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TheIsraelandPalestineConflict

BackgroundInformation
Thisconflictisbothacomplexandancientone,bornofbiblicalpromiseandreligious
oppression,spanningcenturiesofhostilityandconquest,andthusly,thiswillbealongexplanationofthe
conflictbecausethereissimplynowaytosimplifyit.However,themainturningpointoftheissuethat
madeittheconflictasweknowittodaywasWorldWarII.
FollowingtheHolocaust,atragedythatlastedovertenyearsinwhichatleastsixmillion,ortwo
thirds,oftheEuropeanJewishpopulationwassystematicallymassacredinanattemptatgenocideby
AdolfHitlerandhissupporters,theremainingJewsdemandedtheirownstate.Thiswastheideaof
Zionism,thatthoseofJewishethnicityshouldhavethestatepromisedtothembyGodasthedescendants
ofAbraham,suchasoutlinedinmanyreferencesthroughouttheBible.Genesis15:18isoneofthese
references,statingOnthatdaytheLordmadeacovenantwithAbramandsaid,ToyourdescendantsI
givethisland,fromtheriverofEgypttothegreatriver,theEuphratesHowever,theworldsthree
mainmonotheisticreligionsJudaism,Christianity,andIslamallclaimtheentireareatobeHoly
Land,
Sincebeforethewar,ZionistssearchingforGodspromisedlandhadbeenimmigratinginto
Palestine,howeveratbeginningofthewar,JewishpeoplebegantrulyfloodingintoPalestineand
surroundingareasasrefugees,onlytotakeupresidencetherepermanently.Bytheendofthewar,about
600,000Jewishpeopleand1,000,000PalestinianslivedinPalestine.FollowingthefirstWorldWar,
EnglandexplainedintheBalfourDeclarationthatHisMajesty'sGovernmentviewwithfavourthe
establishmentinPalestineofanationalhomefortheJewishpeople,andwillusetheirbestendeavorsto
facilitatetheachievementofthisobject.However,followingtheSecondWorldWar,Londonturnedthe
Israeli/PalestineissueovertotheUNwhenitwasnewlyformed,andin1947theyvotedtosplitPalestine
intotwostatesoneJewishandtheotherArab.
ThiswasimmediatelyrevokedbythePalestinians,andin1948,Israeldeclareditsindependence,
onlytobeimmediatelyattackedbyEgypt,Iraq,Lebanon,Syria,andTransjordan(nowJordan).Thiswar,
whichaccordingtoSandyTolaninherbook
TheLemonTree
,wasknownastheWarofIndependenceto
theIsraelis,andthe
Nakba
,orcatastrophe,tothePalestinians.TotherestoftheWorld,itwasthefirstof
fiveArabIsraeliwarsyettocome.ThefirstwarendedwithEgyptoccupyingtheGazastrip,andJordan
occupyingtheWestBank.Inthesecondwar,IsraelinvadedEgyptsSinaiPeninsulain1956,onlyto
withdrawin1957.
InJuneof1967,Israel,undertheimpressionthattheywereabouttobeattackedyet
again,tookcontrolofGaza,theSinaiPeninsula,theWestBank,andthewholeofJerusaleminsixdays,
thusmarkingthethirdwar.ThefourthstruckontheJewishholydayofYomKippur,whenSyriaand
Egyptlaunchedajointinvasion,whichendedinaceasefireagreement,includingtradingprisonersof
warandland.Thefifthwarwaslessofanorganizedfight,asthePalestiniansinIsraelioccupiedlands
rioted,untiltheywerepromisedselfgovernmentwithintheGazastripandWestBank.
SincethentheIsraelishavewithdrawnfromtheGazasrip,andin2005,Hamas,designated
terroristassociationbyovertencountries,hastakenoverGaza,andmadeitsomewhatofahumanrights
nightmare,evenmoresothantheharshtreatmentofnonEuropeanJewsinIsrael.Theyseek,asexplained
intheircharter,thedestructionofIsrael,statingthat
IsraelwillexistandwillcontinuetoexistuntilIslam
willobliterateit,justasitobliteratedothersbeforeit.Assuch,theyfailedtorecognizeIsraelasa

country,oreventonegotiatewiththematall.
IsraelstillholdsGazaunderablockadetothisday,sothat
theycancontrolitsborders.
Howeverinmorerecentyears,IsraelandHamashaveestablishedaceasefire.
HamasispotentiallyopentotheideaofaPalestinianstatewithintheareaseizedbyIsraelintheSixDay
War,ifIsraelgrantedPalestinianstherighttoreturntoIsrael,theircountryoforigin,anideafromthe
UniversalDeclarationofHumanRightsandtheInternationalCovenantonCivilandPoliticalRights.

QuestionstoConsider
Whatcountrieswill/doesthisissueaffect,nowandinthefuture?
Whohastherighttowhatlandandhowcantheybeensuredaplaceinit?
HowcantheUNintervenewithoutaddingtothehostilitiesandcomplicationsoftheissue?
WhatwillhappentotheIsraeliswhohavesettledintheWestBank?
Whatwillhappentothe4.6millionrefugeescurrentlyresidingintheGazastrip,Israel,and
surroundingareas?

PossibleSolutions
TheTwoStateSolutionthetwostatesolutionisalreadysupportedbymuchoftheinternational
communitytheUnitedStates,EuropeanUnion,and22countriesoftheArabLeague,etc
exceptofcoursethecountriesinquestion.Thegeneralbasisisthatthelandinquestion(Israel,
Gaza,andtheWestBank)besplitintohalfandIsraelandPalestinelivingbesideoneandother,
sharingthecityofJerusalemasacapital.Palestinianseverywherecouldreturntothelandtaken
fromthembytheArab/Israeliwars.AccordingtoMattHill,Itsalso,officiallyatleast,the
statedpolicyofthecurrentIsraeligovernmentandtheinternationallyrecognisedPalestinian
leadership.
TheOneStateSolutiontheonestatesolutionsuggeststurningthelandinquestion,allof
historicPalestine,intoone,large,binationalstate.TheIsraelisarehesitanttoagreetothisforfear
ofbeingvoicelessamongstaPalestinianmajority.TheformerPresidentofIsraelShimonPeres
saidin2009,Anyonewhorejectsthetwostatesolution,wontbringaonestatesolution.They
willinsteadbringonewar,notonestate.Abloodywarwithnoend.
AnothersolutionistoturnGazaandtheWestBankintothenewcountryofPalestine.Israeldoes
notwanttoagreetothis,notuntiltheyfeelsafeandthesurroundingArabcountries,andHamas
acceptthatIsraeldoesexist,andhastherighttoexist.

UNInvolvements
In1947theUNvotedtosplitPalestineintotwostatesoneJewishandtheotherArab.This
markedthestartoftheUNinvolvementsintheIsrael/Palestineconflict.Sincethen,theyhavebeen
arrangingceasefires,bufferzones,peacekeepingforces,etc.throughouttheArab/Israeliwars,Hamas
strikes,etc.TheyhavealsointervenedinGazatoaidtherefugeescurrentlyresidingthere.SinceMarch
5th,1948,48UNResolutionshavebeenformedbecauseofthetheIsrael/Palestineconflict(43,44,48,
50,54,57,61,62,69,119,228,233,234,235,236,237,240,242,338,339,340,344,346,438,446,
452,468,469,476,478,484,605,608,672,673,681,904,1332,1297,1402,1403,1435,1450,1515,
1544,1624,1850,1860).

ImportanceofResolving
Israelsitsatthecentreofahistorical,regional,andresourcefulconvergenceintheglobal
community.Regionally,itisdirectlybetweenthreecontinents,andthereforeacrossroadforall,asiteof
importanthistoricaleventssuchastheOttomanandEuropeancolonialperiods.Itisresourcerich,asseen
intodaysoilmining,andstrategicallyplacedinthecentreofthreecontinentsasakeypoint,asseenin
theColdWar.Asstatedabove,theareainquestionisasiteofmajorreligiousmeaningforallthreeofthe
world'smainmonotheisticreligions,whichiswhyitmatterstothemillionsofpeopleofthosereligionsso
deeply.Also,dependingonhowalliancesplayout,withtheUnitedStatesandmuchoftheEuropean
UnionsupportingIsrael,aswellasIndiaandotherArabcountriesbackingthePalestinians,thewrong
actioncouldpossiblyleadtoWorldWarIII.Otherkeypiecestounderstandaretheallegedterrorists
threateningIsraelandthosewhohelpthem,andthemillionsofrefugeescurrentlyresidingunderthe
whimofthoseterrorists.Itisimportantbecauseitaffectssomanypeoplethroughreligion,history,
geography,business,etc.,anditseemsthatthewholeworldisholdingitsbreathtoseewhatwillarise
andhowtheyshouldreacttowhatdoes.

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