Analysis of The Different Sides of Arab-israeli Conflict

In this essay, I will be critically discussing how Palestine and Israel had been at war for over a decade. These two countries had been in conflict for over 52 years, many individuals believe the conflict between the two abrupted because of two groups fighting over land. Even though this might be the case there are other explanations to why the conflict had been happening and to why is still on-going.

The main points that I will be focusing on is an explanation of how the conflict occurred, with an analysis of how Palestinian’s and Israeli are both fighting for land. With also an explanation of how grievance and greed fuel the conflict to still carry on. Lastly, the religion and political side of the outbreak of the conflict.

One of the main reasons why the conflict had abrupted is two groups of people claiming the same land. In early 1900, the eastern Mediterranean religion groups such as Muslims, Jews and other religion were living amongst each other in a civil manner. During that time many Muslims were identifying themselves as Palestinians Arabs they were in alliance with many different countries. In Europe, Jewish people were starting a movement, referred to as Zionism. They were facing many years of oppression and in order to protect their religion, they had set their sights onto the Middle East “Between 1882 and 1903, 25000 Jews entered Palestine” (Harms and M.Ferry, 2008) to reinforce the idea of their own nation-state.

After World War 1 (1914-1918) the British were in mandate with Palestine in control of their region. The British had allowed many Jews immigrants to enter Palestine, but when the number had grown amongst the Jew community within the farm market. The Palestine Arabs and the Jews immigrants were violent towards each other. The British had then limited the number of Jews that could enter the Palestinian region, this caused the Jews militant to declare war against Britain and the local Arabs.

The holocaust then happened in 1941 were many Jews immigrants had also then travelled to British- Palestine to reinforce the idea of their own nation of state. In 1947 The United Nation had then stepped in to stop the conflict between the Arabs and Jews reinforcing a border plan to divide the Palestinian land into two separate nation, now referred to as Palestine and Israel. This also meant that the British would have no control over the region, the Israel Jews had accepted this. However, Palestine- Arabs disagreed with this plan as they believed that the peace agreement was just an ideology of Europe trying to take control of their land.

Jerusalem was one of the lands during the plan that had been made by the UN it was an independent state. However, during the war in 1948 to 1949 Israel had won the war declaring the west – side of Jerusalem as their own and some parts of Palestine causing a huge population of immigrants. Gaza and the West bank were the only lands not controlled by Israel causing the conflict to continue for decades.

Some may argue that Palestine was entitled to the land, but Israel had referred the land as its own. With Jewish people believing that their spiritual, religious and political ideas had been shaped in the land of Israel (ERETZ). Their Jewish identity meant that that they had a sentimental value and attachment to the land of Israel. Those lands were a restoration of peace in their lives and to implement a stronger Jewish state. The United Nation had acknowledged this with declaring Israel as the Jewish of state as they had strongly agreed that it was their natural and historical rights. 

However, the British had no right to give over their land. This was a political attempt for Britain to stay out of the conflict and politician Lord Curzon had agreed with this. He had mentioned that Weizmann the former president of Israel only wants Jewish state, a Jewish nation and made this happen through the shelter of British trusteeship. Regardless there were different religious groups living amongst each other in those regions the Britain had no right to insert themselves, whether it was a political gain or not.

Lastly, ex-Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have argued that the Jewish settlers had more of a right of the land then the native population with the idea that the land has become more superior. He mentioned that a national home is an argument based on a right of individual ownership of its house. For example, if the owner is thrown out of its house but had not returned to claim its right. Where a new owner had fixed up the place and made a home of it while the original owner had made no claim to its right of the property. This means the original owner has the full right to claim the home back. This analogy fits in with the idea that 2000 years ago Jews had lived in those lands, therefore Israel has more right to it. 

The sixth day of war Israel had gained more access to Palestinians regions. This had allowed them to govern the Palestinian people. This meant that Palestine had lost their independent state and Israel were a stronger force. Even though they had most of the region Palestine were still in fights with Israel to gain their state back other groups were also formed prior to the conflict.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) came into existence. Their main priority was to end the Israel state entirely. The conflict had carried out for years after that.

The first intifada an Arabic term referred to as ‘shaking off’ had occurred in 1987, where it caused the Palestinian people to protest against Israel this stage Israel had taken most of Palestinians land. They had no rights, therefore, they retaliated their anger by ‘stone-throwing, not paying taxes, and years of protest’. This level of protest had caused 42,355 incidents with the Israel Government retaliating against the protestors. 

Hamas a group that believed the PLO to be too comprising they had developed a Palestinian terrorist group operating in Gaza. They had used suicide bombings and rocket attacks against Israel. Their main priority is to replace Israel and make it into a Palestinian state they are mainly in charge of governing Gaza.

Other countries had gotten involved after many years of conflict to start a peace treaty. Palestinian at this stage wanted their national rights and independence from Israel. Israel believed that Palestine had no right, but they were willing to start this peace process. The Hamas terrorist group had used suicide bombs to stop the negotiation from happening. The extremist on both sides caused a major delay in the peace and for the conflict to still arise. Sometimes terrorist groups are placed within a conflict in order to create years of chaos and no solution. 

Another argument that explains to the reason why Palestinians and Israeli are at war is greed and grievance amongst both countries.

In the 19th century with Jewish individuals suffering oppressions the idea to return to their holy land meant a Jewish state, and to also stop the suffering amongst many Jewish individuals. In 1916 when Britain and France signed the Sykes -Picot treaty where they were in alliance with the Middle East. At that point the Middle East was very influential as they had a huge incline of wealth. The Arabs and Jews both promoted grievance in different ways.

The end of the First World War the Arab population attacked the Jewish settlers in Palestine. The British had tried to put a cap on the number of Jews immigrants entering these countries. The Jewish immigrants were buying land and evolving within their technology, where else the Arabs were taking a loss in this with the Jewish community rising economically, prospering and increasing their wealth the Arabs were still living in a feudal system.

In 1974, when the United Nation had allowed Palestinian territory to be shared between Arabs and Jews. The Jewish state increased with most of the region given to them and Palestinian limited to the countryside. This again shows greed amongst the Jews as they went on to take over the Palestinians territory. They might not acknowledge themselves as greed as they refer it as taking back their ‘holy land’ and protecting their interest. However, the property of Jerusalem that Israeli had taken over originally belonged to the Arabs. 

There were many grievances caused on the bases of an eye for an eye with a peace treaty failed between Israeli and Palestine in 2000. Both sides had a military presence. With Israeli implanting borders, walls, checkpoints and many Palestinians were placed in segregated areas. 

Many Israelis did not want the Palestinians to have equal rights are they were afraid that the Arab population would increase. This fear created some grievance against the Palestinians populations. With Israeli celebrating the victory of sustaining many of their lands, the Palestinians were defeated. There will be years of conflict due to greed and this causing grievance amongst the Palestinian victims and the Israelis who are also caught up in the crossfire.

Greed and grievance another issue to why the conflict is still happening on both sides with the Palestinians and Israel being in-denial. Rather than splitting the country in half it seems that on either side there is not satisfactory. For an effective peace agreement to happen between both leaders the population should be taken into consideration. With also looking at both side to why the conflict is still occurring. Greed needs to be considered with Israel wanting a Jewish state, where does that leave the Muslim-Palestinian state and their rights to those lands. Or even the Palestinian wanting an Arab state and Hamas a terrorist group wanting to destroy the Israeli’s.

Religion also contributes towards the explanation of the conflict. The reasons why it’s been so difficult for these two states to co-exist is because of their difference in religion and their history with the land that they are both claiming to be theirs.

Between Israeli and Palestine, they both hide behind the fact that they are in conflict because of their national state and wanting independence from each other. Israel’s would argue that they are not in pursuit of a religious war against Muslims. Israel security services are torching mosques a place of worship for Muslims.

The Palestinians from their side are also denying their reasons to why killing Israeli. However, regardless when one state starts a conflict it does not stop until there is a peace treaty or there is a winning state amongst them both. The Jewish original plan was to claim that land and turn into a Jewish state before that had happened religions were living peacefully with each other. Their explanation to this is the fact that the land belongs to them and is where their religion had started so, therefore, they fully want to take control. Hamas, retaliate through violence. Even though both religions promote peace and the act of violence is seen as forbidden. However, people who live in these countries are in grievance with many people dying and the morality rate increasing at what rate are Israeli and Palestinian going to come up with an agreement. 

Another contribution to these wars is an alliance amongst different countries. They play a huge role in sustainability and for the war to still occur. America is a causing a huge controversial to why they support Israeli financially. They support them through billion dollars of aid and diplomatic backing when they are in need. Some arguments were to say that the American people are in support with Israel. However, the alliance between the two had been shifted over the years within the first decade’s president Eisenhower during the 1956 Suez war where Israel had fought against Egypt.

The alliance came into existence in 1973 when American aid supported Israeli from the Arabs taking over. Since the cold war had occurred the alliance had become much stronger between America and Israel, they are a common interest in fighting terrorism. The mass media also showing huge support for Israeli and its biased reporting against Palestine by using terrorism as a basis to why the war is still occurring.

America supports Israeli hugely with 118 billion in aid over the years, there was a tension between Israeli and American officials when President Barack Obama was president. Donald trump former president of America has welcomed an Israeli and America relationship. The idea is also acknowledging Jerusalem as Israeli’s capital.

Four countries in the UN recognise Palestinian as an independent state: Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait. It seems that religion plays an alliance with all these countries being a Muslim state. It's difficult for other countries to acknowledge them as independent state until they own the lands that Israeli has taken from them. Many Palestinians immigrants live on the border of Israel and are oppressed with poverty level growing amongst.

Palestine has some alliance with countries such as Iran. They believe that Israeli is wrongfully harming the Palestinian people. They acknowledge Israeli as a threat they also see Israel as a direct threat. Where they provided many of their militant to other countries to defeat Israeli.

Another country that supports the Palestinians is turkey they are in good terms for a long time by supporting and providing aid to their people. Saudi Arabia is lastly another country that gives hundreds of millions of dollars to the Palestinian Authority for them to survive. They are supported with any negotiation deals between Israeli and Palestinians. Saudi Arabia does not recognise Israeli as a nation this is, due to they declare of war to many different countries, in particular, the Palestinians.

Overall, it seems that Palestine is the failing state where they have not prospered even of their alliance their mortality rate is increasing. Constant attacks from their neighbours mean no sustainability and for them to declare as an independent state they have the population. However, most of their land is in Israel. Israel needs to agree on a peace treaty and for other nations to recognise them as an independent state at the moment they are in conflict with Israel with fighting for the same land. 

To conclude, Israeli and Palestine are both countries that have been fighting for decades. The main ground to these conflicts is one state believing that their history and their ancestors living in those lands, therefore giving them that right to claim that piece of land. Even though this does cause difficulties when the Arab nation had started life in that land it caused decades of disruptions amongst the two.

Even though many countries have intervened to stop these conflicts the war is causing morality to decrease amongst both states. It is almost to question, whether Israeli and Palestine could ever co-exist. It seems that Israeli was able to gain access to their lands that they believe belongs to them and to also gain more access and cause oppression amongst the Palestinians. Right now, the Israeli economically are sustaining further, where else Palestinians poverty level has increased.

Even though the last peace treaty were about to create a peaceful environment for the Palestinians and Israelis. it causes question such as, who are fuelling these two countries to be at odds with each other. Even though that land was an Arab territory many countries because of Israeli violence towards the Palestinians and other countries they have are not supporting Israeli. Where else, other countries, such as American is still supporting.

With a history of violence is created, it causes difficulties amongst both sides to forget. One country uses violence then the other retaliates where does it stop. Unless both countries are willing for the land to be equally redistributed there is no solution to this issue.

References

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