Israel-Palestine Conflict: History and Key Events

• One of the most intricate and enduring conflicts in modern history is the Israel-Palestine conflict, which is deeply enmeshed in historical, religious, political, and territorial disagreements.

Historical Context

• The land encompassing Israel and Palestine carries substantial religious significance for Jews, Muslims, and Christians; for Jews, it represents their ancestral homeland, while for Muslims, it houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
• The Zionist movement arose in the late 19th century intending to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine because of centuries of persecution in Europe and Russia, including the Russian pogroms and the Holocaust.
• Jewish immigration to Palestine surged in the early 20th century, particularly after World War II, escalating tensions with the long-established Arab population.
• The United Nations suggested dividing Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states in 1947, designating Jerusalem as an international city, which Jewish leaders accepted, but Arab leaders rejected.
• In 1948, the declaration of the State of Israel triggered the first Arab-Israeli war, resulting in Israel expanding its territory and a mass displacement of Palestinian Arabs, leading to a refugee crisis.
• The 1948 war led to a considerable number of Palestinian refugees, a critical issue in the conflict, viewed by Palestinians as the Nakba, demanding the right to return to their ancestral lands, which Israel opposes.

Key Issues

• At its core, the conflict revolves around land claims with both Israelis and Palestinians asserting their historical and religious connections to the same territory.
• Israel captured territories including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza in the 1967 Six-Day War which Palestinians claim for a future state.
• Jerusalem stands as a particularly contested point, with both Israel and Palestinians asserting it as their capital, with Israel controlling the entire city and Palestinians seeking East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
• Millions of Palestinian refugees residing in camps across the Middle East are seeking the right to return to their homes in what is now Israel, while Israel resists this for fear of demographic changes.
• Israel defends its military presence in the West Bank and blockade of Gaza citing security reasons due to attacks from Palestinian militants, while Palestinians claim they are living under occupation and are subjected to systematic discrimination and violence.

Differing Perspectives

• It is difficult to determine who is right or wrong, because each side has legitimate grievances, and actions of violence have perpetuated the cycle of conflict.

Israeli Perspective

• The Israeli perspective prioritizes security concerns, viewing the establishment of Israel as crucial for survival after historical persecution.
• Many Israelis strongly believe in their entitlement to a Jewish state within their ancestral homeland, underscoring a deep-rooted historical connection.

Palestinian Perspective

• Palestinians contend that they have endured displacement since 1948, and the ongoing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is seen as a persistent injustice, emphasizing the critical demand for the right of return for refugees.
• Palestinians in occupied territories experience constrained movement, limited resource access, and military occupation, which many view as a form of apartheid, where they are treated as second-class citizens.
• Palestinians aspire to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Conflict Drivers

• The conflict stems from centuries-old religious and historical land claims where Jewish and Arab populations hold competing national narratives.
• Numerous peace initiatives, such as the Oslo Accords and Camp David Summit, have stumbled in resolving critical issues like Jerusalem, refugees, borders, and security.
• External factors, including the broader Middle East and neighboring Arab countries, have contributed to the conflict, with some Arab states normalizing relations with Israel through initiatives like the Abraham Accords in 2020.
• Radical factions such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, alongside Israeli military actions, have fueled cycles of violence and retaliation.

Persistence Factors

• The conflict is sustained by entrenched national narratives where each side perceives its actions as defensive and justified, perpetuating a profound sense of injustice.
• Failed peace efforts have left core issues unresolved, and actions seen as hostile perpetuate the conflict.
• Power imbalances, with Israel as a stronger military force, maintain control, while political divisions among Palestinians hinder unity and recognition.