Position Paper:

COMITTEE- LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES AGENDA- THE ARAB SPRING: THE WAY AHEAD COUNTRY-THE STATE OF PALESTINE DELEGATES- ISHAAN BHATTACHARYA AND TANYA ROHATGI The Arab Spring refers to a string of revolutions and uprisings occurring in the Arab world which th began on 17 December, 2010. Countries such as Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Tunisia and Bahrain have been greatly impacted. Other countries such as Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Israel are suspended on the cusp of great change. As of February 2012, four autocratic governments have been overthrown. The fledgling quest for democracy in the Arab world is finally gaining momentum. Palestine acknowledges the bravery and determination of the Arab men and women and wholeheartedly supports these nations as they take their first steps towards building democratic nations. But due to the Arab Spring, a very important issue has been left unresolved- the issue of peace between the Palestinians and Israelis. As King Abdullah Bin Hussein of Jordan states, The Palestinian right to statehood and their cry for justice and a homeland free of occupation remain the Arab peoples foremost cause. With the onset of the Arab Spring, the Palestine- Israel conflict has been sidelined, but Palestine is hopeful. Hopeful because these soon to be democratic nations will no doubt empathise with another democratic nation and support Palestines bid to end the suffering and the plight of millions of Palestine refugees in the homeland, to end their displacement and to realize their rights. Palestines only demand is that Israel stop occupying Palestinian land, which is; the independent State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as the capital, on all the land of the West Bank, including the Gaza Strip, which Israel occupied in the 1967 war. At a time when the Arab people affirm their quest for democracy - the Arab Spring - the time is now for the Palestinian Spring, the time for independence. In Palestines view, it is in the best interest of all Arab countries involved in the Arab spring to be independent of western influence and to stay away from western power blocs with vested interests. The situations in these Arab nations are best understood by other Arab nations and as these countries transition from autocratic governments and dictatorships towards strong democracies it is essential that they progress steadily and not stagnate, disoriented, because of intervention that do not comprehend the multifaceted nature of the uprisings. Palestine also believes it vital that the governance of these states is vested with the right person or groups. Under no circumstance should these nations -being still vulnerable due to their lack of clear successors or new leaders- fall prey to groups such as radical Islamists. These groups have the potential to drive the economy and infrastructure of these countries into the dust and deprive the masses of their newfound freedom.

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