The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has spanned over a century, evolving into a complex issue many struggle to comprehend. There are many fallacies that this conflict is driven by two contradictory cultural and religious ways of life. In actuality, the dissension is driven by historical disputes and unresolved issues where each side blames the other.
In order to grasp both the severity and the complexity of this relationship, it is necessary to look back on historical events that contributed to today’s tension between the two groups.
In 1516, Jews, Arabs, and Christians lived in mostly peaceful coexistence, which would continue for another few hundred years. Following World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed which ruled Palestine, and Britain would continue to extend their power of the land. Britain recruited both Arab and Jewish soldiers in a battle against the Turkish people, promising both groups the land of Palestine as a token of appreciation for support in revolt against the Ottoman Empire. This would be one of the first conflicts between the two groups which would set the tone for
the next century.
In 1947, the United Nations proposed the Partition Plan which recommended the establishment of separate Jewish and Arab states. This plan was accepted by Jewish leadership but rejected by Arab states, thus never being fully implemented.
In 1948, the State of Israel was created by a combination of different diplomatic efforts which, for Jewish people, meant direct fulfillment of Zionism, the goal of establishing Jewish homeland in their inherited land. However, the establishment of Israel enraged most Palestinian Arabs as it represented displacement and expulsion. This initiated the first Arab-Israeli war, as neighboring Arab states immediately invaded Israel. Within this process, Jewish militias would expel over 700,000 Palestinians from their homes and Israel grew beyond its original set borders. Most Palestinians ended up in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Lebanon. All of these factors combined would feed into the tension between both the Arabs and Jews.
Another Israeli-Arab conflict occurred in 1967, referred to as the Six-Day War. Israel seized territory of Syria and Jordan. In 1973, Arabs orchestrated a surprise attack on Israel on Yom Kippur which altered Israel’s strategy and mindset. To summarize, many incidents between the two populations occurred since the establishment of Israel, orchestrated by the head of the Jewish Agency for Israel David Ben-Gurion in 1948, feeding into the distaste both sides had for the other.
In 1987, the Islamist Palestinian political organization Hamas was founded but gained political prominence in 2006 when they won the election in Gaza. Hamas had a reputation of antisemitism and were ultimately known for their goal of the destruction of Israel. According to Michael Clarke, a British academic who specializes in defense studies, “Hamas represented a rejection of both the peace process and the Palestinian authority.” Hamas often clashed with Fatah, a Palestinian political party that was known for corruption and incompetence.
Hamas was later labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S., Europe, and Israel. The election of Hamas was described as a protest vote against the corruption of Fatah. Tension between the two Palestinian ruling parties grew. In 2007, the Palestinian Authority was split in two and Fatah would be in control of the West Bank and Hamas would be in control of Gaza, which is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
In response to Hamas political control, Israel blockaded Gaza from receiving food, medicines, and building materials, ultimately putting the economy of Gaza in jeopardy. Gaza would later create tunnels to transport people and goods, which were often detected by Israel and flooded or filled with poisonous gases. The failure of tunnels would lead to starvation and famine of Gazans.
Although Palestinians are currently under the control of a mix of authorities, the United Nations officially declared famine in the Gaza Strip on Aug. 22, affecting about two million Palestinians. Food cannot consistently enter Gaza due to complications relating to the blockade as well as operations that make aid delivery to Gazans unsafe. The blockade has not been removed primarily due to security concerns relating to Hamas.
United Nations now states that Israel has commited genocide against Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war with Hamas. Israel, however, denies this.
