With reference to one major international conflict, analyse and assess the geographical impacts of

conflicts on the area (40)

A conflict is a disagreement caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and
interests between people; which can vary in intensity from political non-violent activity, to direct
action and violence. When a conflict is created an extensive list of geographical impacts follow,
including social, political, environmental or even international impacts.
For centuries there was no such conflict. In the 19th century the land of Palestine was inhabited by a
multicultural population, approximately 86% Muslim, 10% Christian, and 4% Jewish living in peace.
However, in the late 1800s a group in Europe called the Zionists decided to colonize this land, they
represented an extremist minority of the Jewish population. Their goal was to create a Jewish
homeland, and they considered locations in Africa and the Americas, before settling on Palestine. At
first, this immigration created no problems. However, as more and more Zionists immigrated to
Palestine with the intension of taking over the land for a Jewish state resulting in the indigenous
population becoming increasingly alarmed. Eventually, fighting broke out, with escalating waves of
violence. Hitler's rise to power, combined with Zionist activities to sabotage efforts to place Jewish
refugees in western countries, led to increased Jewish immigration to Palestine, and conflict grew.
Finally, in 1947 the United Nations decided to intervene. However, rather than adhering to the
principle of self-determination of peoples, in which the people themselves create their own state
and system of government, the UN chose to revert to the medieval strategy whereby an outside
power divides up other peoples land. Under considerable Zionist pressure, the UN recommended
giving away 55% of Palestine to a Jewish state, despite the fact that this group represented only
about 30% of the total population, and owned fewer than 7% of the land.
By the end of the 1947-49 war, Israel had conquered 78% of Palestine; three-quarters of a million
Palestinians had been made refugees; over 500 towns and villages had been obliterated; and a new
map was drawn up. For decades Israel denied the existence of this population, former Israeli Prime
Minister Golda Meir once saying: There is no such thing as a Palestinian.
In 1967, Israel conquered still more land. Following the Six Day War, in which Israeli forces launched
a highly successful surprise attack on Egypt, Israel occupied the final 22% of Palestine that had
eluded it in 1948 the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Since, according to international law it is
inadmissible to acquire territory by war, these are occupied territories and do not belong to Israel. It
also occupied parts of Egypt (since returned) and Syria (which remain under occupation).During the
Six Day War, Israel attacked a US Navy ship, the USS Liberty, killing and injuring over 200 American
servicemen.
Firstly it becomes evident that there are two primary issues at the core of this continuing conflict.
The inevitably destabilizing effect of trying to maintain an ethnically preferential state, particularly
when it is largely of foreign origin. The original population of what is now Israel was 96% Muslim and
Christian, yet, these refugees are prohibited from returning to their homes in the self-described
Jewish state.
Second, Israel's continued military occupation and confiscation of privately owned land in the West
Bank, and control over Gaza, are extremely oppressive, with Palestinians having minimal control
over their lives.
According to the Oslo peace accords of 1993, these territories were supposed to finally become a
Palestinian state. However, after years of Israel continuing to confiscate land and conditions steadily
worsening, the Palestinian population rebelled by sparking the Intifada of September 2000.
It became apparent whilst studying this largely diverse and on-going conflict that there was more to
the conflict than simply opposing ideas about land ownership and religious disputes. There seemed
to be an ever evident myriad of impacts created by the violence and disruption that have been a
burden on the both Israel and Palestine for many years now. Including effects on the environment,
social wellbeing, economy and international peace.
Firstly, in 1961, the world was transfixed as the Soviet Union enclosed West Berlin, Germany, in the
96-mile, 12-foot-high Berlin Wall. The social implications of the wall had a profound impact on world
politics for nearly 30 years. In 2003, the world remains largely ignorant of the fact that Israel is
building a 200-mile, 25-foot-high Apartheid Wall around the West Bank of Palestine. In the
northern West Bank, the first phase of the Apartheid Wall is to be approximately 70 miles long and is
to include electric fences, trenches, cameras, sensors and security patrols, all at a cost of tens of
millions of dollars. The first phase will place 45,000 West Bank acres on the Israeli side,
approximately three% of Palestinians land mass. The footprint of the wall itself will be enormous,
with as much as 8,750 acres completely lost. Construction of the wall will mean the removal of tens
of thousands of trees and will affect the hydrology of the watersheds. This will cause changes in
water quantity and quality and groundwater levels. Surface water flow will be altered, and there will
be an increase in erosion and sedimentation.
This will further impact the regions water supplies around the wall. The climate of Palestine is semi-
arid, and water sources are precious. In villages around Qalqilya and Tulkarm, more than 30 wells
will be lost in the first phase of the wall. As a result, Palestinians will lose nearly 18% of their share of
the basins water. The sandy desert soil tends to absorb water and other pollutants such as sewage
easily. This along with the groundwater remaining fairly close to the surface leads to easy
contamination. This combined with an aging, poorly maintained, and now war-damaged sewage
system, has led to groundwater pollution, which could severely affect the lives of many.
Secondly, the close relation between the social and environmental impacts that this Middle Eastern
conflict is creating for the citizens of both Palestine and Israel becomes evident. In 2010, UN Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that, almost all of Gazas 13,000 families who depend
on farming, herding and fishing have suffered damage to their assets during the recent conflict and
many farms have been completely destroyed. Owing to a limited agricultural production, people in
Gaza are facing an acute shortage of nutritious, locally-produced and affordable food.
Over 10,000 Palestinian men, women, and children are held in Israeli prisons. Few of which have had
a legitimate trial reporting that Physical abuse and torture are frequent. Palestinian borders are
frequently controlled by Israeli forces. Periodically men, women, and children are strip searched,
people are beaten, food and medicine are blocked from entering Gaza, producing an escalating
humanitarian crisis. Israeli forces invade almost daily, injuring, kidnapping, and sometimes killing
inhabitants. Alongside this, the concrete wall along the West Bank cuts through Palestinian villages,
preventing families from getting to their land.
The Arab Israeli conflict heavily influenced the economies and financial infrastructures of both Israel
and the West Bank. To begin, the economy of Israel fluctuates in accordance with the conflict, with
major economic sectors like defence spending, tourism revenue, and the number of trading partners
appearing to be trapped on one side of an extremely sensitive scale, as the conflict weighs down the
economy as it intensifies. However as violence and chaos subside, more individuals from countries
around the world are drawn to visit sites like Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. Israel's sector of
international trade has also experienced great effects because of the conflict. In the first forty years
of its independence, Israel was economically isolated in the Middle East because of the problems
that it caused for the Arab world and the Palestinian people. Virtually every Arab country in the
Middle East refused to accept Israel's creation and refused to trade with this new neighbour.
Therefore, Israel was forced to form economic and trade bonds with countries outside the Middle
East in order to survive, successfully forming trade allies with the United States, India, Australia and
China. The country relies heavily on trade, and its many trading partners allowed the economy of
Israel to grow over time through revenue from exports
U.S. taxpayers give Israel an average of $7 million per day, and since its creation have given more
U.S. funds to Israel than to any other nation. As Americans learn about how Israel is using our tax
dollars, many are calling for an end to this expenditure. On the other hand, the economy of the
Palestinians and the West Bank has also been heavily affected by the Arab Israeli conflict. Because of
the conflict and its consequences, the Palestinians were left without a home. Even though they have
been allowed temporary autonomous rule in the West Bank, the Palestinians are still attached to
Israel economically. Since the Palestinians do not have a country of their own, they are unable to
trade internationally. Therefore, they are forced to trade with their only truly close neighbour, Israel.
The main export of the Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank is labour. Palestinian workers are
hired in Israel and it is estimated that the Israeli market provides jobs for about 9% of all the
Palestinians. As violence rises as a result of the conflict, the percentage of employment decreases
Moreover, the wages of Palestinians are extremely sensitive to the intensity of the conflict, largely
similar to the one experienced by Israel's economy. In 2000, the average income per person in the
West Bank and Gaza was $1,660. However, as the Intifada broke out and the conflict worsened, the
wages dropped rapidly. After the Intifada, the average wage of only $1,340 in 2001 showed the
devastation of the conflict on the economy of all Palestinians.
In addition to jobs held by Palestinians, a major part of the Palestinian economy relies on foreign aid.
It is estimated that the West Bank and Gaza received $3 billion in aid in the mid-1990s from
Germany, the United States, and the European Union. The economy of the West Bank and all
Palestinians s would crumble and collapse to nothing if it wasn't for international aid due to the lack
of any significant economic growth.
Due to its impact on the global economic stability, security in relation to global oil demand and
ultimately international peace the United States and the international community have made
attempts in recent years to create a solution to the conflict. U.S. taxpayers give Israel an average of
$7 million per day, and since its creation have given more U.S. funds to Israel than to any other
nation. As Americans learn about how Israel is using our tax dollars, many are calling for an end to
this expenditure. Yet, a resolution remains elusive as to the respective claims of the Palestinians and
Israelis are still largely different.
In conclusion it becomes evident that the Palestinian and Israeli conflict in the Middle East has
created a diverse range of local effects including economic, social and environmental impacts on
both Palestine and Israel. However, has also created international geographical impacts, mainly
involving America, which has ultimately affected the global economy and international peace.