The Middle East Conflict

The conflicts in the Middle East are nothing new, as fighting between Palestine and the Jews have been going on for almost a century. Following World War I and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Britain took control of land in the Middle East, including the area that make up current day Israel. In 1936, the Palestinians started a rebellion against the British, as well as the Jews in neighboring land. As a result, the British formed the Peel Commision with the goal of investigating the causes of the rebellion, and they soon concluded that the Jews and Arabs wanted to govern the same land. The Peel Commision believed that the best solution was a two state solution, which was the creation of two independent states, one for the Jews and one for the Palestinians. The split was heavily in favor of the Arabs, with the British offering 80% of the disputed territory to Palestine, while the Jews would get the remaining 20%. Despite the significantly smaller portion of land offered, the Jews voted to accept the offer. However, the Arabs rejected the offer and resumed their fight. This was just the beginning of rejected offers by Palestine. About ten years later, in 1947, the British went to the newly founded United Nations in hopes of finding a solution to the rise in violence and tensions. Just as ten years earlier, the UN decided that dividing the land was the best option.

In november of 1947, the UN voted to create two states. And again the Jews accepted the offer. And again the Arabs rejected, but this time, the Arabs launched a war as a result. Soon, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria joined the conflict. But they all failed. Israel miraculously won the war and the Jews begins to form a new Nation. In 1949 most of the land set aside for the Arabs became occupied territory; occupied noy by israel, but by Jordan. This land was the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Twenty years later, in 1967, the Arabs, this time being led by Egypt and followed by Syria and Jordan, once again attempted to destroy the Jewish state. This conflict is known as the Six Day War, and again, against all odds, Israel wins the war. As a result, Jerusalem and the Gaza strip ended up being Israeli land. In hopes for peace, debate over what to do with the land spread through Israel. About half wanted to give the Gaza strip to Egypt and the West Bank to Jordan with the hope that it could in turn bring about peace. The other half wanted to the return the land to Arabs. The Arabs had started to refer to themselves as Palestinians as an attempt to unify build their own Arab nation there. A few months later the Arab League met in Sudan where the infamous “Three No’s” were issued in which it stated, No peace with Israel, No recognition of Israel, and No negotiations with Israel. And for the third time, a two state solution was repelled by the Arabs.

In 2000, only eighteen years ago, The Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak met at Camp David with Palestinian Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat. The Camp David accords had the goal to form a new two-state plan. Barak offered Arafat all of Gaza and about 94% of the West Bank including East Jerusalem as its capital. Arafat and Palestine again rejected an offer. US President Bill Clinton said Arafat was “Here 14 days and said ‘no’ to everything.” Arafat like the leaders before him rejected any offer that gave Israel any land. And like the past has shown, the Palestinians reacted violently, but this time it with suicide bombings that ultimately killed 1000 israelies and crutucakky hurt thousands more. These bombings were done in buses, social halls, and even pizza places. And still Israel tried to bring peace. In 2008, Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert further added to the deal at the Camp David accord by adding even more land to offer of all of Gaza the West Bank. But yet again, the offer was turned down. The new Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas rejected land from Israel for the fifth time. Although these offers were reject, Israel still gave up Gaza in 2005 and gave the Palestinians complete control there. Rather than Palestine developing in to a nation for its people, it ultimately turned into a base for terrorism from which they have fired thousands of rockets into Israel.

All of the time Israel has voted and agreed to a Palestinian state, the Palestinians have turned down the offer, often with violence. Palestine has rejected the offer due to the fact that they want to eliminate Israel and Jews but also because they believe they are entitled to Jerusalem. Jerusalem the holiest city in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For this reason, both the Jews and the Palestinians believe it belongs to them.