the isreal-palestine conflict

One of the biggest myths about the Israel-Palestine conflict is that it has been going on for centuries and is rooted in ancient religious hatreds. In reality, while religion plays a role, the conflict is mainly about two groups claiming the same land. It actually dates back only about a century to the early 1900s.

At that time, the region now known as Israel-Palestine was under Ottoman rule for centuries. It was religiously diverse, with Muslims, Christians, and a small number of Jews living together relatively peacefully. However, the region began changing in two significant ways. Firstly, a sense of Palestinian national identity was emerging among the local Arab population. Simultaneously, in Europe, more Jews were joining the Zionist movement, which advocated for a Jewish nation. Many Jews, facing persecution, saw the Middle East as their historic homeland and the best hope for establishing a safe Jewish state.

In the early 20th century, tens of thousands of European Jews migrated to this region. After World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed, and the British took control of the area, calling it the British Mandate for Palestine. Initially, the British allowed Jewish immigration, but as tensions grew between Jews and Arabs, they began to limit it. Both sides committed acts of violence, and Jewish militias formed to fight the Arabs and resist British rule.

The Holocaust during World War II led to a significant increase in Jewish migration to British Palestine, strengthening global support for a Jewish state. In 1947, as violence escalated, the United Nations proposed a plan to partition Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem as an international zone. Jews accepted the plan and declared the independence of Israel, but Arabs saw it as European colonialism. Arab states declared war on Israel, aiming to establish a unified Arab Palestine. Israel won the war, expanding its territory and creating a massive Palestinian refugee population.

After the war, Israel controlled most of the territory except for Gaza, controlled by Egypt, and the West Bank, controlled by Jordan. This marked the beginning of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Many Jews fled or were expelled from Arab-majority countries, relocating to Israel. In 1967, another war saw Israel seize more territory, including the West Bank and Gaza, placing it in control of Palestinian areas.

In 1978, the Camp David Accords led to peace between Israel and Egypt, but the Israeli-Palestinian conflict persisted. The PLO, formed in the 1960s, initially sought to eliminate Israel but later accepted the idea of dividing the land. Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza complicated matters, with settlers often clashing with Palestinians.

The late 1980s saw the First Intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation, followed by the creation of Hamas, an extremist group opposing the PLO's approach. The 1990s brought the Oslo Accords, aimed at peace and Palestinian self-governance, but violence and political opposition on both sides undermined efforts.

A Second Intifada in the early 2000s further deepened the conflict, leading to increased skepticism and hardline politics in Israel. Gaza fell under Hamas control, leading to blockades and high unemployment. Today, the conflict remains unresolved, with ongoing violence, settlements, and political stagnation making the future uncertain. Both sides face immense challenges, and the current situation is seen as unsustainable.