Attempts to find a permanent peace in the Middle East have always failed.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1-4] e.g. 'Likud has been against the creation of a Palestinian state.'
2. [1-4] 'Likud rejects any claim by Palestinians over the West Bank, and in 1977 were only ready to offer them the right to run their own lives within the occupied territories.'
3. [1-4] 'It will not give up Israel's sovereignty over the West Bank and Gaza.'
4. [1-4] 'Likud wants a 'Greater Israel' which makes a Palestinian state impossible.'
5. [1-4] 'Shamir's rejection of the idea of a Palestinian state caused the failure of the Madrid Conference in 1991.'
6. [1-4] 'Likud has supported new Jewish settlements, which has made a Palestinian state difficult to achieve.'
7. [4-5] e.g. 'Hamas was formed in 1987 and emerged from the first Intifada. The main reason why it has become important is because it has won much support among Palestinians because it has led the struggle against Israel. It led the opposition to the Oslo Agreement between Israel and the PLO. It has led the armed struggle against Israel by using suicide and rocket attacks in Israel and has won support because, despite all of Israel's efforts against it, it has survived.'
8. [2-3] e.g. 'It has become important because its social welfare programmes (including schools and clinics) have won it support.'
9. [2-3] 'This is because it is an Islamic organisation in contrast with the secular PLO.'
10. [2-3] 'It has become important because in 2006 it won the elections for the Palestinian Parliament.'
11. [2-3] 'It grew in importance because it set itself up as a rival to Fatah and took control of Gaza.'
12. [2-3] 'It has won support because it has stood against the corruption of Fatah and the Palestinian Authority.'
13. [2-3] 'It has become important because it has led the Palestinian armed struggle against Israel.'
14. [4-6] e.g. 'I agree with this statement. The Camp David Agreement was between Egypt and Israel and organised by the US president, Jimmy Carter. It was important because it made a fundamental change in Arab-Israeli relations, showing that Arabs and Israelis could make agreements, and opened the way for further agreements later. Egypt agreed to sell oil to Israel and in return, Israel returned Sinai and removed their settlements from there. The Agreement achieved a lot at the time and much later.'
15. [4-6] OR e.g. 'The Oslo Accords were signed by Israel and the PLO and I think they achieved more than the Camp David meetings. The two sides agreed that the PLO were the rightful representatives of the Palestinian people and that Palestinians would govern most of Gaza and the West Bank through a Palestinian Authority. In 1994, a Palestinian Authority was set up, although not all parts of the agreement were carried out and Israel has since re-entered many areas and continued with its settlements. However, the Accords still went a long way towards the self-determination of the Palestinians. They now govern the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank, and in 2012 the UN recognised the Palestinian State. These are important agreements and much more than anything the Camp David Agreement achieved.'
16. [2-3] e.g. 'The Camp David Agreement showed that Arabs and Israelis could reach important agreements.'
17. [2-3] 'The Camp David Agreement returned Sinai to Egypt.'
18. [2-3] 'The Camp David Agreement opened the way for further agreements later.'
19. [2-3] 'The Oslo Accords went a long way towards creating a Palestinian state.'
20. [2-3] 'The Oslo Accords set up a Palestinian Authority.'
21. [2-3] 'The Oslo Accords led to Palestinians controlling Gaza and much of the West Bank.'