Arab Israeli Conflict Essay Example

around Jerusalem. The country was split equally between Jews and Palestinians, which angered the Arab community and led to the 1948 war. During this conflict, Israel was attacked by surrounding Arab countries but successfully defended and gained more land. This further reinforced the belief of the Jewish population that Palestine was their rightful homeland.
As a result, Israel took complete control of Palestine, intensifying the anger of Palestinians.

The Israeli success in The 6 Day War resulted in the occupation of various territories such as all Palestinian lands, the Sinai desert, the Gaza strip, Jordan, Syria and Jerusalem. This occupation caused resentment towards Israelis and increased support for Yasser Aarafat and the PLO. However, the excessive land to police left Israelis unable to control areas with significant Palestinian population due to riots. The 1993 Peace Processes had limited success and were derailed by the assassination of 29 Palestinians by a Jewish gunman in a Mosque. Nationalism is the love for one's country so much that they would do anything for it, which also applies to Diaspora and the Jews.

Israel and Palestine have been plagued by violence and terrorism as both sides struggle to defend or regain their land, resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians on a daily basis. The conflict dates back to 62 BC when the Romans invaded the region, causing disagreement over their demand for polytheistic worship, which contradicted Jewish beliefs. Ultimately, this led to the Diaspora, leaving Jews homeless, unwanted and unhappy while Arabs occupied their vacated land.

The Jewish population was targeted for extermination by Adolf Hitler during World War II, known as the Holocaust. After the war ended in

1945, England permitted some Jews to enter Palestine since they were left without a home. This resulted in the Zionist movement, which enabled more Jews to come into Palestine. However, Palestinians had been the dominant group on this land since 600 AD when Arabs arrived after Jews dispersed. By around 600 AD, these Arabs had converted to Islam.

The significance lies in the fundamental contrast between the Muslim and Jewish faiths, indicating complete opposition between them. Although the Arab occupation of the land could not have occurred without the Diaspora, Zionism still resulted in the return of Jews to Israel. Following the Diaspora, Jews faced vulnerability and underwent racial and religious discrimination in the countries they inhabited. Accused of disasters like plagues and famines, Jews suffered numerous attacks.

Throughout history, the Jewish people have suffered through numerous forms of persecution, including torture by the Spanish, expulsion by the English, and terrorization during the Progroms in Russia. However, the most devastating account of this persecution was the Holocaust of 9142, where millions of Jews were exterminated. This was largely due to Hitler's propaganda, which blamed the Jewish population for the Great Depression. Many Jews had prosperous careers before and after this economic crisis. In 1898, a Jewish journalist named Theodore Hertz proposed a solution to this ongoing persecution through Zionism. This movement aimed to establish a homeland in Palestine where Jews could exercise their autonomy and live in peace.

The World Zionist Organisation was established and sought financial backing from wealthy Jews in America and England. During the First World War, the English sought aid from the Arabs to shift Turkish attention away from European battlegrounds, proposing a state

in exchange. The Sykes-Picot agreement was created in 1916 to secure France's support within the vast Turkish empire between France and England. In 1917, England needed assistance from the United States, but its location made it hesitant to join. As a result, American Jews were offered their own homeland if they could persuade America to enter into war.

After their joining, the land was promised to the Arabs, Jews, and French. The British mandate and partition followed. In response to the devastation of World War 1, the League of Nations was established to prevent future conflicts. The League assigned certain countries affected by the war to determine the fate of defeated empires. In this arrangement, Britain supervised Palestine until it was prepared for self-government.

Following World War 2, there was a significant desire amongst many Jews to return to the Promised Land. However, the English eventually had to stop the influx of Jews into Palestine. Those who arrived illegally were sent back to their place of origin. This resulted in enraged Jews already residing in Palestine pressuring the English by killing Arabs, as well as English people and Palestinian gangs like the Irgun gang. This violent behavior caused alienation towards Zionism, yet even the English had to admit they had lost control. The United Nations subsequently took over and divided Palestine into three parts: an Arab state, a Jewish state, and an International zone around Jerusalem. Each state gained 50% of the original land. This decision caused extreme dissatisfaction amongst Palestinians since 90% of Arab farm land was in the Jewish state, and thousands of Palestinians had to move out to accommodate Jewish residents.

Following the 1967 war,

Israel gained more land including the West Bank which led to Palestinian anger. Jewish settlement was encouraged in this newly acquired land with affordable and spacious housing, swimming pools, and schools. It is important to acknowledge that this land was obtained through war and exceeded the UN allowable limit.

The 1987 Palestinian Intifada was sparked by a Jewish truck hitting Arabs, prompting Arab retaliation with stone throwing towards the Israeli army, who responded with gunfire and helicopter gunships. The violence intensified and shifted towards Hamas instead of the PLO. In June 1996, strict Israeli politician Wetanyatu became leader and ordered the demolition of Palestinian buildings in Jerusalem to construct an Islamic Mosque tunnel, resulting in riots among Palestinians and their police turning their weapons on the Israeli army.

The Israelis respond to Palestinian violence with helicopter gunships and tanks while Hamas recruits suicide bombers from nearby refugee camps. By exploiting Palestinians' anger at injustice, Hamas finds willing suicide bombers. In 2000, Ariel Sharon, a presidential candidate in Israel, visits the Al-Aqsa Islamic mosque, which is situated in Jerusalem and owned by Palestinians. This leads to riots, and Israel deploys its army and helicopter gunships in response.

Arafat was a complex figure who took on various roles throughout his life. Despite being born in Cairo in 1929 and receiving engineering training, he became one of the founders of the terrorist group Fatah known for their extreme violence. He then joined forces with another terrorist organization called the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), responsible for blowing up American and European planes. In 1968, Arafat assumed leadership of PLO and worked tirelessly to gain international recognition.

By the 1980s, Arafat attempted to

rebrand himself from a rebel or freedom fighter into a moderate statesman engaged in politics aimed at improving Palestinians' image - which proved successful. Ultimately, Arafat's leadership played an instrumental role in promoting peace between Israel and Palestine.

Due to their hatred for Israelis and belief in a better afterlife through martyrdom, Hamas, now taking over the role of the PLO, continues to recruit suicide bombers from refugee camps. However, Arafat's inability to control them has left both the Israeli government and United Nations dissatisfied with his actions. Despite Arafat's attempted efforts to stop Hamas being seen as mere pretense, he secretly allows them to continue. This has led Ariel Sharon, a right-wing Israeli leader who believes in using necessary force to secure Israeli territory for Jews, becoming favored for his hardline approach.

With a preference for utilizing force, including the army and helicopter gunships, the stakes have been raised. It is concluded that the Roman invasion of 62BC, leading to the Diaspora, was a noteworthy occurrence that sparked conflict. Furthermore, tensions were exacerbated by the arrival of Arabs in vacated lands causing Jews to disperse throughout Europe and ultimately America where they faced persecution in places like Russia and England. The Zionist movement served as fuel for this conflict by urging Jews to return to Palestine since its establishment in 1898.

Great Britain received a mandate for Palestine from the League of Nations, prompting them to assist both Jews and Arabs despite their religious differences. The attempted extermination of Jews brought global sympathy, leading Jewish survivors to demand a homeland. In response, the UN divided Palestine into three parts: a Jewish state, an Arab state, and an

international state around Jerusalem. The Jewish population relocated to their designated areas, displacing many Palestinians from their homes and farmland. Following an attack by five Arab countries, Israel defended themselves before attacking occupied territories in the 6 day war, ultimately assuming control over the Palestinians.

The constant fighting and first Intifada were caused by both religious differences and nationalism, leading to the establishment of the PLO who carried out terrorist attacks on Israel. Despite Arafat's attempts at a more peaceful approach, accusations of insufficient control over terrorist groups hindered progress and fueled more attacks. As a result, Israeli Prime Ministers took harder-line measures. The October 5th bombing is a product of this ongoing cycle.

My analysis indicates that the conflict in Palestine was primarily driven by several factors, including Diaspora, nationalism, religion, and the Holocaust. In the absence of Diaspora, there would have been no Arab occupation of the land to spark any conflict. Additionally, the Holocaust played a significant role in garnering global sympathy for Jews and ultimately resulted in them receiving half of Palestine. Conversely, Zionism facilitated Jewish migration into Palestine due to their promised land. Nonetheless, it was persecution towards Jews that triggered all these events culminating in the 5th October bombing.