The Palestine- Israeli Conflict:

By; Dan Cohn- Sherbok and Dawoud El- Alami

Page number: 282

Originally published: 2001

"Palestine is not a land, gentlemen of the jury

Palestine has become bodies that move"

(pg. 211)

Background:

Current Climate

Since the beginning of 2023, Israeli forces have killed 61 Palestinians, 13 of whom were children.

The most recent attack was targeted towards Ramallah and Nablus cities in the West Bank on February 23, 2023.

The State of Israel has committed various operations similar to the February strikes since the 1930s.

Disobeying the consensus outlined in the United Nations Resolutions 242, 338, and Oslo Accords, Israel continues to expand its settlements through the borders of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. These resolutions state the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian land and recognize the Palestinian state as an internationally legitimized establishment.

However, Israeli legislation hasn’t changed after the agreements, and the annexation of Palestinian territories is being pursued at full speed.

Civilians, many of whom are refugees, residing in the West Bank and Gaza are under the military control of the Israeli State. Due to the Israeli Defense Force’s calamitous air strikes, infrastructure in the area has been in complete ruins. The wall, which is equipped with electrifying wires and military checkpoints, restricts the free movement of Gaza residents. Due to the restriction of trade and production, there is no circulation of money or goods, which places Palestinians in harsh poverty. International investigators and journalists are prohibited from recording human rights abuses and lack of resources. Israeli forces exile, detain, torture, or kill any Palestinian, without facing repercussions or judicial judgment. The Israeli government which claims to solely target terrorist organizations has murdered thousands of innocent civilians. Using Hamas, or other terrorist organizations, as an excuse to inhabit more land and kill more people, Israel is in an overt attempt to erase the Palestinian identity.

Currently, there is an immediate need for a re-establishment of the UN General Assembly which will focus on addressing the issues of Palestinian land and possible resolutions.

The international stage, unfortunately, does not show a befitting reaction regarding the murder of hundreds of civilians. Israel aims to completely dismantle the Palestinian people with an iron fist. The Israeli State is in a wicked project to settle, colonize, and take over the land Palestinians have been peacefully living in for nearly two millennia.

Brief History

Era: Ottoman collapse

(McMahon- Sherif Hussein deal, Ottoman loss of Arab lands)

During the early 20th century, the Ottoman Empire was rapidly declining in all aspects of its authority. The speedy advancements of Europe in science, military, social affairs, and economy exceeded Ottoman progress. The large areas of control with different diasporas, the desire for independence from different national and religious groups, and outside pressures and threats made the Ottomans prone to dismantlement. The last Sultan Caliphate, abd- al Hamid, and later the Young Turks’ harsh rulings and Turkification created a ground for the Arab inhabitants of the Ottoman territory to go against the Ottoman regime. Having similar desires for independence from the Turkish autocrats, Sherif Hussein, Emir of Mecca who is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh)’s line, made a deal with a British delegate, McMahon. In this agreement, Sherif Hussein was to follow Pan- Arab propaganda and lead his followers against the Ottomans. In return, the British would give Hussein the Great Syria, which encompassed present-day Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel. Accordingly, Sherif Hussein, and many others like him, opposed the Sultan and began revolts to demobilize the Ottomans. The rebellion succeeded, and with their defeat in the First World War, the Ottomans were no longer in control of the Arabian Peninsula. During these times, some of the leading Zionists such as Herlz began to hold meetings, publish books and newspapers, and indicate Zionist ideals for the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine. These efforts were the basis on which the Israel takeover was built upon.

Era: English control

(Sykes-Picot Agreement, Balfour Declaration, Versailles Conference, British Mandate)

When the British were making the promise of independence of Greater Syria to Sharif Hussein, they were scheming for another order. In a secret meeting between the French and the British, which is later called Sykes-Picot Agreement, the old Ottoman land was divided into French and English control. The two powers drew the lines of their Mandates, in which Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt were to be under British, and Northern provinces like Syria would be under French rule. The treaty, although contracting with the McMahon- Sherif Hussein deal, made the Mandate system in the Middle East official. Versailles Conference followed behind, with a multilateral agreement to divide up all the old Ottoman lands within the victorious Allied powers.

Before the Mandate was even executed, the Balfour Declaration was put into place by the British. The Declaration addressed the need for a Jewish home in Palestine, and effectively encouraged Jews to immigrate, in large numbers, to Palestinian territories. The Declaration was then put into the Churchill White Papers.

Era: Post-Second World War

(Israel becomes an internationally recognized state)

From the time of the publication of the White Papers to the Second World War, thousands of Jews have been migrating to Palestine. They increased the amount of land they would buy from non-Muslim, non-Palestinian land owners, which had begun during Ottoman times. The Palestinian public, already in total worry with the declaration of Balfour, felt their house, livelihoods, and lands were under severe threat.

After the Second World War, the United Nations created a special unit named United Nations Special Committee in Palestine, and in the General Assembly held in 1947, decided to enforce the withdrawal of British troops from Palestine, and for a partition plan that divided the land into two distinct and legitimate Arap and Jewish lands. On 14 May 1948, a day after the British withdrawal, Israel declared itself a state, with Ben Gurion as the first president.

Era: Arab disputes/ unions

(Six-Day War, First Intifada)

The official declaration of the existence of Israel shifted the course of Arab relations. Egypt was prioritizing its freedom from the British, and Israel wanted access to the Suez Canal. Meanwhile, in Jordan, Abdullah wanted recognition from the US as the king of Jordan, and Israel wanted Jordan to recognize it as a legitimate state. Within the Palestinians, Hamas, the group labeled as a terrorist organization by the EU and US, was against the PLO, backed by other Arabs. Egypt, because of its Soviet lenient stance during the 1960s, was seen as a Russian threat by the US. War broke out between Arab nations and Israel, later named the Six-Day War, in which Israel ended with a great victory and expansion of land. The disappointing loss of the war pushed the radical ideals further in the PLO group, and groups like PFLP began to be the majority. Egypt begins to back PLO, along with Syria. Terrorist attacks and suicide bombs by some Palestinian guerillas exponentiated. Israel attacked refugee camps in Jordan, which triggered the creation of the Black September terrorist group. The refugees who fled from Jordan immigrated to Lebanon. However, the Christian Lebanese groups in the state attacked the refugees with the encouragement of Israel and massacred civilians. During the mid-1980s the First Intifada took place, in which the Palestinian public, who have been denied their land and resources, who have been demoralized and villainized, who have been beaten and silenced, went against one of the strongest armies of the world with nothing but stones and cheap bombs. The Intifada was followed by some changes in the PLO, where the leader Arafat accepted Resolutions 242 and 338 of the United Nations, and recognized, for the first time, the existence of the State of Israel.

Era: Invasions and Retaliations

PLO became Fatah, and a coalition between them and Hamas resulted in frequent disputes in ideology. While Hamas looked for direct, violent, and disorganized ways of combat against Israel, Fatah tried to solve organizations, awareness, legal means, and more organized militant comebacks. With the increasing suppression of the settler Israel, the people who began to incline towards Hamas were increasing. Since then, although fluctuating, terror has been on the rise from both sides. The fight between the desperate Palestinians who have been oppressed for decades and the settler who, without any right to do so, began to take ownership of the land, people, and resources of Palestine, is continuing to this day. Israel’s cruelty does not see an end, with sudden and deadly attacks such as Operation Protective Edge that killed 2000 civilians and destroyed 17000 homes, the state of Israel is being built upon the blood of innocent Palestinians.

United State’s Response

The international response to the Israeli massacres has not been adequate to lessen, let alone stop, the oppression of Palestinians. It is known that the United States, which verbally claims to support democratic civilizations and fight against the criminals of the world, has been the top supporter of Israel’s unlawful takeover of Palestine. The US seems to follow double standards when it comes to hopes for freedom and independence in its foreign affairs. For example, the US openly condemns Russian strikes on Ukraine which have its people, land, and government. However, the same can not be said for the US’s reaction to the takeover of Palestine and Golden Heights by Israel. The US, if it is to declare itself the protector of the just and the enemy of terror, has to take action against the atrocities of the Israeli regime, and do its part in creating a future for the Palestinians.

About the Book:

The book “The Palestine- Israeli Conflict” is a beginner's guide to the circumstances of Israel and Palestine, the actors involved, and the events that stand as turning points in their affairs. The book offers an objective read as it contains both an Israeli’s perspective, and a Palestinian perspective. The period between the Ottoman defeat and the first Zionist efforts to the current day fighting is explained. The authors of the book are, Dan Cohn- Sherbok and Dawoud El- Alami. Covering one of the most significant events of modern history, the book is a good starting point for understanding the ongoing conflict.

personal rating of the book: 8/10

News Sources regarding topic:

- https://www.ochaopt.org/50Stories/index.html

- https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/2/22/photos-israeli-raid-nablus

- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/25/three-years-on-us-still-views-syrias-golan-as-israeli-territory