Will the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Impede the War on Terrorism? Strategic Insights: v.1, issue 1 (March 2002)

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Authors
Robinson, Glenn
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Date of Issue
2002-03
Date
March 2002
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
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Abstract
The current round of hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians has the potential to greatly complicate -- and perhaps thwart entirely -- the War on Terrorism. A spillover of the Palestinian conflict into the larger region would threaten the stability of Pro-American regimes and would play right into the hands of regimes and groups hostile to American interests in the region. How did we get to this point? The newest Israeli-Palestinian fighting began in September 2000 when then-opposition leader (now prime minister) Ariel Sharon made a provocative visit with 1,000 Israeli police to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem -- a site considered holy by Muslims around the world. Sharon's stated goal was to assert permanent Israeli sovereignty over the entirety of Jerusalem, including over Muslim areas and shrines. Sharon's ulterior motive appears to have been to undermine then-prime minister Ehud Barak's peace proposals (which included allowing for some Palestinian control in Muslim parts of Jerusalem), and to thrust himself and his Likud party into power. Sharon's gambit worked, but not without a heavy price.
Type
Article
Description
This article appeared in Strategic Insights (March 2002), v.1 no.1
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
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Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
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Citation
Strategic Insights, v.1, issue 1 (Feb.-March 2002)
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
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