When it all Began: The Israel and Palestine Conflict
The origin of this issue dates back a century ago during WW1 when the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the English as they took claim over the land we call Palestine (now governed by both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas) — a pivotal event which build a foundation for the conflict as we know it today.
People have various dimensions and perspectives on how it would be like in the immediate future for this unrest, thus its important to learn about its key “story line,” if you will.
So the land which the the British had taken over was occupied by an Arab majority and Jews in minority. And all was fine until the part where the British were assigned to initiate a “national home” for the Jews in Palestine. Jew population grew as many needed saving from persecutions occurring in Europe and claiming a refuge homeland after the Holocaust of WW2 between the 1920s and 1940s — which aggravated tensions between the two communities forced to share the same land~ Precisely why the conflict is said to be more about land rather than a religious one.
Finally, the UN body agreed to the splitting Palestine into several Jewish and Arab states as Jerusalem was declared as an international city in 1947— yet another event leading to… well, TODAY.
Following this on May 14, 1948, Israel had declared independence after the British left. It even offered a chance for its Arab neighbors to maintain their relations with amity which with no surprise was duly declined. In return, five of the Arab armies declared war on the emerging Jewish state, laying claim to banish the land that despite surpassing the Jews with power and arsenals they failed to accomplish; during which hundreds and thousands of Palestinians fled from their domicile — a period of time they recognized as “Al Nakba,” or the “Catastrophe.”
With Israel in control of most the territory, the fight was put to an end by a ceasefire that very year. Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, was split up between the West (Israeli forces), and East (Jordanian forces. Egypt took over Gaza and Jordan took over the area which was recognized as the West Bank.
Since this flame wasn’t extinguished in time, the mishap never had the right explanation to it — leaving each side fingering the other being at fault. So it was a natural to expect more unrest if not now, it were to happen anytime soon.
~Disha Singh
