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The Middle East and North Africa
There are some nine million Palestinians worldwide. Around four million live in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and at least one million are Israeli citizens and live in Israel. Some four million Palestinians live in exile in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and many other countries all over the world.
The conflict over claims to the territories between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, which remains unresolved, began back in the late 19th century when the first Jewish settlements were established in the region, then governed by the Ottoman Empire. It escalated after the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. Following various armed confrontations in the region, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip were eventually occupied by Israeli troops during the Six Day War in 1967. Prior to that, these territories had belonged to Jordan and Egypt.
With the Oslo Accords of 1993, the foundations were laid for Palestinian self-government in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This was followed in 1994 by the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. Officially, the Authority is responsible for the entire Palestinian territory. However, since the radical Islamic movement Hamas seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007, the Authority's jurisdiction currently extends only to parts of the West Bank. More than half of the West Bank remains under the control of the Israeli military.
In order to overcome the internal divisions, a reconciliation agreement was signed by Hamas and the moderate Fatah party in May 2011. It provides for the formation of a transitional government with members of both factions, and for elections within one year. In September 2011, President Mahmoud Abbas formally submitted an application for admission of the Palestinian territories as a full member state of the United Nations. Admission requires a two-thirds majority vote in favour at the United Nations General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The German government takes the view that the two-state solution – leading to an independent democratic Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel – is attainable only through negotiation.
Notwithstanding international mediation efforts, the peace talks between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority have not so far been successful. The security situation remains extremely tense and repeatedly escalates into attacks and armed confrontations. The creation of a viable Palestinian state remains the objective supported by the international community. But as yet no feasible political solution has been found on key issues. Borders, the status of Jerusalem, the future of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, Palestinian demands for a right for refugees to return, and access to water resources remain bones of contention.
The absence of statehood and the conflict with Israel also determine the nature of Palestinian-German development cooperation. Germany is one of the Palestinian territories' largest donors. Cooperation focuses primarily on water supply and sanitation, solid waste management, economic development, institution building and promotion of local government.
German Embassy

Representative Office of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ramallah
13, Berlin Street
Ramallah
Phone: +972 / 2 / 2 97 76 30
Fax: +972 / 2 / 2 98 47 86






