Refers to the borders of Israel with Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria prior to the War of 1967. The war is referred to by Palestinians as the "June War" and by Israelis as the "1967 War" or the "Six-Day War" on account of its duration. Israel captured the Egyptian Sinai, the Syrian Golan Heights, and the West Bank and Gaza Strip, then under respective Jordanian and Egyptian control. See also War of 1967.

Known in Lebanon as the July War and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War, this military conflict began 12 July 2006 when Hezbollah, a Lebanese radical Shi'a movement crossed the Israeli border kidnapping two Israeli soldiers and killing three others. The attack partially related to Hezbollah's ongoing campaign to reclaim the Sheba'a Farms, a small stretch of land bordering Israel, Syria and Lebanon, for Lebanon (See Sheba'a Farms). Hezbollah spokespersons, however, described the kidnapping as a strategy to secure the release of Lebanese and Arab prisoners in Israeli jails. Five more Israeli soldiers died in an operation to rescue the abducted soldiers. Both sides officially waged war immediately following the incident. The 33-day war that followed involved Hezbollah rocket attacks on Northern Israel and an Israeli Army ground invasion and air strike campaign, targeting Lebanese infrastructure and Hezbollah bases, but also greatly affecting civilian areas. Israel also implemented a blockade of the entire Lebanese coast. A UN brokered ceasefire went into effect on 14 August 2006. The conflict ended in earnest 8 September 2006 when Israel lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon. The War between Hezbollah and Israel claimed over a thousand lives, most of them Lebanese, and displaced 974,184 Lebanese and 300,000-500,000 Israelis, almost all of whom eventually returned to their homes.  See Achcar, Gilbert. The 33-day war: Israel's war with Hezbollah in Lebanon and its consequences. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers, 2007 and Cossali, Paul. "Arab-Israeli Relations1967-2006." Europa Regional Surveys of the World: The Middle East and North Africa 2007. 53rd ed. New York: Routledge, 2007. See online "Timeline of the July War 2006." The Daily Star Lebanon. 2007. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/July_War06.asp and "Hizbullah attacks northern Israel and Israel's response." Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2007. http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terrorism+from+Le...

A Palestinian neighborhood within the municipal boundary of Jerusalem. Abu Dis is divided by the separation barrier.

(Akko in Hebrew and Akka in Arabic) A city in Israel on the Mediterranean coast north of Haifa. Its population is an estimated 45,000, including Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel.

A small city of about 150,000 residents located in the Jezreel valley in northern Israel.

An Islamic movement founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in the latter half of the 19th century in India. In the early 20th century, the Ahmadiyya movement split into two groups (The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propogation of Islam) predominantly over the claim as to whether Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was a prophet and/or The Mahdi (Messiah). For information on the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community see http://www.alislam.org/. For information on the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propogation of Islam see http://ahmadiyya.ws/index.shtml. For recent news on the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan see Aamer Ahmed Khan. "Rare Attack on Pakistan Ahmadis," BBC News Online, 7 Oct 2005, at .

An American lobby group located in Washington, DC seeking to promote the passing of American legislation and government budgetary allocations that are favorable to Israeli government policy, The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) was founded in the 1950s. According to its website, AIPAC has "100,000 members across all 50 states who are at the forefront of the most vexing issues facing Israel," such as terrorism, peace, and Israel's overall security. AIPAC takes credit for "help[ing] pass more than 100 pro-Israel legislative initiatives a year" in the United States Congress. Critics of AIPAC contend that its powerful political clout among Washington policymakers and elected officials has biased United States involvement in dealing with Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and affairs See the AIPAC website at http://www.aipac.org/documents/whoweare.html.

A mosque located in the Old City of Jerusalem, adjacent to the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount or Haram al-Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary). The structure was completed in the 7th century, destroyed by an earthquake in the 8th century, and restored to its current structure in the 11th century. While the Dome of the Rock was constructed as a mosque to commemorate the Muslim prophet Mohammad's Night Journey, the building known as Al-Aqsa Mosque became a center of worship and learning, attracting great teachers from all over the world. The mosque is currently under the supervision and authority of the Waqf (Islamic Endowment). See http://www.noblesanctuary.com/index.html

Arabic for "the catastrophe." It refers to the uprooting and displacement of hundreds of thousands Palestinians (most estimates fall between 700,000 and 800,000) following, and due largely to, the creation of the State of Israel on most of the lands of pre-1948 Palestine. The establishment of the Jewish State of Israel led to the creation of a large, displaced, impoverished Palestinian refugee population scattered throughout the world, especially in the Arab Middle East. The razing and appropriation of many Palestinian villages and properties by Israeli forces and the seizure of remaining territories by Jordanian and Egyptian forces in the war of 1948, all contributed to the coining of the term al-Nakba, in contrast to the Israeli celebration of Independence Day. It is commemorated annually on the 15th of May. See also, 1948, the War of 1948, and Independence Day. See http://www.stanford.edu/group/cjip/nakbafaq.htm and PRIME's "Learning Each Other's Historical Narrative," March 2003.

(October 6, 1930- June 10, 2000) President of the Syrian Arab Republic from early 1971 until his death in 2000. In 1970 Hafez al-Assad, then Minister of Defense, a general in the Syrian Air Force, and a member of the pragmatic, military wing of the Ba’ath party, wrested control of the government in a military coup. The coup was a reaction to years of dissatisfaction with the government of Salah Jadid, first expressed in the failure of the War of 1967 in which Syria lost the Golan Heights, and later in Syria’s aborted intervention in the Jordanian-Palestinian Black September. Assad’s centralization of power ended years of political instability and a series of successive coups. Assad consolidated his power and popularity in the War of 1973 when Egyptian and Syrian forces, backed by Jordan and Iraq, threatened Israel with significant military advances. Syria did not succeed in regaining the occupied Golan Heights, although the war was considered a political victory. Assad continued to try to find ways to return the Golan to Syria until his death in 2000, including brief negotiations with Israel in the early 1990s. He was staunchly anti-Zionist and Arab nationalist throughout his career. Hafez al-Assad was succeeded by his son, Bashar al-Assad. See “Hafez al-Assad.” The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. 14 July 2008. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Assad-Ha.html

(1895-1974) Born in Jerusalem in 1895, this Arab resistance leader opposed British and Jewish presence in Palestine. He studied religious law at al-Azhar university, Cairo, and at the Istanbul School of Administration. In 1920, he returned to Jerusalem calling for the incorporation of Palestine into Syria. Appointed Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in May 1921 (until 1948), he led the 1928-29 campaign against the perceived threat to the Muslim holy places of Jerusalem posed by Zionists. He was elected president of the Arab Higher Committee in 1936 and as such was the chief architect of the 1936-1939 Arab Revolt, and the internal Arab conflicts of 1937. Ordered by the British authorities to be deported for inciting violence in 1937, he fled to Germany where he ran the National Leadership in exile in the late 1930s. His influence diminished by the 1940s, although he remained a voice of resistance through to 1948. He died on July 5, 1974 in Beirut. See http://www.passia.org/palestine_facts/personalities/alpha_h.htm

Also known as Abu Jihad. Long time high-ranking member of the PLO and Arafat deputy. He was killed in Tunis, Tunisia in 1988. For a brief biography of Abu Jihad see The Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs (PASSIA) website: http://www.passia.org/palestine_facts/personalities/alpha_w.htm.

Hebrew for "ascent." It is often used to refer to Jewish immigration to Palestine (under Ottoman and later British mandate jurisdiction), and later to the State of Israel. The first five Aliyahs took place between 1882 and 1939, and were facilitated by various Zionist organizations. Today, making Aliyah refers to the official immigration of a Jew to Israel, giving him/her Israeli citizenship and receiving benefits ranging from financial assistance, to rental and mortgage subsidies, to income tax or customs breaks.

An Israeli attorney, journalist and former member of the Knesset.

A Palestinian town in the Jerusalem Governorate in the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Pop: approx 9,600.

(See Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel)

In March 2002 in Beirut, participants of the Arab summit adopted the Saudi-proposed Arab Peace Initiative, calling for "full Israeli withdrawal from all the Arab territories occupied since June 1967, in implementation of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338… and Israel's acceptance of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in return for the establishment of normal relations in the context of a comprehensive peace with Israel." The plan also called for the right to return of Palestinian refugees to Israel. While the plan did not specify numbers, it did cite UN General Assembly Resolution 194, calling for the full right of return for Palestinian refugees. It received a lukewarm response from the Israeli government. See: http://www.mideastweb.org/saudipeace.htm

Areas A, B, and C are administrative division of the Occupied Territories as outlined in the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO. Area A, according to the Accords, consists of land under full civilian and security control by the Palestinian Authority (PA). Area B is Israeli controlled but PA administered, while Area C is controlled entirely by the Israeli government, with authority over both civil administration and police. Areas B and C constitute the majority of the territory, comprised mostly of rural areas, while urban areas---where the majority of the Palestinian population resides---are mostly Area A. Israeli security forces continue to control borders between Areas A, B and C, obstructing economic activity and travel. Overall, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip are still considered occupied by Israel, regardless of whetherthey constitute Area A, B or C. See http://www.politicalinformation.net/encyclopedia/West_Bank.htm

A city in Israel on the Mediterranean Sea. Est. population 196,000.

Ashkenazi Jews are of Eastern European and Yiddish-speaking origin and heritage. Along with Sephardic Jews, it is one of the two major ethno-cultural branches of Judaism. Ashkenazim and Sephardim maintain many different religio-cultural traditions.

Established in Oswiecim, Poland, by the Nazis in 1940. Initially imprisoned Poles, Soviet POWs, Gypsies and prisoners from other countries, it later became "the site of the greatest mass murder in the history of humanity, which was committed against the European Jews as part of Hitler's plan for the complete destruction of that people." Most Jewish men, women and children sent to the camp were killed upon arrival in the Auschwitz-Birkenau gas chambers. See the Auschwitz Museum online http://www.auschwitz-muzeum.oswiecim.pl/html/eng/start/index.php

(1945- ) Member of the Israeli Labor Party and also a member of the Knesset and former Israeli Naval commander and former Israeli head of security. He co-authored the People’s Voice Initiative with Sari Nusseibeh. See http://www.hashd.org

The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. The largest Israeli human rights organization, founded in 1989. See: www.btselem.org

A Palestinian town in the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories 16 km north of Tulkarem. Pop. 4,200.  

A diplomatic declaration issued on November 29, 1917 by Lord Arthur Balfour written in deliberately vague terms, expressing the British Government's support for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people" (http://www.un.org/Depts/dpa/ngo/history.html). Referred to by many Palestinians as the Balfour Promise. The Declaration is considered by some to be at odds with British territorial commitments to the Arabs as laid out in the McMahon-Hussein correspondence, which were equally vague, but seemed to grant post-war Arab independence to Palestine. The wording of the Declaration became part of the mandate for Palestine, ensuring continuous British support for a Jewish national homeland in Palestine, contrary to Palestinian Arab hopes for national independence. See Ritchie Ovendale. The Middle East Since 1914. (London: Longman, 1998), Bernard Wasserstein, The British in Palestine: The Mandatory Government & the Arab-Jewish Conflict 1917-1929. (London: Blackwell, 1991).

A strategic defensive line east of the Suez Canal, vital to Israeli defenses between 1967 and 1973. The Egyptian army breached the Bar-Lev line in the War of 1973, shocking Israeli defense strategists who considered it impenetrable. See (WAR OF 1973)

(1959-) Longtime member of the Palestinian resistance, involved primarily with Fatah. Once a supporter of the peace process following the signing of the Oslo Accords, Barghouti became disenfranchised with ties between the Palestinian Authority and Israel and became a leader of the second intifada and of Fatah in the West Bank. He is currently serving five consecutive life-sentences in an Israeli jail. He was detained in 2002 and was subsequently tried on 26 murder charges as well as membership in a terrorist organization (in 2004). His fate was likely sealed when Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade issued a statement in 2002 naming Barghouti as their leader. He was believed by many to be a contender for the leadership of the PA following Arafat's death, but finally decided to withdraw his candidacy for the January 9th 2005 elections. He is viewed as a hero by many Palestinians and as a potential political contender in the future. See http://www.passia.org/index_pfacts.htm Also see the BBC profile of Barghouti at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1473585.stm.

The Basic Laws are a set of laws adopted by the Israeli parliament (the Knesset). Following the adoption of the Hariri Proposal in 1950, in which the Constituent Assembly and first Knesset were unable to draft a constitution, Israeli lawmakers and politicians began work on legislation for the basic laws. These laws, which have been adopted over six decades, cover various subjects such as Jerusalem, ownership of land, the army, the state economy, the judiciary and other essential legal matters. The special role of the basic laws is still unclear in the Israeli judicial system, with ambiguity as to whether a basic law supersedes other laws, although many lawmakers argue they are constitutionally superior. According to the Israeli parliament’s website: “After all the basic laws will be enacted, they will constitute together, with an appropriate introduction and several general rulings, the constitution of the State of Israel.” See “Basic Laws: Introduction.” 2003. The Knesset. 15 July 2008. http://www.knesset.gov.il/description/eng/eng_mimshal_yesod.htm

Derived from the Arabic badawi, meaning "desert-dweller," Bedouin is a general name for Arab nomadic groups. Once characterized by a nomadic and rural lifestyle, the Bedouins in Israel have largely become sedentary as a result of government policies toward them. Beginning in the 1960's, the State of Israel has attempted to centralize the Bedouin population by resettling them in planned communities. Two major disputes between the Bedouin communities and the State of Israel persist: land ownership—many Bedouin do not have ownership papers for the land on which they have traditionally lived-- and unrecognized villages. Unrecognized villages are those villages not recognized by the State of Israel, resulting in living conditions that do not benefit from state support for basic services and infrastructure. There are approximately 70,000 Bedouin living in 46 such unrecognized villages. The Bedouin population in Israel numbers approximately 200,000. They live in the Negev desert. See Ben Lynfield. "In Israel's Desert, A Fight for Land," The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb 2003. http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0220/p06s01-wome.html. See "The Bedouins in Israel: A Special Report," The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, http://www.acri.org.il/english-acri/engine/story.asp?id=99.

City in the south of Israel in the Negev Desert, Est. population 200,000.

(1948-) A member of the Labor party and a Knesset Member for 11 years. He was Minister of Justice from July 1999 to March 2001. He was instrumental in the early stages of the Oslo peace talks and is one of the authors of the non-governmental, non-binding Israeli-Palestinian Geneva Accord. Beilin is currently the chairman of the Yachad party in Israel. See Yachad's website http://www.yachadparty.org.il/Eng/ASP/Yachad.ASP?wci=MainPage.

A Palestinian populated town located to the northwest of the city of Jerusalem. In 1980 it was divided into two parts where one is now considered to be in the West Bank and the other within the municipal borders of Jerusalem. Est. population 21,392.

A Palestinian village in the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, bordering the Green Line. 80% of the village’s inhabitants are registered UNWRA refugees.

An Arab village in southern Jerusalem, originally straddling both the Israeli side and Jordanian West Bank side of the post-1948 Green Line, now surrounded by Jewish settlements and neighborhoods that have expanded southward since 1967.

A Palestinian village located in the West Bank north of Hebron, between that city and Bethlehem.

See http://www.bgu.ac.il/

(1886-1973) Israel's longest serving Prime Minister (1948-1953 and 1955-1963), head of the provisional government who announced Israel's independence, and considered to be one of the State of Israel's primary founding fathers. For more information see Ben-Gurion's profile at the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs at http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Facts+About+Israel/State/David+Ben-Gurion.htm.

(1873-1935): Jewish poet born in Russia who immigrated to Palestine in 1924. Considered the national poet of Israel during his lifetime, his works are still popular today in Israel.  http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/bialik.html

Organization established in Israel for planners and architects, it works toward “strengthening the connection between human rights and spatial planning in Israel.” They believe that urban planning must take into account civil rights and equality. They work through community planning, education, and outreach activities. See the Bimkom website at http://www.bimkom.org/aboutEng.asp

Located outside the town of Bir Zeit, just north of the West Bank city of Ramallah. See http://www.birzeit.edu/.

Hebrew word for the "sons of Akiva." The name of a large, international Zionist religious youth movement that began in Jerusalem in the 1920s.

The administrative, diplomatic and military mandate by Britain over Palestine between 1923 and 1947. Following World War I and the defeat of Germany and the Ottoman Empire, France and Britain set out to delineate spheres of influence in the Middle East. Pursuant to the informal Sykes-Picot Agreement, the Allied powers laid out details at the April 1920 San Remo Conference for formal mandated divisions. The mandate for Palestine was one of a number of mandates in the Middle East designed to formalize British and French administration in the newly formed countries of Syria and Lebanon and Iraq, Transjordan, and Palestine. The British mandate over Palestine was approved by the League of Nations Council on July 24, 1922, and declared official as of September 29, 1923. The mandate continued until 1947, when Britain sought the aid of the United Nations in determining the fate of the territory, which was at this time hotly disputed by both Zionist and Arab nationalist aspirations. British de facto rule in Palestine lasted from December 1917 to June 1948. See Library of Congress Country Studies at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html

A small village in the north western part of the West Bank in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

An American presidential getaway in Maryland. In the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict, two significant events took place at Camp David, often referred to as Camp David I and Camp David II. At Camp David I (September 1978), Egyptian President Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Begin reached a bilateral agreement, with assistance and pressure from American President Carter, in which Israel would return the Sinai Peninsula in exchange for recognition and peace with Egypt, thereby establishing a precedent for "land-for-peace" negotiations. The Agreement called for talks between Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Palestinian representatives to create a framework for negotiations regarding the status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This goal was never met. Camp David II refers to the last Oslo Process-related meetings between Yasser Arafat, Ehud Barak and Bill Clinton in the summer of 2000 over "final status" issues such as the settlements, Jerusalem, Palestinian statehood, the rights and entitlements of Palestinian refugees and more. Negotiations broke down and no agreement was reached. The collapse of the process was followed shortly thereafter by the second intifada.

Located in Jerusalem's Old City, the Church was originally built by the mother of Emperor Constantine in 330 A.D. The site is believed to mark the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ's burial. The present church dates from the time of Crusader rule, around 1150.

A popular Yiddish word implying audacity, good or bad.

United States President Bill Clinton (president from 1992-2000) was active in the Middle East peace process as a broker and mediator. The impact of the United States was mixed, as certain negotiations, such as those between Jordan and Israel, led to peace agreements, while others fell apart, such as between Syria and Israel, and, crucially, between the Israeli government and the Palestinian National Authority at Camp David.

Founded in November 2000, this coalition includes both independent women and nine women's peace organizations comprising Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel. Together they promote a two-state solution, an end to militarization and occupation, equality for citizens within Israel as well as the inclusion of women in any process for peace. See: Coalition of Women for Peace.

An organization made up of former combatant Palestinians and Israelis, now committed to non-violence, dialogue and reconciliation as the sole means of achieving peace in the region. See http://www.combatantsforpeace.org/

A branch of Judaism that began in America in the early 1900s as an alternative to Orthodox and Reform Judaism. For more inforamtion on Conservative Judaism, see http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/conservatives.html.

Located in the northern wall of Jerusalem's Old City, the Damascus Gate is one of main entranceways leading into the Old City's Muslim Quarter.

A salt lake located between Jordan, Israel and the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, known for its high salt and mineral content. The Dead Sea's shores are the lowest point on the surface of the earth on dry land. The lake is a popular tourist and spa destination. The Dead Sea is rapidly shrinking due to diversion of incoming waters, a phenomenon that has concerned Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian authorities. The water level has decreased approximately 1 meter/year over the last few years.

Refers to the events at Deir Yassin, a village near Jerusalem, on April 9, 1948 (one month before the declaration of independence by the State of Israel). Facts about the killings are disputed. What is well known is that the Irgun and Stern Gang, two radical Zionist militias, attacked the village on the early morning of April 9, 1948. Accounts of an attack or massacre vary both between Palestinians and Israelis and within each community. Disagreement exists primarily on two points. First, sources cite anywhere from 100-250 Arabs killed, although all agree that women and children were among the victims. The Irgun and Stern Gang themselves reported the highest numbers, although some contend it was in order to bolster their own popularity. Second, varying accounts dispute whether Deir Yassin harbored any Arab militants and snipers, and if so, how many. It is clear, however, that the operation was severe enough to contribute greatly to an already present pervasive fear, motivating many Palestinians in surrounding areas to flee their homes. For a more complete account see http://ariga.com/peacewatch/dycg.htm

Immediately west of Bethlehem, the camp is roughly half a square kilometer, and home to about 11,000 Palestinian refugees and their descendants who were expelled or who fled from their homes in the War of 1948. For a brief profile of the Dheisheh refugee camp see UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) at http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/westbank/dheisheh.html.

A village in the Galilee in Israel, its citizens are predominantly Palestinian citizens of Israel.

 A Hamas suicide bombing of a discotheque near the Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv on June 1, 2001. The bombing killed 21 people and left more than 100 injured.

A distinct ethnoreligious group that resides primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. The Druze population's religion stems from an eleventh century offshoot of Shia Islam, which originated in Egypt. There are approximately one million Druze living in the Middle East; 40%-50% of them are living in Syria, 30%-40% in Lebanon, 1%-2% in Jordan, and 6%-7% in Israel. Druze make up approximately 1.6% of the Israeli population; they serve in Israeli public office as well as the army. See: (http://www.druzestudies.org/druzes.html)

Excavations in late 2006 near the al-Aqsa mosque by the Israeli Antiquities Authority sparked protests by Palestinians, as well as Muslims worldwide. Israeli officials say the digging near the mosque in the Old City is necessary to rebuild and strengthen an access ramp to Dung gate, while certain Islamic authorities charge that Israel is undermining the foundations of the al-Aqsa mosque. See also Al-Aqsa Mosque. See online Alon, Gideon, Jonathan Lis, Yoav Stern and Jack Khoury. "Olmert: Muslim opposition won't deter Jerusalem excavation." Haaretz Online. 13 February 2007. 25 June 2007 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/824325.html  and "Work starts near Jerusalem shrine." BBC News Online. 6 February 2007. 25 June 2007 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6334307.stm

Edward Said was a prominent literary critic and professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University in New York. Said, a Palestinian refugee himself, is best known as an advocate of the Palestinian cause. His trenchant attacks on Israeli human rights abuses, the Oslo Process and the governance of PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat made him a leading figure in the local and international debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Said was a prolific author, a fierce opponent of colonialism, a stanchly secular humanist, an intellectual and a musician. See Ruthven, Malise. “Obituary: Edward Said.” Guardian.co.uk. 26 September 2003. 19 January 2008.

A Palestinian village in the north of Israel, population approximately 4,000. In October 1948, as part of Operation Hiram, Israeli forces entered the village. Differing sources say that between 13-16 residents were killed, and the remaining 750 residents were forced to flee. See an interview with historian Benny Morris: "In Operation Hiram there was a unusually high concentration of executions of people against a wall or next to a well in an orderly fashion." http://www.history.pomona.edu/vis/05h124/readings/morris_interview1.html

(1952- ) A far-right politician, who is currently a member of the National Union party. Former leader of the right-wing Mafdal (National Religious) Party and member of Knesset, Eitam left the government coalition and Mafdal over the disengagement (from Gaza) plan in 2004.   

A geographic region located in the center of Israel, with Netanya to the South and Hadera to the North. The predominantly agricultural region runs along the Mediterranean in the west and the West Bank to the east near the Palestinian city of Tulkarem. It has a population of 35,000. 

Hebrew, meaning "The Land of Israel," the term refers to the Biblical Land of Israel, but is used by some to refer to the State of Israel today thus linking it to the religious and geographic Jewish homeland as represented in the Bible.

aims at bringing young people from thirty-five countries (including Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom) together. The youth platform aims to establish "an environment of tolerance and mutual understanding, facilitating networking between us assisting in the capacity building of our organizations, increasing our participation, sharing of relevant information, and exchanging good practice." See: http://www.euromedp.org/en/home.asp

See http://europa.eu.int/index_en.htm

A US-based program of religious study, leadership and peace-building program for Christian, Muslim, and Jewish teenagers from different conflict regions, including Israel and Palestine. See http://www.s-c-g.org/facetoface/

Arabic for "conquest", Fatah is a reverse acronym for the "Palestine Liberation Movement" (Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filistani). Fatah is the largest Palestinian political party in the Occupied Territories, and the dominant faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Founded in Kuwait in the late 1950s by YasserArafat to fight for the establishment of a secular democratic Palestinian national state on all of the territory of British Mandatory Palestine. It began paramilitary and political operations in 1964, and assumed the leadership of the PLO in 1968. The organization's tactics of "armed struggle" especially in the 1970s and 80s, included bombings, assassinations and hijackings in the Middle East, including Israel, and international locations. After Yasser Arafat's signing of the Israeli-Palestinian Declaration of Principles in 1993, many Fatah leaders moved from Tunisia to the West Bank and Gaza Strip to serve in the political establishment and security forces of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). During the years of the "Oslo peace process" (1993-2000), the party shifted away from militancy and became identified as the chief proponent of a negotiated, two-state solution. From the launching of the second intifada through the death of Yasser Arafat (2000-2004), Fatah experienced a split between factions supporting a return to negotiations, and factions such as the "Tanzim" and "Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades" which resumed armed struggle against Israel and claimed responsibility for widespread attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians. This division persists today. Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), assumed leadership of Fatah and the PLO after the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004, and was elected President of the PNA in January 2005. See: "Fatah, al-" A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. Jan Palmowski. Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. CDL UC Berkeley. 18 December 2004.

Arabic for "shaking off." It is used also to refer to uprisings, especially during times of widespread Palestinian revolts against Israel. While some scholars consider the 1936-39 Palestinian uprising as the first intifada, the first intifada (1987-1993) usually refers to the popular uprising whereby Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza rose up against Israeli military rule through a coordinated movement involving multiple sectors of Palestinian society. Actions included mass rallies, general strikes, unarmed and stone-throwing confrontations, the use of Molotov cocktails and limited arms against the Israeli army, combined with self-administration of daily life and attempts at nonviolent civil disobedience. The Israeli military was unable to quash the rebellion, although they implemented a harsh "Force, Might and Beatings" policy under Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin, involving widespread arrests, detention and torture. This intifada came to an end when Israel entered into negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization and co-launched the Oslo Peace Process.

See: http://www.fips.org.il/

(1921 - 1997) Brazilian education researcher very popular with informal educators. His book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, is "one of the most quoted educational texts (especially in Latin America, Africa and Asia)."

Friends of the Earth is the world's largest grassroots environmental network, with over 2 million members and 69 national member groups. See the international FoE website at http://www.foei.org/. For information on their projects in the Jordan Valley, see the FoE Middle East website at http://www.foeme.org/index.php 

The principal city of the Gaza Strip. Est. population 400,000.

Geographical territory located on the Mediterranean Coast and bordering the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula and Israel, with a total land mass of 360 sq km. Population: 1,376,289. The Palestinian populated territory was under Israeli administrative and military control from 1967 to 1994, when an agreement pursuant to the Declaration of Principles (DOP) gave the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) limited self-government for an interim five-year period, although Israel retained responsibility for external and internal security and for public order of settlements. Until August 2005, approximately 7000 Israeli settlers lived in the Strip. Negotiations aimed at determining final status of the West Bank and Gaza commenced in 1999, but were derailed by the second intifada in September 2000. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw all troops and dismantle all settlements in the Gaza Strip and return the territory to PNA control was completed in August 2005, although Israel maintains control over air space and borders. http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gz.html.

Beit Jala, A mostly Christian Palestinian populated city on the western outskirts of Bethlehem in the West Bank, 5 km south of Jerusalem (Est. population 13,000) sits adjacent to Gilo, a southern Jerusalem Jewish settlement of 40,000 residents, established after the war of 1967 in land that would later be included in Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem, although the annexation has not been recognized internationally.. During the second intifada, Gilo was struck by small arms fire from militant groups operating out of Beit Jala. Israel reacted with helicopter gun ships and tank fire, and a short-lived reoccupation of Beit Jala. All attacks on Gilo ceased after Israel's attack on Jenin in April 2002. For details see Berg, Raffi. "Spotlight: Why is Gilo so important?" BBC News Online. 16 August 2001. 25 June 2007 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/middle_east/1492350.stm  

One of the larger Israeli-Jewish settlements in the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, northwest of Jerusalem, est. pop. 10,000.

An immigrant from Brooklyn and follower of the late ultra-right wing Meir Kahane, Goldstein opened fire on Palestinian Muslims during Friday prayers, February 25th, 1994, in the Ibrahimi Mosque [Tomb of the Patriarchs], a site which is holy for both Muslims and Jews. He killed 29 people before being subdued and killed by the worshipers themselves.

The "Etzion bloc" refers to an area southwest of Jerusalem, between Bethlehem and Hebron in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, anchored by the large settlements of Efrata and Beitar Illit (a rapidly expanding ultra-orthodox settlement abutting the Green Line). The area includes 10 settlements and nearly 50,000 settlers as of 2007. The Etzion Bloc has both political and religious significance for many Israelis, being in the region of numerous biblical stories and of the machine-gunning of 15 Jewish prisoners during the 1948 War. See Settlements in Focus. 9 Feb. 2005. Americans For Peace Now. 19 June 2007 <http://www.peacenow.org/policy.asp?rid=&cid=1393> See also Gush Etzion. 19 June 2007 <www.gush-etzion.org.il>

Gush Katif was a bloc of 17 settlements in the southern Gaza strip. In August 2005, all 8,000 residents were removed from their homes as part of Israel's "disengagement" from the Gaza strip. See "Gaza disengagement" in glossary.

An independent Israeli daily newspapers with a circulation of 75,000-95,000.

An Israeli city 60 km North of Tel Aviv. Est. population 75,000.

The body of Jewish law and jurisprudence, based on the Talmud.

(Arabic for "zeal" and an acronym for "Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya" or "Islamic Resistance Movement"). Inspired ideologically and organizationally by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and founded in 1987, HAMAS' long-term and declared aim is the destruction of the State of Israel in order to establish an Islamic state in all of the land of British mandatory Palestine. It uses political, social and militant means to further its goals, and claims responsibility for militant operations, including the use of suicide bombings that have killed hundreds of Israeli soldiers and civilians. The European Union and Israeli and American governments consider HAMAS to be a terrorist organization. HAMAS also provides charitable social and educational services, primarily in Gaza. It runs candidates in municipal elections and closed elections for university councils, trade union groups and nongovernmental organizations. The Israeli military has assassinated many of its political and military leaders in the last few years, including their spiritual leader and founder Sheikh Ahmad Isma'il Yassin and political/military leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi. HAMAS' success in recent Palestinian local elections (January 2005) has led some to speculate that the group is transforming from a primarily militant organization seeking an Islamic state over all of the land of British mandated Palestine to a political party focused on political control in the Palestinian Territories. For example, see Ben Lynfield. "Hamas Gains Political Clout," The Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2005, http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0509/p01s03-wome.htm. For detailed analysis of the organization see http://www.ict.org.il/inter_ter/orgdet.cfm?orgid=13

The Temple Mount, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, refers to the area where the First and Second Jewish Temples are believed to have once resided. The location, known as Har HaBayit in Hebrew, is revered by Jews together with the Western (or Wailing) Wall beside it, which is considered the last remnant of the Second Temple. For Muslims, the area of the Temple Mount is known as the Haram al-Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary) and is what makes Jerusalem the third holiest city in Islam after Mecca and Medina. The Haram al-Sharif includes the Dome of the Rock Mosque and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sovereignty over the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif and their holy sites has become a major point of contention in negotiations as both Jews and Muslims greatly revere the area. While Israel maintains sovereignty over the site, the Islamic Waqf runs the site on a day-to-day basis. The Jordanian Ministry of Awqaf ("Pious Endowments") is recognized by Israel as being in charge of the Islamic Holy Sites of Jerusalem, a position that is challenged by the Palestinians. Jordan has been is charge of maintenance of the Haram al-Sharif since 1954. See Struggle for Jerusalem and Tzemachdovid.

Founded in 1875, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is a school for higher Jewish education and the center of Reform Judaism in Israel and the United States. HUC-JIR educates men and women for service to American and world Jewry as rabbis, cantors, educators, and communal service professionals. It has centers of learning in Cincinnati, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, and New York.Seewww.huc.edu/

Hebrew University is in Jerusalem. It currently has over 22,000 students.

(1860-1904) A Hungarian born Jew and founding father of Zionism. Herzl outlined his ideas in the famous pamphlet The Jewish State, stating that the only solution to the Jewish problem and anti-semitism in Europe would be the establishment of a Jewish State. Herzl organized the First Zionist Congress in 1897 in Basel, Switzerland and served as its president until his death. See Columbia Encyclopedia Online, Sixth Edition. http://www.bartleby.com/65/he/Herzl-Th.html

Arabic for "Party of God", this Shi'a Islamist movement became active in the 1980s in Lebanon as a militant group determined to drive Israel's invasion and occupation forces from Lebanon. Its political rhetoric, however, calls for the complete destruction of the State of Israel. The organization, founded by Lebanese Shi'a clerics, was largely financed by Iran. In May 2000, the military wing declared partial victory as Israeli troops withdrew unilaterally from Lebanon after two decades of occupation. In addition to its militant characteristics, Hezbollah provides social services and operates its own television station, Al-Manar. While Hezbollah maintains an Islamic vision for society, it has toned down its call for a state and government based on Islamic Law in recent years, and, instead, focused on political activities operating within the existing state order in Lebanon. As of July 2004, Hezbollah held 9 seats in the Lebanese parliament. Though United Nations Resolution 1559 called for the disbanding and disarming of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, Hezbollah remains militarized. It is a proponent of the Palestinian cause, and continues to demand Israeli withdrawal from the Shabaa Farms, a small stretch of disputed land between Israel, Lebanon and Syria. See "What is Hezbollah?" BBC News Online, 9 Mar 2005, http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4314423.stm. Hugh Sykes. "New Era for Hezbollah," BBC News Online, 5 Mar 2004, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3538151.stm.

Commonly referred to and translated as "headscarf." Hijab is the practice among Muslim women of adorning a covering in public that reveals only the face, hands and feet. This practice among Muslim women in most cases stems from maintaining the Islamic belief of preserving a woman's modesty. However, depending on the context, the decision to wear hijab can stem from an expression of religious identity or freedom, as seen in recent times in Western Europe. For example, see Paula Dear. "Women Vow to Protect Muslim Hijab, BBC News Online, 14 June 2004, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3805733.stm.

An organization, which according to its mission statement “seeks to strengthen and encourage the Palestinian community by providing it with the means to build a future founded on the principles of nonviolence, justice and peace.” The Holy Land Trust was built on the activities and vision of The Palestinian Center for the Study of Nonviolence (PCSN), founded in East Jerusalem in 1984 by Dr. Mubarak Awad, a prominent Palestinian proponent of non-violence. His nephew, Sami Awad, moved the PCSN from East Jerusalem to Bethlehem in 1998, effectively commencing the activities of the Holy Land Trust. The organization engages in a variety of non-violent strategies against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. See their website.

According to ICAHD (Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) website, "Since 1967, 12,000 Palestinian homes have been demolished in the Occupied Territories, including East Jerusalem." Nearly half of those demolitions have taken place since the beginning of the second intifada in 2000. The Israeli army practice of demolishing Palestinians' houses is illegal under article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Israeli army and government claim that houses are demolished for two main reasons: military/security, and lack of building permits. The majority of houses (also factories and shops) destroyed in the West Bank the Israeli army claims are destroyed for military and security reasons, including structures the army deems could be used in attacks against Israelis, or as a punitive measure against families from which a member is suspected of planning or carrying out attacks. Most of the Palestinian homes destroyed in East Jerusalem, certain parts of the West Bank, and in Palestinian cities and towns within Israel are destroyed because they lack a building permit from the Israeli authorities. Building permits are extremely difficult and at times impossible for Palestinians to obtain. See Amnesty International) and icahd.org).

Acronym for Israel Defense Forces, the State of Israel's military.

International Law and "Occupied"/ "Disputed" Territory Debate [I WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE THIS OUT – DID WE NEED IT FOR SOME PARTICULAR INTERVIEW? I FEEL LIKE IN AN EFFORT TO ACHIEVE 'BALANCE' WE ARE DISTORTING HERE ] The question of Israel's responsibility in the territories gained in the War of 1967 invokes disagreement beginning with whether the territories are in fact "occupied" or merely "disputed." Israel's rule of  East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza is most often defined as a "belligerent occupation" by the body of international law developed after World War II. According to the Foundation for Middle East Peace, "Its responsibilities toward the Palestinian population under its occupation are codified in both The Hague Convention Regulations (1906) and the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Times of War (1949)." Within this framework, Israel is obliged to maintain the security of the territories, ensure public order and safety, and act for the welfare of the local population. See "Israel Required by International Law to Protect Palestinians Under Occupation," Foundation for Middle East Peace. Vol. 4, No. 3 (May 1994), online at http://www.fmep.org/reports/vol04/no3/02-israel_required_by_internationa.... See also the text of the IVth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War at http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/lawofwar/geneva07.htm Others, however, argue that there was no previously-recognized sovereignty in the territories, and as such, Israel's claim to it cannot be considered an "occupation." This body of legal thought also asserts that the War of 1967 was a defensive one, and that "occupation" was forced on Israel, rather than an organic decision. A core legal defense of this case is summarized by Former State Department Legal Advisor Stephen Schwebel, who later headed the International Court of Justice in The Hague. In 1970 regarding Israel's case he said, "Where the prior holder of territory had seized that territory unlawfully, the state which subsequently takes that territory in the lawful exercise of self-defense has, against that prior holder, better title." See Gold, Dore. "From 'Occupied Territories' to 'Disputed Territories,'" Jerusalem Center For Public Affairs. No. 470 (January 2002), online at http://www.jcpa.org/jl/vp470.htm. The case of East Jerusalem is equally disputed although its situation is unique. Israel "unified" East and West Jerusalem in its 1980 "Jerusalem Law", which declared unified Jerusalem Israel's capital, leaving borders undefined. Due to the ambiguity of the law, it is still unclear whether Israel has officially annexed the territory although the Israeli government has invested significant resources into building Israeli infrastructure in East Jerusalem. Most countries do not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, an opinion codified in UN Security Council Resolution 478. To read the text of the 1980 Basic Law see Basic Law-Jerusalem-Capital of Israel. 2007. Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 19 June 2007 http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1980_1989/Basic%20Law-%20Jerusalem-...

Village in East Jerusalem. A predominantly Palestinian neighborhood with an est. population of 12,000.

Term predominantly used to refer to naturally born (in most cases Jewish) citizens of Israel but also to those who have attained Israeli citizenship following immigration. Due to Israel's high absorption rate of immigrants and the Law of Return, which allows every Jew to immigrant to Israel and attain citizenship (see aliyah in the glossary), defining one as an Israeli can be complicated on account of one's nationality by virtue of citizenship versus one's nationality by place of birth. Since 1989, Israel has absorbed 1.2 million immigrants, a majority of whom are from Eastern Europe. Just like immigrants who attain citizenship in other countries, one's choice to define themselves as Israeli can vary according to one's age at immigration, length of residence, or any other factor based on individual choice. According to the State of Israel, however, those who hold Israeli citizenship are considered Israelis. Palestinians living in Israel who hold Israeli citizenship are most commonly referred to as Arab-Israelis, Palestinian-Israelis, or Arab citizens of Israeli instead of singularly Israeli (see Palestinian Arab Citizens of Israel in the glossary.) For information on the Law of Return see http://www.knesset.gov.il/laws/special/eng/return.htm.

Formally signed in March of 1979. At Camp David in September 1978, Egyptian President Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Begin reached a bilateral agreement with assistance and pressure from American President Carter. The agreement stipulated that Israel would return the Sinai Peninsula in exchange for recognition and peace with Egypt, thereby establishing a precedent for "land-for-peace" negotiations. These bilateral negotiations also prompted Egypt's ouster from the Arab league. The Agreements called for talks between Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Palestinian representatives to create a framework for negotiations regarding the status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The broader goals were never met, although Egypt and Israel have both respected the peace treaty.

A village in the northern West Bank, close to the Green Line.

(1880-1940). The founder of Revisionist Zionism and considered to be the spiritual father of the Israeli Right, was an ardent (often militaristic) voice during the time of the British mandate in Palestine. The two main principles of Revisionist Zionism were the territorial integrity of a Jewish homeland over all of British mandate Palestine and the immediate declaration of the Jewish right to such political sovereignty. He established the Revisionist Zionists in 1925 as a counter to Chaim Weizmann (long-time President of the World Zionist Organization and first President of Israel) and sponsored a more assertive and non-socialist approach to the rebuilding of the Jewish homeland. Today the Likud party represents the Revisionist trend in Zionism. See Avi Shlaim. The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World. (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2001) pp. 11-16.

A town in Israel adjacent to the Green Line, whose residents are predominantly Palestinian citizens of Israel. Jatt is located north of the West Bank city of Tulkarem and east of Netanya.

Israeli forces re-occupied Jenin and attacked the Jenin refugee camp in "Operation Defensive Shield" in April 2002. At the time, the city was designated in Area A, the zone of the Occupied Territories held by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) as part of the Oslo Peace Process. The Israeli military justified the invasion as a defensive measure against suspected militants in the camp, a response to six suicide bombings inside Israel in the two prior weeks that claimed 56 lives and injured hundreds. Allegations of a massacre in Jenin spread quickly throughout the international media, with casualty estimates in the first days approaching the hundreds. The accepted death toll was later settled and corrected by international investigations and the PNA at 56 Palestinians and 33 Israeli soldiers. While the death toll proved much lower than initial estimates, many sources, including Amnesty International, claim that "civilians, including children, were killed; humanitarian assistance was blocked and the wounded were denied medical assistance. Extensive demolition of houses rendered three thousand people, the majority children, homeless." See Amnesty International

Known as Al Quds ("The Holy") in Arabic and Yerushalayim or Zion in Hebrew. A city located in the center of both Israel and the West Bank portion of the Occupied Territories. Home to approximately 700,000 people from all three monotheistic religions, as well as sacred sites from these faiths within close proximity, including the Western Wall, the al Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The Green Line, or the 1949 cease-fire line between Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, demarcates the unofficial boundary between Israel and the West Bank, and divides Jerusalem. Israel immediately declared Jerusalem as its capital in 1948, and enshrined this in its Basic Laws in 1980. Palestinians aspire to declare Jerusalem as the capital of a nascent Palestine. Following the War of 1967, Israel extended its sovereignty to the Eastern half of the city, including the Old City and the holy shrines, which were controlled by Jordan from 1948. Most countries do not recognize Israeli sovereignty over all of the city. Rather, they regard Jerusalem's status as undetermined, pending final status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. See: "Jerusalem" World Encyclopedia. Philip's, 2004. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. CDL UC Berkeley.

Established by the World Zionist Organization at the 16th Zionist Congress, in August 11, 1929, as a partnership between the WZO and non-Zionist Jewish leaders. The Agency was set up in accordance with the stipulation in the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine (1922) calling for the existence of a "Jewish agency" to assist in the "establishment of the Jewish National Home . . . in Palestine." Throughout its history the Jewish Agency has been involved in facilitating the settlement of Jews in Israel. Today the organization operates in close to 80 countries. See Jewish Agency website history page: http://www.jafi.org.il/about/history.htm

A large, fertile valley in the lower Galilee in Israel.

An Arab country in Southwest Asia, population approx. 5.1 million. Formerly a part of the Ottoman Empire, it gained semi-autonomy from British authorities in 1921, and independence in 1946. Jordan borders Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the southeast, and Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to the west.

A geographical region that forms part of the Jordan Rift Valley, running 125 kilometers (77 miles) long and 15 kilometers (9 miles) across. The valley forms the natural border between Israel and Jordan in the north and the eastern strip of the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories in the south. It runs from Lake Tiberias in the north to the Dead Sea in the south.

Biblical Hebrew terms for the southern (Judea) and northern (Samaria) regions of the West Bank. These names are most often used by Jews who identify with the biblical history of the land, and are often used by individuals who support the settler movement.

A Palestinian Arab-Israeli town east of Rosh Ha'Ayin. On October 29, 1956, on the eve of Israel's war with Egypt, Kafr Kassem was the site a massacre in which 47 Arab-Israeli citizens, including women and children, were killed by Israeli border police. Arab-Israeli villages near the Jordanian border were placed under a wartime curfew; however, many villagers in Kafr Kassem were outside of the village at the time and did not know the curfew had been implemented. When they returned to the village past the curfew hour, they were shot. The IDF border policemen who carried out the killings were later convicted of murder. See Joel Greenberg. "School Official Wants to Mark Israeli Atrocity," The New York Times, 6 Oct 1999, pg. 12.

Karmiel is a city located in the Beit Hakerem Valley, which separates the upper and lower regions of the Galilee in northern Israel. It has a population of approximately 43,500.

Also known as Kabul. A village in Northern Israel, east of Acre. Est. population 9,400, a majority of whom are Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Kfar Saba, a town in Israel, northwest of Tel Aviv. The majority of its population are Jewish Israelis.

A community established by and for Jews based on communal property, in which members have no private property but share the work and the profits of some collective enterprise, typically agricultural but sometimes also industrial. Initially founded in Ottoman Palestine on socialist ideals and currently located by and large in Israel, many kibbutzim (plural for kibbutz) have become privatized in the last few decades.

(1935-1999) King of Jordan, 1952-1999 who was a major player in Middle Eastern peace initiatives. King Hussein signed the 1994 peace treaty with the then Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Also called Yarmulke. A skullcap worn in public by observant Jewish men and during prayers by other Jewish men. More recently, certain Reform or Reconstruction Jewish women have opted to wear the skullcap.

The Israeli parliament. Knesset members are known as "MKs."

Kosher laws are a set of Jewish dietary laws formulated through religious texts and rabbinical edicts.

A medieval treatise by the Spanish Jewish philosopher and poet Judah Ha-Levi. The interviewee is here referencing Article 1:115. See http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/kuzari.html

Mifleget Avodah in Hebrew. One of two major political parties in Israel that tends toward the center-left of the political spectrum, it emerged from the labor Zionist movement in the 1930s. Its leaders include many of the principal founders of the State of Israel, including the first Israeli Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion. Founded on socialist and Zionist principles, it dominated the Israeli government until 1977. Labor became the leading Israeli political party favoring territorial compromise for peace, and was the party that first officially recognized the PLO when Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres signed the Declaration of Principles and launched the Oslo Peace Process with Yasser Arafat in 1993.

A 1960 Basic Law established the Israel Land Administration (ILA) to oversee the distribution and protection of all public lands in Israel. Currently, 93% of Israeli land is publicly owned. This land is jointly managed by the state, the Jewish National Fund, and the Development Authority, collectively functioning as the Israel Land Administration. Land in Israel is most often leased from the state for 49 or 98 years. The remaining 7% of land is either privately owned or under the protection of religious authorities. For more information see the ILA website at http://www.mmi.gov.il/Envelope/indexeng.asp

Lechi (or Lehi), a Hebrew acronym for the "Fighters for the Freedom of Israel," was a small militant faction that broke away from the paramilitary group Etzel in 1940. Lechi undertook paramilitary operations against both Arab communities and the British. Lechi was led by Avraham Stern and thus known to many as the "Stern Gang." On April 9, 1948, members of Lechi (along with Etzel) attacked the Arab village of Deir Yassin. Sources cite that anywhere between 100-250 Arabs were killed, although all agree that women and children were among the victims. Additionally, varying accounts dispute whether Deir Yassin harbored any Arab militants and snipers, and if so, how many. Yitzhak Shamir, later to become Prime Minister of Israel, was one of its leaders. Lechi was disbanded and became part of the IDF in 1948, however, separate Lechi units continued to exist in Jerusalem until September of 1948. Benny Morris. Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001. (New York:Vintage Books, 2001) 207-209; 236-237.

One of two major political parties in Israel, and currently (2005) the party with the largest number of parliamentary seats, Likud tends toward the conservative, center-right of the political spectrum. The Likud grew out of the "Revisionist" movement of Ze'ev Jabotinsky as the main right-wing opposition to the dominant Labor Zionist Movement and Labor Party. Its early leaders, such as Yitzhak Shamir and Menachem Begin, had roots in the Stern Gang and Irgun-two organizations that employed militant tactics against the British during the time of the mandate. Likud was ideologically committed to establishing Jewish sovereignty over all of British Mandatory Palestine and, until recently, ideologically opposed to any territorial compromise with the Palestinians. Its first electoral victory came in 1977. Likud Prime Minister Menachem Begin, during the first Likud mandate, signed a peace treaty with Egypt, and subsequently launched the War of 1982. The current Likud leader is Benjamin Netanyahu.

An Israeli settlement in the West Bank outside of Jerusalem. Est. population 30,000. It is the largest Jewish settlement in terms of population in the West Bank.

Also known as the "Madrid Peace Talks" or "Madrid Summit." Refers to the international Madrid peace conference of 1991, following the Gulf War. Co-sponsored by the United States and the Soviet Union, it was the first time that representatives from Israel, the Palestinian community, and representatives from Arab countries that had not yet formally recognized Israel came together to discuss the prospects for peace. Although it did not lead to the creation of a concrete agreement, some argue that it brought down the Shamir/Likud government and led to the back-channel negotiations that brought about the Oslo Accords. It was also a precursor to the Jordanian-Israeli 1994 Peace Treaty. See: (William L. Cleveland. A History of the Modern Middle East. 2nd ed. Boulder: Westview Press, 2000) p. 484. See, also: MFA Madrid Process Guide).

The Palestinian co-director of All For Peace Radio. For more information on the staff of All For Peace Radio see http://www.allforpeace.org/staff.aspx?lang=1

Hebrew abbreviation of "Mifleget ha-Po'alim ha-Me'uhedet." In English, it is called "United Workers' Party." It was a left-wing labor Zionist party in Israel that opposed the annexation, occupation or settlement of the West Bank and Gaza following the war in 1967. MAPAM had merged with MAPAI to form the Labor party but left in 1984. It then regrouped along with several other parties to form Meretz, which has recently changed its name to Yachad. Meretz and Yachad are known to be on the left side of the Zionist Left.

A small village in the northern West Bank in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Mas'ha is about 6 kilometers from the Green Line and the construction of the separation barrier has cut it off from much of its land. The proposed continued route of the wall would surround Mas'ha and three other villages, leaving a passage connecting them with the rest of the West Bank. For a map of the existing separation barrier and the route that is proposed or under construction, see: www.btselem.org/Download/Separation_Barrier_Map_Eng.pdf

A movement founded in 1988 by Rabbi Yehuda Amital aiming to transform the face of religious Zionism in Israel, with special focus on challenging religious and political extremism. The Meimad movement formed a political party by the same name in 1999 supporting the idea of Israel as both a Jewish and democratic state. A moderate religious party, Meimad joined a Labor coalition from 1999-2003, and 2003-2006, but never ran independently in Knesset elections. See online "About Meimad." Meimad. 10 September 2007http://english.meimad.org.il/ArticlePage.asp?ArticleId=67 

Hebrew for "vitality." A political party considered to be on the left and secular, formed in 1992 with the merger of Shinui, Mapam and RATZ. Officially registered in 1996. In 1997, part of Meretz split to form a separate and more radically left movement. Meretz disbanded in 2003 in order to form a new party, Yachad, which literally means "together," but is also an abbreviation of "Democrat Social Israel" in Hebrew. Yossi Beilin heads the new party.

Israeli Law requires that all Israeli citizens and permanent residents begin serving in the Israeli Defense Forces at the age of 18. Effective 1948 and codified in the 1986 National Defense Service Law, which stipulates that all men serve 3 years and women 20-21 months. All non-Jewish women and all Palestinian men (except Druze) are automatically exempt from service. Reserve service is required until the age of 51 in the case of men, and 24 in the case of women.

According to Zochrot, an Israeli organization that promotes awareness of Palestinian population displacement and destroyed villages, residents of Miske (or Mischa) were uprooted from their village in 1948 and their homes were destroyed in 1952. See http://www.nakbainhebrew.org/index.php?id=67. According to an interview with a former Miske resident in a 2001 article in the Jerusalem Post, destruction of the village of Miske began in 1951 after residents sought permission from the Israeli government to return to their homes. Larry Derfner. "Where are the Mosques of 1948?" The Jerusalem Post, 18 May 2001, pg. 4B.

(Hebrew plural) The Jewish religious edicts. Singular: Mitzvah

While Israelis can travel freely to settlements in the West Bank and Gaza as well as to East Jerusalem, Israelis are generally barred from Palestinian population centers and Palestinians are barred from Israel by the Israeli authorities. However, both Palestinians and Israelis can apply for permits to reach one another. It is easier for Israelis and Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem with East Jerusalem ID cards to travel into the West Bank than to Palestinian population centers in Gaza.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transportation and Road Safety, member of the ruling Kadima party. He was the Israeli minister of defense [at the time of this interview] before the appointment of Amir Peretz to the position in 2006. http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/2/Shaul%20Mofaz

An easily made incendiary device, Molotov cocktails are also called 'gas bombs' or 'petrol bombs.' They are frequently used by rioters, and were employed by some Palestinian protesters during the first intifada.

A cooperative agricultural village or settlement in Israel. The moshav is distinct from the kibbutz in that property in a moshavis privately held.

Established as a Non Governmental Organization in October of 1997. Mossawa promotes equality for Arab/Palestinians within the borders of Israel. See Mossawa website http://www.mossawacenter.org/en/about/about.html

A prominent advocate for non-violent resistance to the Israeli occupation, Dr. Mubarak Awad was deported to Washington by the Israeli government in 1988. He is currently Adjunct Professor of International Peace and Conflict Resolution at The American University in Washington, D.C.

A Palestinian city in the northern West Bank. Est. population 132,000.

A city in Northern Israel with a predominantly Jewish population. Est. population 50,000.

Israel's organization to provide financial security and assistance to families in need. Operates under the National Insurance Law, passed by the Knesset in 1953. See their website at http://www.btl.gov.il/NR/exeres/2130471C-E92B-4194-AC9E-FF8FDDB955BD.htm

National service is an alternative community service option for Israeli youth who do not wish to serve in any of the many branches of the Israeli Army. Women often opt for this service, especially religious Israeli women.

A city in Northern Israel. The majority of its residents are Christian and Muslim Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel. It is adjacent to Nazareth Ilit, a predominantly Jewish Israeli city. A holy site for Christians who believe Jesus was raised there. Est. population 63,700.

South Africa’s most prominent black leader against the Apartheid regime. Mandela was imprisoned many times for his involvement in the African National Congress and its militant wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, including from 1964-1982 where he was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison, and later at Pallsmoor Prison until 1990. Mandela became a strong advocate for non-violence after his release from prison, and spear-headed the campaign that would eventually lead to multi-racial democracy in South Africa. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, and served as South Africa’s president from 1994-1999.

(1949-) Member of the Israeli Likud party; former Minister of Foreign Affairs; recent Minister of Finance in the Israeli Knesset (parliament) but resigned in August 2005 to protest the Israeli withdrawal of settlements from Gaza. Elected Prime Minister from 1996-1999. With Chairman Yasser Arafat, Netanyahu signed the Wye River Memorandum in 1998, which is considered part of the Oslo peace process. See: http://www.netanyahu.org/biography.html

Hebrew and Arabic for Oasis of Peace. A village in Israel bteween Jerusalem and Tel Aviv established jointly by Jews and Palestinian Arabs of Israeli citizenship, with the goal of engaging in "educational work for peace, equality and understanding between the two peoples." Fifty families currently live there.

is an educational community located in the south of Israel in the Negev Desert, approximately 70 km south of Beer Sheva, on the border between Israel and Egypt. The Jewish Agency helped to establish Nitzana as a Zionistic community to teach about the desert in experiential ways while promoting social pluralism by bringing together religious and secular Israeli youth with youth from the Former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, and the Diaspora. See: http://www.nitzana.org.il/1WHOWEARE.htm and http://www.jafi.org.il/youthaliyah/nitzana.asp

In this context it refers to the process of creating 'normal' relations between the State of Israel and its Arab neighbors. Egypt was the first to normalize relations in 1979, with Jordan following in 1994. Normalization prior to the creation of a Palestinian state is viewed by many Palestinians and their supporters as a betrayal of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination. Normalization during the era of pan-Arabism was also regarded as a betrayal of a broader anti-colonial stance. The Saudi initiative was the most comprehensive offer of normalization by the Arab world, under the condition of Palestinian statehood.

The "Occupation" is used to refer to Israel's military control of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. Some members of the Israeli government have referred to these territories as "disputed" rather than "occupied." See, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web site; Also, "West Bank." Britannica Student Encyclopedia. 2004. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. 17 Dec. 2004; For a dictionary that uses the term "occupied" rather than "disputed": "West Bank" A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. Jan Palmowski. Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. CDL UC Berkeley.

Following the collapse of the Oslo process and the launching of the intifada in September 2000, Palestinian citizens of Israel demonstrated in several villages and cities, expressing solidarity with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and voicing discontent about inequality and neglect within Israel. Some demonstrations turned into riots. Violence ensued and Israeli police used rubber bullets and live ammunition, killing 13 Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel. The events highlighted and deepened the rift between Palestinian Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel. See also Orr Commission.

Founded in Israel in the late 1970s, the Open University is based in Ra'anana.

The Orient House is in East Jerusalem and served as the headquarters for the PLO in East Jerusalem. The Israeli government closed Orient House in August 2001, seizing files and computers.

A branch of Judaism characterized by a more strict, at times literal and traditional interpretation of Jewish law (halacha). Orthodox Judaism encompasses various strains, including Modern Orthodox, Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox), Hassidic (a subset of Haredi with an emphasis on mysticism and celebration as an expression of worship).

The vast and powerful Islamic empire which ruled and united most of the Middle East from the 15th century to 1922, when it collapsed indefinitely (although its loss of territories and influence had commenced by the mid-19th century). The Empire was based in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) and was governed through Istanbul. Its disintegration following World War I saw the formation of numerous quasi-independent states throughout the Arab world, under French and British mandate.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), founded in 1964, has long been the umbrella group that includes numerous Palestinian political, professional, and trade groups, all dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. In 1969, Yasser Arafat, representing al-Fatah, the largest fedayeen militia group in the PLO, became chair of the organization, a position he held until his death in 2004. The PLO carried out numerous international attacks against Israelis in the early 1970s as well guerilla operations aimed at Israel and the Occupied Territories from bases in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The PLO first gained international legitimacy when Chairman Yasser Arafat addressed the United Nations General Assembly in November of 1974 and the PLO was granted observer status to the United Nations. It signed on to the Oslo peace process in 1993, and has since seen its leadership absorbed into the Palestinian Authority, pursuant to the May 1994 Gaza-Jericho agreement and the September 1995 Interim Agreement. While the PLO Charter of 1968 did not recognize Israel's right to exist, the Charter was amended in 1996 following the Oslo Accord Declaration of Principles (DOP). The amendment to the Charter voided "those articles which denied Israel's right to exist or are inconsistent with the PLO's new commitments to Israel following their mutual recognition." Online see: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/plo.htm orHamid, Rashid. "What is the PLO?" Journal of Palestine Studies Vol. 4, No. 4. (Summer, 1975), pp. 90-109. For a text of the PLO Charter (also known as thePalestinian National Charter or the Palestinian Covenant) seehttp://www.pna.gov.ps/Government/gov/plo_Charter.asp. For information on the PLO from the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations seehttp://www.palestine-un.org/info/frindex.html.See the profile of the PLO on the Palestinian National Authority website,http://www.pna.gov.ps/Government/gov/plo.asp.

Also known as "Arab Israelis," "Palestinian citizens of Israel," "Palestinian Israelis," "1948 Palestinians," or "Arab Israelis." Refers to those Palestinians and their descendents who remained in the area that became the State of Israel in 1948. They were granted Israeli citizenship. Until 1966 most of them were subjected to military rule that restricted their movement and some of their rights. In 2004, they made up approximately 18-19% of the Israeli population. They live within the Israeli side of the Green Line, participate in government, and hold Israeli citizenship. (See: http://www.mossawacenter.org)

The Palestinian civil war, also known as the Hamas-Fatah conflict and the Wakseh (Arabic for self-inflicted ruin or humiliation), began in January 2006 and has continued in various forms through 2008. Tensions rose when the death of PLO leader Yasser Arafat in November 2004 left a political vacuum in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Hamas' success in Palestinian local elections in January 2005 and its dramatic rise to power in parliamentary elections in January 2006, presented a challenge to Fatah's longtime dominance of the political scene. The international community joined in Fatah's refutation of the results, and sanctions on the new Islamist-led government, whom much of the international community had declared a terrorist organization, made governance near impossible. Neither party could agree to a power-sharing arrangement, which led to initial skirmishes between Fatah and Hamas, including tit-for-tat abductions and assassinations. On December 15, 2006, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called early elections. Hamas rejected the call as an illegal attempt to oust them from power. A sharp increase in infighting began almost immediately, and between December 2006 and May 2007, hundreds of Palestinians were killed. Agreement to the Saudi-brokered Mecca Accords in February 2006, calling for a truce and a Unity Government between the main rival factions, did little to abate the intensity of the conflict. The tension culminated in the battle for Gaza, June 10-14 2007, which ended in Hamas securing the Gaza Strip, ousting and expelling much of the Fatah leadership based there, and establishing a separate government. On June 14th PA President Mahmoud Abbas reacted by dissolving the Unity Government and declaring a state of emergency. As of late 2008, an emergency Fatah-dominated government headed by Prime Minster Salaam Fayyad remains in control of the West Bank, while Hamas continues to run its own government in the Gaza Strip. Sporadic clashes continue, although they have declined significantly since June 2007.  See "Q&A: Gaza's civil war." 14 June 2007. Guardian.co.uk. 28 September 2008. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jun/14/israelandthepalestinians.qanda, "Palestinian rivals: Fatah & Hamas." 17 June 2007. BBC.co.uk. 28 September 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5016012.stm. For analysis, see Rose, David. "The Gaza Bombshell." April 2008. Vanity Fair. 28 September 2008. http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/04/gaza200804

Founded in 2002, the Palestine News Network employs independent Palestinian journalists and editors for its television, radio and online news network. See their website at http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Nearly 50,000 Palestinians have been arrested and detained since the beginning of the second intifada in September 2000. The majority are arrested for affiliation with organizations deemed illegal by Israeli authorities, while others are arrested for criminal activity. In June 2008 between 8,500-12,000 Palestinians were held in Israeli detention centers, including approximately 100 women and 350 children of both sexes. An additional 730 Palestinians are held in administrative detention without charge or trial. An unknown number are being held by Israeli police. Palestinian prisoners from the Occupied Palestinian Territories are tried by Israeli military courts based in the Territories, while most detention centers are located within Israel’s 1948 borders. While Israel maintains that those in detention either pose a threat to Israel’s security or have committed a crime against its population, Palestinian rights groups claim that the majority of Palestinian prisoners are political prisoners, or held for negligible acts such as stone-throwing. Prisoner swaps are common in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, although the Quartet-led “Roadmap” does not address the issue of Palestinian prisoners directly. See “Detainees and Prisoners.” B’Tselem. 13 July 2008. http://www.btselem.org/english/statistics/Detainees_and_Prisoners.asp, “FAQ on Palestinian Prisoners.” 3 Dec 2007. The Institute for Middle East Understanding. 15 July 2008. http://imeu.net/news/article002597.shtml, and “Prisoners.” 31 August 2007. Palestine Monitor. 13 July 2008. http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article9

Established in 1995, the PWA is the regulatory body for the water and wastewater sector in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. See their website for more information: http://www.pwa.ps/  

Parents Circle-Bereaved Families Forum is a joint organization of more than 500 Israeli and Palestinian bereaved families working together for reconciliation and an end to violence. See http://www.theparentscircle.com/
 

(1923-), Prime Minister of Israel from 1984-1986 and 1995-1996. He served as the Foreign Minister of Israel on three occasions (1986-1988; 1992-1995; 2001-2002) and has held a myriad of other ministerial posts, including: Minister of Defense, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Minister of Religious Affairs, to name a few. Along with Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin, Peres received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his role in the signing of the Oslo Accords. A long-time leading member of the Labor Party, Peres has served in the 4th through 16th Knessets. For more information see Peres' profile by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs In December of 2005, Peres left the Labor Party in support of Kadima (meaning "forward" in English), the new political party formed by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Just prior to leaving the Labor Party, Peres lost for the party's leadership. As of mid-December 2005, Peres had not officially joined the Kadima party, however, it is widely speculated that Peres will gain a ministerial post if Kadima is victorious in the upcoming March 2006 elections. See "Peres Quits Labour to Back Sharon," BBC News Online, 1 Dec. 2005, at http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4485568.stm.

Numerous Palestinian and international organizations have called for various forms of sanctions against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands. These include economic measures such as divestment campaigns, academic boycotts of Israel’s universities, and a consumer boycott of goods manufactured in Israel.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and its offshoot, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), combine Arab nationalist and Marxist-Leninist ideologies and advocate the creation of a secular democratic Palestine as a precursor to a broader revolution within the Arab world. Founded in the late 1960s, the PFLP became the second largest faction within the PLO, but withdrew its membership with the launch of the Oslo Accords. The PFLP uses both political and militant means—notably hijackings and political assassinations—to advance its aims. In 1994, the Israeli military assassinated its leader, Abu Ali Mustafa (successor to PFLP leader George Habash). Its current General Secretary, Ahmad Saadat, has been imprisoned by the Palestinian National Authority (PA or PNA) at the behest of Israel for the murder of an Israeli member of parliament (MK).

Mohammad was the founder of Islam, and is revered by Muslims as the final prophet of God. See also "Islam" in glossary.

Palestinian City located in the Northwest of the West Bank, bordering Israel along the Green Line. The city is encircled by the separation barrier. Est. population 45,000.

State of Qatar is an Arab Emirate on the Arabian Peninsula bordering Saudi Arabia.

(1937-) also known as Abu Ala, Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority (late 2003-present). Qurei, a long-time member of Fatah and numerous PLO bodies, formerly served as the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) from 1996-2003 and was one of the lead Palestinian negotiators which led to the signing of the Declaration of Principles. He has also served as the Minister of Economy and Trade and Minister of Industry in the PNA. See the PNA's Ministry of Information profile of Qurei at http://www.minfo.gov.ps/Who's%20Who/Qurie.htm.

(1922-95) Prime Minister from 1974-1977 and 1992-1995. Following years in the military, he served as Chief of Staff during the 1967 war. He was an active member of the Labor Party from 1973 on. Rabin was also Defense Minister from 1984-1990. In 1993, in his capacity as Prime Minister, he launched the Oslo Process with the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Yasser Arafat. The two shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize along with Shimon Peres. He subsequently helped generate the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan. He was assassinated in Nov 4 1995 by a Jewish extremist. See http://www.bartleby.com/65/ra/Rabin-Yi.html

The ninth month of the Muslim calendar. The Fast of Ramadan is observed for the entire month. During this holiday Muslims fast during daylight hours. It is a time of prayers, fasting, self-accountability and charity. Religious observances are kept for the duration of the holiday.

On October 12, 2002, during the second intifada, two Israeli army reservists were captured in Ramallah and hung by a civilian mob. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/969778.stm

An Israeli Jewish settlement in annexed East Jerusalem (est population 40,000).

A movement for peace and coexistence between Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel. The name means "friendship" in Hebrew and Arabic. See http://www.bkluth.de/reut/MAIN.html

Reform Judaism began in Germany in the early nineteenth-century and is the largest movement in America with over 1.5 million practitioners. Like Conservative Judaism, Reform Judaism has a minority status in Israel. For more information, see http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_Origins_of_Refor...

A city in Israel, south of Tel Aviv, popultion approximately 100,000.

United Nations Resolution 194 refers to the issue of Palestinian Refugees. United Nations Resolution 194 states "that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible." For a text of United Nations Resolution 194, see: http://daccess-ods.un.org/TMP/7867232.html.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 338, passed on November 22 1973, calls for a cease-fire and all fighting (referring to the 1973 War) to end. Resolution 338 also reaffirms the importance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 and for that resolution to be implemented. For a text of the resolution see: http://daccess-ods.un.org/TMP/1543738.html

A city in the center of Israel located southeast of Tel Aviv, population approximately 220,000, the majority of whom are Jewish Israeli citizens.

A town in Israel to the east of Tel Aviv close to the West Bank, population approximately 36,000, of which most are Jewish Israelis.

Shatila, a Palestinian refugee camp, and nearby Sabra, a neighborhood populated by Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, were the scenes of a massacre in 1982. Estimates of Palestinian deaths start at 800 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1779713.stm).On September 16, 1982, during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the Phalange (a Maronite Christian militia group in Lebanon) entered the camps to seek revenge for the killing of their leader, under the watch of the Israeli military, which had secured the area. The Kahan Commission, an Israeli Government-led inquiry, found Israeli officials indirectly responsible for the killings. Ariel Sharon, who was the Israeli Defense Minister at the time, was forced to resign.

A town located in the Galilee Region in Israel, east of Haifa and West of the Sea of Galilee, whose residents are primarily Palestinian citizens of Israel.

(in Hebrew "Shomronim"), a distinct religious and ethnic community who believe in a form of ancient Israelite religion distinct from Judaism. While, like the Jews, the Samaritans consider the Five Books of Moses the word of God and their sacred scripture, they reject the remainder of Judaic scripture. The Samaritans consider Mt. Gerizim, located in the West Bank town of Nablus, their holiest site. There are approximately 600 Samaritans in Israel and the West Bank today-about half living in Nablus and the other half in the town of Holon, outside of Tel Aviv. For more information on the Samaritans see, The Palestine Media Unit of An-Najah National University (Nablus) http://www.zajel.org/article_view.asp?newsID=906&cat=18&iCat=66.

Sederot is a city of approximately 19,000 residents located in the Southern District of Israel close to the Gaza Strip. During the intifada the city has come under repeated attack from Qassam missile fired from the Gaza Strip, from cities such as Khan Younis. According to the Israel Defense Forces more than 300 Qassam rockets have been launched since the beginning of the intifada. See http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/530316.html

Intifada is Arabic for "shaking off." This refers to the recent Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. The second intifada began in September 2000 following the breakdown of diplomatic efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is sometimes called the Al-Aqsa (Aksa or 'Aqsa) Intifada or the Armed Intifada. See also: Intifada.

A long structure of connected concrete walls and fences that separates Israel from parts of the West Bank. It runs both along the Green Line and within the West Bank. Critics and proponents disagree over the intent behind the structure, its route, and its name. References to it include the "wall, separation wall, security fence, Apartheid Wall, separation barrier, annexation wall." Begun in 2002, its construction is still in progress. For a map of the existing structure and proposed route, please visit the B'Tselem website. Israel claims security needs necessitate its construction. Israel has modified some of the routes in response to a High Court of Justice ruling as well as in response to international pressure. Palestinians point out that the wall was built unilaterally, seizing lands recognized as illegally occupied by Israel according to international law. They also maintain that the wall steals privately-owned land, and chokes off some cities almost completely. For a thorough report: "A safety measure or a land grab?", visit the Economist, October 9, 2003 A debate about its appropriateness sprung up after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion declaring it a breach of international law.

A settlement is a Jewish community usually existing outside the internationally accepted boundaries of the State of Israel, although those ideologically in support of them do not call them "settlements." The settler movement began following the war of 1967. Settlements are controversial when they are built within the Occupied Territories of the West Bank,East Jerusalem and Gaza, which some Israelis refer to as Judea and Samaria or as "disputed territories,"—often on land confiscated from Palestinians. Some settlers assert that it is a divine right, mandated by religious texts, and also an imperative stemming from Zionist tradition to settle the land. Others regard it as a security necessity for Israel. Opponents argue that such settlements are illegal under international law. By and large, settlements have received government funding, as well as military and infrastructural support. However, in 2005, the Likud government initiated the withdrawal of Israeli settlements from Gaza and from a handful of settlements in the West Bank. See "Troubled Lands" Now With Bill Moyers PBS 4/5/02 http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_settlers.html and James Reynolds. "Israeli Settlement Building Grows," BBC News, 2 Mar 2004, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3526791.stm

The State of Israel historically subsidized much of the settler movement. While the Israeli Housing Ministry's spending on settlement construction in the territories has decreased in recent years (from approx. $470 million in 1992 to approx. $125 million in 2007), those who do chose to settle in the West Bank are given substantial benefits both from the government and private organizations. For example, new home owners are eligible for a $6,200 grant for purchase of an apartment in a settlement bloc, in addition to a large mortgage and other benefits. According to the Israeli newspaper Ha'retz, "Altogether, the government subsidies total about $20,000 for apartments and houses whose price tags are often below $100,000." See Gorenberg, Gershon. The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of the Settlements 1967-1977. New York:Henry Holt, 2006. See online Ziv Maor and Motti Bassok, "Housing/ NIS 11 billion on homes." 30 May, 2007. Ha'aretz.com. 9 November, 2007 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=344396&contrassID=...

The Jewish day of rest, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.

(1915-) Prime Minister of Israel from 1983-84 and 1986-92; member of the Likud Party. Shamir is among the more conservative leaders Israel has known. He was historically a member of both Irgun and Stern Gang, and upon the creation of the State of Israel became an active Mossad (Israeli foreign intelligence) agent in Europe. He joined Menachem Begin's Herut party in 1969, and was active in politics from then on. Shamir's first government in 1983-84 faltered, as did his second government, a coalition with Labor (1986-1990). His third government coalition, which excluded Labor, entered the Madrid peace talks with Palestinian representatives, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon in 1991.Shamir was succeeded by Benjamin Netanyahu as leader of Likud in 1993.See: http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Facts%20About%20Israel/State/Yitzhak%20Shamir

Refers to Ariel Sharon (1928-) Prime Minister of Israel, March 2001-present. Member of the Likud Party. Israeli Minister of Defense during the Lebanon War from 1981 to 1983, when he resigned after a government commission found him indirectly responsible for the September 1982 massacre of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by Lebanese Christian Phalangist militias. Other positions held by Ariel Sharon include: Minister of Agriculture from 1977-1981, Minster of Trade and Industry from 1984-1990, and Foreign Minister from 1998-1999. Sharon held the position of Minister of Construction and Housing from 1990-1992, which witnessed the “biggest building drive in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza since Israel occupied the territories in 1967.” While Sharon was referred to by many as the “father of the settlement movement”, he initiated and oversaw the withdrawal of all Israeli settlers from the Gaza strip in the summer of 2005. In November of 2005, Sharon, while still serving as Israel’s Prime Minister, quit the Likud Party and formed a new centrist party named Kadima (meaning “forward” in English.) In justifying his exit from the party he helped found, Sharon stated that the Likud Party was no longer equipped to lead Israel nor oversee any future peace deals with the Palestinians. In early January 2006, Sharon suffered a massive stroke, underwent several operations, and is currently in a coma. Following Sharon’s admission to the hospital, powers of the Israeli Prime Minister were transferred to Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. See Ariel Sharon Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004 Encyclopædia Britannica Online http://search.eb.com/eb/article?tocId=9067159 Also see the BBC profile of Ariel Sharon http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1154622.stm.

Bordering Israel, Syria and Lebanon, the status of this 25-square-kilometer stretch of land, consisting of 14 farms named after a nearby village, remains controversial. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000 after a nearly two-decade long military presence. Following this unilateral operation by the Ehud Barak government, Hezbollah and Lebanon, backed by Syria, demanded that Israel also pull out from the Sheba'a Farms. Israel, however, claimed the territory was part of Syria, and thus could only be turned over as part of negotiations with Syria. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL)'s maps sided with Israel, showing that the strip of land was part of Syria at the time of the June 1967 war. See Kumaraswamy, P.R. "Sheba'a Farms." Historical Dictionary of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Oxford: The Scarecrow Press, 2006. See online "In Focus:Shebaa Farms." 25 May 2000. BBC News. 9 November 2007 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/763504.stm  

Known as Shfaram in Hebrew, Shefar-Amer in Arabic. A small city in the Galilee region of Israel, population approximately 30,000, the majority of whom are Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Located in the West Bank on the northern outskirts of East Jerusalem. It was established in 1965-1966. According to UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), the Shu'fat Refugee camp had 11,249 registered refugees in December of 2003. See a profile of the Shu'fat Refugee Camp at http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/westbank/shufat.html.

The Sinai Peninsula is a triangle-shaped peninsula in Egypt between the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. The Suez Canal runs along the North-western edge of the Peninsula. The Sinai Peninsula featured prominently as an important strategic location in the Wars of 1956, 1967 and 1973. It was captured by Israel in 1967, and later returned to Egypt in 1979 in exchange for bilateral peace between the two countries.

The Spanish Inquisition in the late 15th century was the culmination of years of suspicion towards Jewish and Muslim subjects in Christian Spain. The two Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, commanded a quickly expanding empire, and by 1478 had acquired a papal bull from Sixtus IV to deal with the Jewish and Muslim subjects who were believed to have made false conversions to Christianity, thus beginning the Inquisition. In 1492, 160,000 Jewish subjects who refused to be baptized were expelled from Spain. Muslim subjects, especially in Granada, also faced mass expulsion. See "Spain." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 29 August 2007 http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-70387/Spain.

The Suez Canal runs along the North-western edge of the Sinai Peninsula, a triangle-shaped peninsula in Egypt between the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. The Sinai Peninsula was captured by Israel in 1967, and later returned to Egypt in 1979 in exchange for bilateral peace between the two countries.

A traditional Arab Islamic form of conflict resolution.  See Sulha: Palestinian traditional peacemaking process, by Elias Jabbour, 1996.  See also the Sulha Peace Project, www.sulha.com, which organizes an annual gathering for hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians in the Galilee in Northern Israel.

Ta'ayush (Arabic for coexistence) is "a grassroots movement of Arabs and Jews working to break down the walls of racism and segregation by constructing a true Arab-Jewish partnership." Its major activities include protesting the construction and existence of The Wall/Security Barrier and raising awareness and funds for Palestinians subjected to house demolitions and potential displacement from villages. See http://www.taayush.org/.

A town in Israel adjacent to the Green Line, whose residents are predominantly Palestinian citizens of Israel. Taibeh is located north of Tel Aviv and south of the West Bank city of Tulkarm.

Arabic meaning "organization." In the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Tanzim refers to the militant wing of the Palestinian Fatah movement.

Also known as phylacteries, tefillin are black leather boxes containing parchments inscribed with biblical verse. The wearing of tefillin is an obligation on male religious Jews every weekday during morning prayers. There are two tefillin, the head tefillin and the arm tefillin.

Located in Tel Aviv, it currently has an enrollment of 29,000 students.

A small town of approximately 2,000 inhabitants located near Ra'ananah that was originally founded in the 1930s.

Director of Central Intelligence for the CIA, 1997-2004.

The Muqataa/Yasser Arafat’s Compound: The Muqataa is a compound in Ramallah in West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories that houses the Palestinian Authority (PA)’s government offices. The compound was raided and placed under siege by the Israeli army in April 2002 as part of Operation Defensive Shield, in an attempt to isolate then PA President Yasser Arafat from the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The siege was a response to the second intifada amid Israeli claims that Arafat and some of his colleagues were supporting terrorism. Arafat was held under house arrest at the compound from April 2002-October 2004, when he was flown to Paris for medical treatment. The Muqataa is also the sight of former PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat’s tomb.

An area comprised of Arab villages in the North of Israel.

(Also known as Three Pillars of Religious Zionism and Rabbi Kook's Three Pillars.) Am Israel, Torat Israel and Eretz Israel, are often described as the three pillars of the foundations of Judaism. The three form an equal and vital triangular relation between the People, the Torah and the Land. Their usage in modern Israel is often attributed to Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the British Mandate for Palestine in 1921), but the ideas date 2000 years. They are frequently used as justification for settlement in the territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.
 

A mostly Arab Muslim town North of Kfar Saba. Est. population 18,000.

Refers to Israeli-issued travel permits required primarily for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to travel into Israel, and at times throughout East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Israelis seeking to travel to Area A regions as delineated by the Oslo Accords, must also receive permits. For information on restrictions of movement for Palestinians, see: B'Tselem (The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories) http://www.btselem.org/English/Freedom_of_Movement/Index.asp.

Refers to the notion of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state alongside a sovereign State of Israel. Has been the ostensible framework in Palestinian-Israeli peace talks since the Oslo process. Key disputed issues include: the actual boundaries of a nascent contemporary Palestine; the location of its capital; the nature of government; the type of economic relations with its neighbors; the handling of Palestinian refugees seeking repatriation or compensation; the degree of access to natural resources as well as control over borders; defense matters and air space.

A city in Northern Israel just north of the West Bank and southeast of Haifa. Its population is approximately 40,000 people, who are predominantly Palestinian citizens of Israel.

A special status placed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on a significant historical or cultural site aimed at conservation.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a relief and human development agency of over 25,000 staff serving the four million Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab republic. See http://www.un.org/unrwa/

A valley between the Mediterranean coast to the east and the lower Galilee to west.

The 1956 War, Sinai Campaign, or Suez Crisis was a brief military campaign in October and November of 1956, during which Israel, France, and Britain attacked the Egyptian Sinai peninsula and Suez Canal. As arranged by the three countries beforehand, Israel entered the Sinai Peninsula on October 29, 1956, followed by British air raids of military targets near Cairo and the Suez Canal on October 31, and a British and French paratrooper drop just north of the Suez Canal on November 5. On November 6, Britain and France agreed to a United Nations sponsored cease-fire. While the three countries had secured the Sinai Peninsula and the Suez Canal, they were forced to withdraw entirely following enormous pressure from the United States and Soviet Union. Britain and France withdrew in December and Israeli withdrew in March of 1957. Having nationalized the Suez Canal early in the year on July 26, the 1956 War resulted in a sweeping political success for Egyptian President Gamel Abdul Nasser. Online resources see: Library of Congress Country Study of Israel at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/iltoc.html#il0147See William L. Cleveland. A History of the Modern Middle East. (Boulder: Westview Press, 2000) 300-304.

Also referred to as the "October War," "Yom Kippur War," or "Ramadan War." A coalition of Egyptian and Syrian forces with backing by Jordan, Iraq and withfinancial support from Saudi Arabia, launched a surprise attack on Israeli forces in an attempt to regain control of the Sinai Peninsula and Golan heights which were captured by Israel during the war of 1967. While Israel suffered several military setbacks, Egyptian-Syrian efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful. However, the ability of the Egyptian troops to breach the Israeli Bar Lev line east of the Suez Canal at the beginning of the war served as a major victory for Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, paving the way for his historic trip to Jerusalem in 1977 and the Camp David Accords of 1978.Online resources see Library of Congress Country Study of Israel at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/iltoc.html#il0147 Scholarly resources see William L. Cleveland. A History of the Modern Middle East. (Boulder: Westview Press, 2000) 364-368 and

See War of 1948

Established in 1997 as a non-profit, non-governmental Palestinian organization. Their stated mission is to "fill the growing gap between scientific research and policy recommendations concerning wastewater, solid waste management and environmental protection, on the one hand, and the absence of application of this knowledge on the other hand." See the PRIME website for details: http://www.vispo.com/PRIME/palecoagra.htm

Located in the Old Cty of Jerusalem adjacent to the Temple Mount or Haram al-Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary). Jewish reverence for the Western Wall stems from the belief that it is the last remnant of the Second Jewish Temple.

Following the 1929 riots, Lord Passfield issued a British paper that called for a Legislative Council in Palestine, and suggested implementation of the Hope-Simpson findings that Zionist land purchases and immigration should be restricted. The Zionist movement campaigned against the White Paper. In February 1931, British Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, sent a letter to Chaim Weizmann essentially canceling this Paper's positions.

Founded in 1991, Windows is a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization whose primary project is a Hebrew-Arabic youth magazine, named Windows. The magazine is researched and written by and for Israeli and Palestinian youth. Windows also has two centers, one in Tel Aviv and one in Tulkarm, that serve as a meeting place for activists, youth, and other interested parties of each community as well as a place for Israeli and Palestinian members of Windows to meet. See Windows the website at http://www.win-peace.org/.

Initiated by Israeli women in the late 1980s, Women in Black has become worldwide movement of women for peace. See Women in Black.

An international organization whose Israeli branch is part of the Women's Coalition. See http://www.wilpf.org and http://coalitionofwomen.org/home/english/organizations/wilpf.

A museum in Jerusalem that commemorates the Holocaust. Yad Vashem is also a leading reference center for Holocaust studies. http://www.yadvashem.org/

A Palestinian city located 8 km south of Hebron in the West Bank of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Pop: approx 43,000.

Hebrew acronym for Judea, Samaria and Gaza. An organized body representing settlers in the West Bank and Gaza, founded in the 1970s. The organization is charged with the responsibility to guarantee security, offer humanitarian and municipal needs and foster political action and public advocacy for settlers. For more information see their website at http://www.moetzetyesha.co.il/default.asp

Young Israeli Forum for Cooperation is a non-profit organization in Israel that works towards "cultivating a generation of young leaders who seek to take an active role in shaping Israel's future and, specifically, its relations with its Palestinian and European neighbors. YIFC's primary goal is to empower young professionals (aged up to 35), from a wide range of social backgrounds and political beliefs, to generate movement towards the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to foster Israeli-European relations. To this end, YIFC programs promote pragmatic action-oriented dialogue and creative policy-oriented approaches." See: http://www.yifc.org/

Hebrew for "towns" or "settlements." Refers to Jewish communities established in the early days of the Zionist movement, but does not refer to settlements beyond the Green Line in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Jewish Day of Atonement. A 25 hour fast is observed as Jews engage in intensive prayer. The holiday occurs on the tenth day of the Jewish month of Tishrei.

A city in the North of the West Bank/Occupied Palestinian Territories located between Nablus and Jenin.

The belief that the Jewish people should have a national homeland, and refuge from persecution, in Israel. Supporters of this idea are called Zionists. The Zionist Movement gained momentum in Europe in the late 1800s with the First Zionist Conference in Basel, Switzerland in 1897. The movement advocated the ideology of Zionism, a national liberation ideology of the Jewish people with several strands, foremost being the establishment of a Jewish state within the biblical Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael or Zion). See http://www.mideastweb.org/zionism.htm