lead to a full reconciliation. 

Hussein bin Talal - King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1952-1999. Born 1935, he became king at the age of 16. Signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. Died in 1999. Succeded by his eldest son, Abdullah II.

 

 

I


IDF - Israel Defence Forces - Israeli armed forces, etablished in 1948. Comprised of a navy, air force, ground forces, special forces and intelligence units; Manpowered by regular and reserve forces. Headed by the chief of the general staff. Equipped with nuclear capabilites. Involved in counter-terrorism actions, some of them regarded as war crimes.

Intifada - ("Uprising" in Arabic) Two Palestinian efforts to end the Israeli military occupation. First broke out in Gaza, on 1987. Broke again in 2000, and was known as the al-Aqsa Intifada.

IPCRI - Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information. Joint Palestinian-Israeli public policy organization, devoted to developing practical solutions for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
 
Ismail Haniya - (also spelled Haniyah) Senior Hamas leader. Born 1962 in a refugee camp in Gaza strip, he is a nominee for the role of prime minister of the Palestinian Authority after Hamas victory in late-2005 elections.

  

J
 
Jaffa - Israeli port city on the Mediterranean sea. From a population of 70,000-80,000 Arabs before the 1948 war, only about 4,000 remained after the war, under Israeli rule. Current Arab population in Jaffa today: 10,000 people.

Jenin - Palestinian city on the West Bank. Includes a refugee camp. Also the name of the surrounding district within the West Bank.

Jerusalem - Capital city of Israel. Western Jerusalem is widely recognized as Israeli territory. The Eastern part of the city, occupied by Israel after the 1967 war, is widely recognized as Palestinian territory, possibly co-managed by international institutions.

Jewish Settlements  - Communities, strongholds and cities built by Israel in the occupied territories since 1967. Illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention, a major dispute between Israel, Palestinians, Europe and the United States of America.

Jews - Members of the Jewish people, followers of Judaism, or members of the ethnic grouop descended from ancient Israelites from the bible period. The Majority of citizens living in Israel today.
 
Jibril Rajoub - (also spelled Rajub) Member of the Fatah council. Arafat`s former national security advisor, with the rank of Brigadier-General; former head of the Palestinian preventive security force in the west bank. Born 1953 in the village of Dura, near Hebron.

Jordan - Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, bordered by Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Capital: Amman. Government: Monarchy headed by Abdullah II. Signed the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty in 1994.

 

K

Knesset - Israeli parliament and legislative branch, established in 1949, and located in Jerusalem. 120 elected officials are members of the parliament.
 
Khaled Mashal - (Also spelled Mashaal) Senior Hamas leader. Born in 1956, he leads the Syrian branch of the organization, and operated from Damascus. Targeted by the Israeli Mossad in 1997, in a direct order by Prime Minister Netanyahu. Escaped certain death by the help of Jordanian authorities. Critic of former Palestinian Authority Chairman, Yasser Arafat.

 

 

L

Land for Peace - General priniciple for solving the Arab-Israeli conflict, by which Israel would move out of its 1967 occupations, in return for peace and total recognition by the Arab world. Formula first appeared in UN Resolution 242.

Law of Return - Israeli law which allows Jews to move into Israel and gain immediate citizenship. Central governmental tool for the application of Zionist ideology.

Lebanon - Small, largely mountainous country in the Middle East, located at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. Capital city: Beirut. Population: 3.8 million. Invaded by Israel in 1982. Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri assassinated in 2005.

Lebanon Invasion (1982) - Also known as the Israeli Lebanon War, the "Sheleg" war and "Operation Peace of Galilee". Israeli military occupation of southern Lebanon, in attempt to drive out PLO members, install a new regime and control the northern border of Israel. The attempt failed and caused a major controversy in Israeli politics.

Likud - Right-wing Israeli party. Won the 1977 elections for the first time. First leader: Menachem Begin. Opposed to the idea of two lands for two peoples. Dedicated to the Israeli settlements in the West Bank.


 

M

Madrid Conference - Early attempt by the international community to start a peace process in 1991, through negotiations involving Israel and the Arab countries including Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinians.
 
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - Sixth president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Former mayor of Teheran. Islamist religious conservative. Born 1956 in Aradan, Iran. Supporter of Iran`s nuclear program. Also known for his support of the Palestinian struggle, and for his Holocaust denial.

 
Mahmoud al-Zahar - Senior Hamas leader and co-founder of the organization. Born in Egypt, 1945. Following Israel`s assassination of Ahmed Yassin in 2004, al-Zahar climbed up the Hamas ranks to his present position.
 
Marwan Barghouti - jailed Palestinian leader of the Tanzim militia of the Fatah movement. Born 1959 in Ramallah, he is serving five life sentences in Israeli jail since his capture in 2002. Formed a new political party (al-Mustaqbal - "the future") in December 2005, with Mohammed Dahlan, Kadoura Fares, Samir Mashrawi and Jibril Rajoub.


Mossad - Israeli Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks. Responsible for intelligence collection, counter-terrorism and covert actions, including paramilitary activities mainly in the Middle East & Europe.
 

 
 

N

Nablus - Major Palestinian city in the West Bank. Population: 300,000. Located about 63 kilometers north of Jerusalem.
 
Nabil Shaath - senior Palestinian official, serving as negotiator, cabinet minister, planning & international cooperation minister for the Palestinian Authority. Born 1938 in Safed, then Palestine; Egyptian citizen since 1965. Joined PLO in 1970. Advisor to Fatah since 1971. Member of the Madrid peace delegation. Participated in the Oslo accords peace process. Chief negotiator at the Taba talks from 1993. Holds a Ph.D. from Wharton school of Economics. Taught in the Beirut American University.


Nakba - ("Disaster") - Palestinian exodus and loss of lands & homes, following the 1948 war between Israel and Egypt, Syria & Jordan.
 

 

O
Occupied Territories - Israeli military occupied lands of Palestinians, captured from Jordan and Egypt during the end of 1967 war. Comprised of the West Bank of the Jordan River, Gaza Strip, Eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights captured from Syria.

Oslo Accords - Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, signed in Oslo, Norway, in 1993. Publicly signed by Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat and Bill Clinton, in the American White House. Originated from negotiatiations between the Israeli government and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The accords call for withdrawal of Israeli military from the Gaza Strip and West Bank in order to affirm the Palestinian right to self-government through a Palestinian Authority.
 

 

P
 
Palestina - Israeli term, used to describe Palestine before it was re-named "Israel" in 1948.


Palestine  - Region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River banks. Also used to describe the homeland of the Palestinian people before the establishment of the Jewish state, Israel. Today: the future Palestinian state, comprised of the West Bank, eastern Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian Authority - Interim administrative organization, established in 1994 following the Oslo Accords, which governs parts of the West Bank and all of the Gaza Strip as Palestinian Territories. Recognized internationally as the organization representing the Palestinian people, in the UN and in diplomatic circles. First Chairman: Yasser Arafat. Current Chairman: Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).

Palestinian Islamic Jihad - PIJ - militant group, regarded as terrorist by Israel, U.S.A. and the E.U.. Goals: 1) liberation of Palestine; 2) Destruction of the State of Israel; 3) Establishment of an Islamist state for Palestinians.

Partition Plan (1947) - United Nations plan for Palestine (UN General Assembly Resolution 181) to resolve the Arab-Jewish conflict in the British Mandate of Palestine. Declared in 1947, it partitioned the territory into Jewish and Arab states. The plan failed, and led to the 1948 war.

Peace Now - Extra-parliamental political movement (NGO) in Israel, with the agenda of "swaying popular opinion and convincing the Israeli government of the need and possibility for achieving a just peace and an historic conciliation with the Palestinian people and neighboring Arab countries; this in exchange for a territorial settlement based on the formula of `land for peace`" (translated from official website).

Peace Treaty of Israel-Jordan - Treaty of Peace Between the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, signed by Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein in 1994. Normalized relations between the two countries and resolved territorial disputes between them.

PFLP - Popular Front for Libertation of Palestine. Left-wing faction of PLO, led by George Habash.

PLO - Palestine Liberation Organization, established in 1964. Dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the region historically known as Palestine. Headed by chairman Yasser Arafat, till his death in 2004.

 

Q

Quartet - Joint forum of the European Union (E.U.), United States of America, and Russia, sponsor for the Roadmap peace plan for solving the Israeli-Palestine conflict.
 

 

R
 

Rafik Hariri - Prime Minister of Lebanon on 1992-1998 and 2000-2004. Assassinated in Beirut on 2005, possibly due to Syrian planning.
 
Ramallah  - Palestinian city in the West Bank of 60,000 residents. Located 15 kilometers north-west of Jerusalem.

Right of Return - Born from article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Applied by the UN Resolution 194 to Palestinian refugees of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the 1967 six-day war.

Roadmap for Peace - Performance-based and goal-driven peace plan, presented by US President George Bush in 2003. The plan details specific phases, timelines, target dates, and benchmarks aiming at progress through reciprocal steps by Israel & the Palestinian Authority in the political, security, economic, humanitarian, and institution-building fields, under the auspices of the Quartet.
 
 

S
 

Sabra and Shatila - Massacre of Palestinians in Beirut Refugee camps by Labanses Christians, during Israel`s invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Investigated by an Israeli judical committee. Minister of defence, Ariel Sharon, was moved from office following the event.
 
Saeb Erekat - (Also spelled Saib Arikat/Arikath) Senior Palestinian negotiator. Chief of PLO Steering and Monitoring Committee. Participated in the Oslo Accords, Camp David meetings of 2000, and the Taba negotiations of 2001. Born 1955 in Jerusalem.


Salam - Arabic word for "Peace". "Assalamu Alaikum" means "Peace be upon you".

Sari Nusseibeh - Professor of philosophy and president of the Arab Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. Born 1949. Representative of the Palestinian Authority in Jerusalem until the end of 2002. Alternate spellings: Seri Nuseibah, Seri Nusseibeh, Sari Nuseibah.

Saudi Peace Initiative - Diplomatic effort by Saudi crown prince Abdullah in 2002, joined by the Arab League, to establish a comprehensive peace with Israel. Rejected by the Israeli Sharon government.

Shalom - Hebrew word for "Peace". "Shalom Aleychem" means "Peace be upon you".


Shimon Peres - Prime Minister of Israel from 1984-1986 and 1995-1996. Initiated the Oslo Peace Accords. Co-recipient of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize. Former leader of the Israeli labor party. Joined Kadima party in 2005.

Sinai Desert - Triangle-shaped peninsula lying between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Located in Egypt. Area of about 60,000 square kilometers.

Six-Day War - Israeli-Arab war of 1967. Israel expanded its borders to include the Egyptian Sinai Desert & Gaza Strip, the Syrian Golan Heights, the Jodranian West Bank & East-Jerusalem.

Sumoud - ("Steadfastness" in Arabic) Palestinian practice of passive objection in the face of Israeli occupation - no desertion of land, no moving from one camp to the next, no repeat of the 1948 exodus ("Nakba").
 
 

 
 
T
 
Taba Summit - 2001 permanent status talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The summit failed to achieve its goals.
 
Tahadiyeh - A temporary Calm, or Cease-Fire which is based mainly on an ad hoc agreement or understanding that can be revoked on short notice.


Terrorism  - Unconventional use of violence against innocent civilians for political gain. Also used by states and hostile regimes, usually by dictators and/or covert institutions.


 

  
 

U

UN Resolution 1559 - United Nations decision from 2004, calling upon all remaining foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon and for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias.

UN Resolution 181 - United Nations decision from 1947, endorsing the partition of Palestine to a Jewish state and an Arab state, replacing the British Mandate.

UN Resolution 194 - United Nations decision from 1948, calling for the right of return or compensation of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war.

UN Resolution 242 - United Nations decision from 1967, after the six-day war, calling for withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict.

UN Resolution 338 - United Nations decision from 1973, after the Egypt-Israeli war, calling for withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict, affirming resolution 242 from 1967.


UN Resolution 425 - United Nations decision from March 1978, calling for "Israel immediately to cease its military action against Lebanese territorial integrity and withdraw forthwith its forces from all Lebanese territory".

UN Resolution 465 - United Nations decision from March 1980, calling "all states not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connexion with settlements in the occupied territories".


UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide, except Palestinian refugees, handled by the UNRWA.

UNLU - Unified National Leadership of Uprising - headed the first Initifada (1987).

UNRWA - United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Established in 1949 to carry out direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees.
 
 

W
 

Warren Christopher - Secretary of state in the Clinton administartion (1993-1997), in the time of the Oslo Accords, signed in the White House. Particularly involved in seeking Arab-Israeli peace agreements.
 
West Bank - Land-locked territory in the Middle East, forming part of the Palestinian territories. Widely considered to be under Israeli occupation. Major cities: East Jerusalem, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron.
 
Wye River Accords - also known as the Wye River Memorandum of 1998. Political agreement for implementation of the early interim agreement of 1995 regarding the Oslo accords and the solving of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Signed by Israeli prime minister Netanyahu and PLO chairman Arafat in the American white house, during Clinton`s presidency. The memorandum`s understandings and goals remain un-implemented, mainly due to Netanyahu`s hardline policy, and the outbreak of the 2000 al-Aqsa intifada.

 

 

 
Y

Yasser Arafat - Also known as Abu Ammar. Chairman of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) from its beginning (1964) to his own death (2004). President of the PNA (Palestinian National Authority) in 1993-2004. Co-recipient of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize. Former Leader of the Fatah political party. Signed the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords for Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Yitzhak Shamir  - Prime Minister of Israel from 1983-1984 and 1986-1992. Born 1915. When prime minister, took part in the Madrid peace talks in 1991. Former leader of the Likud party. Failed to progress in the Palestinian peace issue.
 
Yitzhak Rabin - Israel`s Prime Minister and Defence Minister from July 1992, who agreed to accept the Oslo Agreement that was promoted by then Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, under which a Palestinian State would be established at the side of the State of Israel. He recognized the PLO - the Palestinian Liberation Organization – as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, on the basis of PLO Chairman Arafat`s written commitment to forgo any use of violence and to settle all outstanding problems at the negotiating table.
Rabin was assassinated on November 4, 1995, by a fanatic, religious law student, after a mass rally in front of Tel Aviv`s City Hall in support of the Oslo Accords which should reach a peaceful compromise with the Palestinians. Rabin was  born in Jerusalem in 1922 and after completing his studies at the agricultural high-school Kadurie, he  joined in 1941 the Palmach commando units of the Jewish underground Defence organization, the Haganah. As young officer he commanded the troops which broke the siege of Jerusalem during the 1948 War and in January 1964 he  became Israel`s youngest Chief-of-Staff at the age of 42. Rabin`s name will always be associated with Israel`s sweeping victory in the so-called "Six-Day-War" in June 1967 which brought about the nearly four-decades-long-problem of the Palestinian Occupied Territories. Following his release from the army, Rabin served from 1968 until 1973 for five years as Israel`s Ambassador in Washinton. After Golda Meir resigned as Prime Minister in April 1974, following the initial report of the Agranat Commission of Inquiry of the October 1973 "Yom Kippur", or "Ramadan" War, Rabin becomes Prime Minister for the first time in June 1974. His arch-rival in the Labour Party, Shimon Peres, is appointed Defence Minister, a fact which tends to deepen their feud that is only really settled when both agree to lead the country together in the Oslo Peace Process during Rabin`s second Government.
It was Rabin`s military career and upbringing which convinced him that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be solved by a peaceful compromise, reached at the negotiating table.

Yom Kippur War - 1973 Arab-Israeli war, fought in 6-26 of October, between Israel and a coalition of Egypt & Syria. Caused by the Israeli capture of Sinai desert land and parts of the Golan Heights. Led to the Camp David Peace Accords of 1978.

Yossi Beilin - Israeli politician (born 1948), famous for his peace work in the Oslo Accords and the Geneve Initiative. Leader of the Meretz-Yachad party.

 

Z

Zionism - Political movement and an ideology which supports a Jewish homeland in the Land of Israel.
 
 
 
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