The Palestine Israeli conflict is one of the longest-running in world history.
For those in the west, we may see a few things here and there when violence flares up. However, the fact of the matter is that this is an extremely complex situation that has affected generations of people in the middle east.
If you want to know a bit more about this challenging situation, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’ll try and give you the basic facts about the Palestine Israel conflict so that you can better understand the politicians, activists, and plight of the general population in this embattled region.
Despite countless attempts at peace, the conflict rages on. Keep reading and learn more about how we got here.
1. It’s About Nationalism, Not Religion
Most outside observers who aren’t educated in the politics of the west bank may think that this stems from a Muslim-Judaism issue. It’s actually far more complicated than that. It’s all about traditional territory and nationalism.
During the 1800s, nationalism gradually rose to prominence in Europe. Numerous politicians and nations sought autonomy, but one prominent Jewish politician called Theodore Herzi advocated for an Israeli state. He thus became the father of Zion.
Palestinians had long been fighting for political autonomy from the Ottomans and British.
2. Division Started During British Reign
At the end of WWI – after the fall of the Ottoman Empire – Britain took control of the Palestinian territory. During this time, the British instituted various mandates for Muslims, Jews, and Christians in the area. This created a huge amount of division between the groups.
In addition, they helped to relocate over 300,000 European Jews to the region, vastly increasing the Jewish population in Palestine. With them came more European ideas and a distinct lack of history with the other cultures.
3. 1948
The biggest turning point in the Israeli Palestine conflict came in 1948. After Palestine revolted against the British in 1936, tensions had gradually risen. When the UN attempted to intervene and separate Palestine into two separate states, war broke out and the Israeli state was finally created.
9 months of conflict ensued, with the Israelis coming out on top. When this happened, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to flee to various bordering countries. Since then, Israel-Gaza violence has been continuous and its tentacles have been long-reaching.
Support for each side has been divided all over the world. Some are investing in Israel through charities like thejerusalemportfolio.com, while others are concerned about the well-being of Palestinian refugees.
No End In Sight For The Palestine Israel Conflict
Until these extremely complicated issues can find a middle ground, there’s no end in sight for the Palestine Israel conflict. Thousands have died over the years and many more have been displaced by the violence. Now that you know a bit more about the conflict’s history, you can follow it with a closer eye.
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