Israel-Palestine Conflict!!
The most sensitive area in the Arab region is the Israel-Palestine area situated alongside of the mediterranean sea. The tensions of ongoing military and political conflict in the Levant has always been the centre of attention of all the globe. These tensions are the result of ancient religio-political environment, immigrants resistance, international politics, and many more.
Geography And Location of the Duo:-
The West Bank and Gaza Strip constitute one of the claimer that is Palestine and the other remaining parts as Israel. The bordering countries are Lebanon in north, Syria, Jordan in East, and Egypt in South are all identified as Arab countries with a major population of Muslims and particular.
In Physical features, there exist a Negev desert in Israel, Jordan river separating Israel and Palestine from Jordan, Mount Hermon as bordering mountain in Northeast, Judean Hills, and the West, Bank etc.the Gulf of Aqaba in South of Israel opens its trade route by the Red Sea. Israel is the only land connectivity of African continent with Asia and hence of great importance.
Reasons of Conflict:-
- Religious Reasons
- Political Reasons
- Historical Reasons
1.) Religious Reasons
Basically, according to Torah(Religious book of Jews), Jerusalem is the holiest city in Judaism and the spiritual centre of Jewish people since the 10th CE BC when the site was chosen during the lifetime of King David to be the location of holy Temple.
Also, Jerusalem is mostly important to Christianity to because it is where Jesus Christ was brought occasionally as a child to the poor in his adult life, crucified at the end of his life and resurrected by God.
In Islam Jerusalem is the third holy city after Mecca and Medina. Muslims believed the prophet Muhammad was transported to Jerusalem on flying horse and from there to the heaven from where he got the message of five times namaz a day by Allah. So, the religious significance of Christianity Islam and Judaism with Jerusalem is of great importance. They always wanted the control over Jerusalem from John David to Ottoman Empire to the present day, Israel and Palestine.
2.) Political Reasons
There are several repositories in which it can be stated as political reasons are also much more significant:-
(a) Israel, being the only land connectivity between African continent and Asia makes it very special for trade in between both. This also marks with the theory of evolution, according to which Homo sapiens travelled through Africa to Asia via Israel.
(b) After the disintegration of Ottoman empire, all the Muslim countries in the Arabic world were united, but due to the emergence of formation of Israel, the connectivity was broken among them. This formation and connectivity break marks the saturation of again, not the formation of an Islamic empire and hence preserving the world from one of the greatest religious monarchy.
(c) Israel is the only country in the centre of Arab, not being an Islamic nation and hence it delivers the way to the world hegemon and international agencies to mark a control over the Arab region. This is the reason why USA is aligned towards Israel blindfoldedly.
(d) America, being the world hegemon in order to maintain that place, funds, Israel in a large amount of military and financial aids to maintain the instability in the region so that its hegemony cannot be challenge. However, some analysts also stated that without Usa Israel would not have been lasted this long being in between the Arab world.
3.) Historical Reasons
In 1947, two years after the end of World War II, and the horror of the Holocaust — the UN General assembly, voted to the partition of Palestine into an Arab state and a Jewish state against significant opposition. This decision set in motion, a civil war in Palestine between the Arab and Jewish communities. In the run up to the British withdrawal from the area, Jewish and Arab militants clashed, resulting in the loss of Arab Palestinian towns to the Jewish community.
In 1948 May, Britain withdrew and the armies of various Arab seats responded by invading the area of Israel. When hostilities in the first Arab is really war ended in January 1949, the new state of Israel was in position of 78% of the territory. The West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza strip remained in Arab hands.
In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the six day war, fearing an imminent attack. This time is rail not only took the control over West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza, but also the Golan Heights of Syria and Sinai peninsula of Egypt.
To know more- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War
Despite at litre, with due its forces from Gaza trip and some degree of self-governance in the West bank, the two areas remained known as the occupied Palestinian territories of this state.
In 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, beginning the Yom Kippur war in which Israel push both armies back within three weeks.
In 1979, following secret negotiations, the year before Israel and Egypt agreed to a peace treaty. Israel agreed to return the Sinai peninsula to Egypt in return for normal diplomatic relations with Cairo, among other countries.
Amid anger at occupation and what Palestinians felt was repression by Israeli authorities, two Palestinian organisations emerged that world should change the region that are Palestine liberation organisation(PLO) and Hamas organisation.
According to Oslo Accord 1993, negotiated between Israel and Palestine, liberation organisation led by Yasser Arafat, saw the creation of the Palestinian National Authority, which was to be having some degree of autonomy within the Gaza strip and the West Bank.
In 2005, Israel left the Gaza strip which was captured from Egypt in 1967. Hamas prevailed in 2006 elections in the territory and following years engaged in an armed conflict with the Palestinian authority, resulting in the Gaza strip, especially by Hamas.
Contemporary Situation:-
On 7th October 2023, Hamas launched a devastating attack across the border into Israel. They also broke the border fencing and launched around 5000 missiles on Israel by which thousands of people have been killed and its effect is still in progress.
After this, Israel declared war on Hamas that too launched around 6000 missiles and many air and army missions to counter the terror attack as of 13th October 2023. USA and UK recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Many ministers of Gaza have died till date and the citizens also suffering from the same. Prime Minister of Israel Netanyahu addressed the Israelis that “…this is just the beginning. We will eliminate hamas.” All the Arab countries and all almost all Muslims all around globe have showed their support to the holy Palestine.
Conclusion:-
The tension between Israel and Palestine is from the ancient history and is utilised by the superpowers to gain their interests. The war is growing and is looking like igniting a mini-world war situation in the Levant.
Researched by:- Shreesh Shukla, Author
Sources:- Wikipedia, The Hindu, The Israel Times, BBC news, Al Jazeera, Twitter(X), and many others
