Israel vs Palestine
How did it all start? A 100-year-old case
Britain gained control of Palestine after defeating the Ottoman Empire, which ruled this part of the Middle East, in World War I. This land was populated by a Jewish minority and an Arab majority. Tensions rose between the two sides when the international community assigned Britain the task of establishing a “national homeland” for the Jewish people in Palestine, which for Jews represents the land of their forefathers, and the same is true for Palestinian Arabs who see it as their land, so they opposed the move. Between the 1920s and the 1940s, the number of Jews arriving in Palestine increased, many of whom were fleeing religious persecution in Europe and looking for a homeland following World War II’s Holocaust. Violence increased between Jews and Arabs, as well as resistance to British rule in the region. In 1947, the United Nations passed a resolution dividing Palestine into two separate states, one Jewish and the other Arab, with Jerusalem designated as an international city. The Jewish leaders approved of this plan, which was rejected by the Arab side. It was never implemented.
The founding of Israel and the “Nakba”
The British, who ruled the region until 1948, left without resolving the issue. The Jewish leaders declared the establishment of the State of Israel. Many Palestinians objected, and a war ensued, in which forces from neighboring Arab countries sent to the region took part. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced or forced to flee their homes during the “Nakba.” After the fighting ended in a truce the following year, Israel controlled most of the area. Jordans took control of the area that became known as the “West Bank,” and Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip. Jerusalem was divided between Israeli forces on its western side and Jordanian forces on its eastern side. As a result of not signing a peace agreement (both sides blamed the other for this), more wars and combat operations occurred in the following decades. During the 1967 war, Israel occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, as well as the majority of the Syrian Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip, and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. Palestinian refugees and their descendants have remained in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as neighboring Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Israel refused to allow them or their descendants to return to their homes, claiming that doing so would result in them overrunning the country and threatening its existence as a Jewish state. Israel still occupies the West Bank, and despite its withdrawal from Gaza, the United Nations considers it part of the occupied territories. Israel claims that all of Jerusalem is its capital, whereas the Palestinians claim that East Jerusalem is the capital of their future Palestinian state. The United States is one of only a few countries that recognize Israel’s claim to the entire city of Jerusalem as its capital. Over the last fifty years, Israel has established settlements on these lands, where more than 600,000 Jews now live. The Palestinians argue that these settlements are illegal under international law and impede the peace process, but Israel denies this.
What is Happening Now?
Tensions frequently rise between Israel and Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank. The Gaza Strip is governed by Hamas, a Palestinian armed group that has fought Israel several times. Israel and Egypt control the Gaza Strip’s border to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank claim they are suffering as a result of Israeli policies and restrictions. Israel claims it does this to defend itself against Palestinian violence. Israel denies that it violates the law and impedes the peace process. Things have escalated since the beginning of Ramadan in mid-April 2021, when Israeli police and Palestinians clashed at night. The threat to evacuate some Palestinian families’ homes in East Jerusalem sparked outrage.
What is The Main Problem?
There are several issues on which Palestinians and Israelis cannot agree.
These include the fate of Palestinian refugees and whether Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank should be maintained or removed. The most complex question is whether the two sides should share Jerusalem and establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Peace talks have been held intermittently for more than 25 years but have yet to resolve the conflict.
What Does the Future Hold?
In short, these issues will not be resolved anytime soon. The last peace plan prepared by the US during President Donald Trump’s presidency, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dubbed the “Deal of the Century,” was rejected by the Palestinians as biased toward one side before it went into effect. Any future peace deal will require both parties to agree on resolving the complex outstanding issues. Until that happens, the conflict will persist.
My Personal Thoughts Towards the Whole Situation?
A long time ago, if someone came and asked what I believe must happen to create peace between those two countries, I would have replied that the only way to create peace between those two countries is for both sides to come to an agreement and decide to live with each other peacefully because the land is already divided between them, so they would have to accept the fact that it is the only possible solution for peace. But unfortunately, with what is currently happening now, I do not believe that there will ever be peace between the two countries, and that is just the reality of it. It has gone way too far for peace to ever exist, and the reality of it is that Palestine wants their land back, and I believe that Israel is trying to kill every single Palestinian in order to take the entire country and turn it into Israel. However, I believe that there will be consequences for both parties involved, and that if Palestine is able to reclaim their land, it will be difficult for them to recover stronger due to the destruction caused by war, which has destroyed everything from homes to hospitals, schools, and airports. In Conclusion, I also believe that if this war between Palestine and Israel continues, it will be the catalyst for World War III, and that countries will become involved, attacking each other, and the destruction will be global, which I do not support and do not want to witness.
