What is the Main Cause for the Conflict between Israel and Palestine?

According to modern records, Israel and Palestine have been in conflict for around 52 years. For many historians, though, the conflict goes back to the biblical times. In the Old Testament, you will see the name Israel mentioned severally. Similarly, Palestine appears in the Old Testament around four times. In many ways, one could safely conclude that the conflict between the people of these two nations started several decades before Jesus Christ was born. If that’s the case, what is the main cause for the conflict?

Significance of the 52 years

What’s the significance of the aforementioned 52 years? For starters, it marks the period in which Israeli forces have occupied land that the Palestinians consider originally theirs. In this regard, you would be correct in stating that the main conflict is land. Consequently, the conflict would be similar with others that have occurred during different moments of man’s existence on earth. It’s interesting to note that many people and nations often opt for war and years of discord or antagonism the moment the land they call theirs falls into enemy hands.

The occupation of Gaza Strip and West Bank by Israeli forces has been a cause of disagreement for 52 years now. Protests regarding this occupation have been bloody and messy. The reaction and response to the protests have been equally as brutal. That said, politicians and leaders in both countries would be the first to inform the world that what they are fighting for is much more than a question of land. As you will see below, other issues that have continued stoking the fire of the conflicts are:

  1. Mutual recognition
  2. Borders
  3. Security
  4. Water rights
  5. Control of Jerusalem
  6. Israeli settlements
  7. Freedom of movement, especially for Palestinians
  8. Right of Palestinians to return to their ancestral land

Arab-Israeli Conflict

It’s also worth recognizing that Israel has been in conflict with the Arab world for centuries. That conflict has pitted Jews and Arabs for years. Bear in mind that Israel is predominantly a Jewish state. In fact, it’s the only explicitly Jewish state in the world. Consequently, the misgivings between the two groups have fed the hundreds of mini-conflicts that have occurred since then. That’s where the Israeli Palestine conflict also comes in. Without the original Arab-Israeli conflict, it’s difficult to believe that the Palestinians and Israelis would have been at war.

Religion

One can never talk of the Israeli-Palestine conflict without mentioning the role that religion plays. The two dominant religions in the two countries are Judaism (Israel) and Islam (Palestine). To many observers, religion is at the core of the conflict. Because of this, it’s impossible to see a situation where the two states ever agree to meet and iron out their differences. Moreover, you could always say that religion keeps the fiery flames of this conflict burning even when peaceful co-existence seems to be on the verge of birth.

The area that the two countries sit on is full of historical and religious sites that none of the two religions would ever wish to surrender. Judaism’s founding happened right in this part of the world and so too did Islam. Closely tied to this is the issue of culture. Islam stands on Arabic culture. For its part, Judaism mostly stands on Jewish culture. Obviously, culture often has meeting points where people gather to express themselves. The land the two countries occupy is full of such culturally significant locations that it’s hard to see the conflict ending soon.

Currently, there is no timeframe regarding when the conflict pitting these two nations will end. They have been in conflict for decades to a point many generations don’t know what peace is. Each year something new crops up to further dampen the likelihood of peace ever happening. Nevertheless, it’s encouraging to note that many people interviewed around Gaza Strip, West Bank, and other parts of the two countries believe that a two-state solution holds the most hope of lasting peace.

 

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How to Tackle a Research Paper about the Impact of Continued Fighting in Gaza Strip

Undoubtedly, the fighting in the Gaza Strip pits Israelis and Palestinians on two opposing sides. The fight is about many issues. Top on the list is often land. However, other factors also fuel the conflict. These include basic rights and freedoms, as well as security, justice or lack thereof, and economy as well as the quality of life. For this reason, any research paper on the impact of continued fighting in Gaza Strip has to mention all that and more, as you will see below.

Origin of the Conflict

Arguably, the most important topic to address on such a research paper is the origin of the conflict. As stated above, it features two countries – Israel and Palestine – that are forced to live in a single country. Palestine is mostly a struggling economy. Israel, on the other hand, is a first world economy. However, the main cause of the conflict isn’t about the economic situation. It’s about land rights, culture, religion, justice, and more.

Origins of the States

After looking at how the conflict started, the next issue to tackle is how the two countries came to be. How were they created? Other than that, the paper would also need to delve into the role that the world played in the creation of these countries. Without the United Nations, it’s difficult to see a situation where Israel would have been curved out of Palestine. How would the situation have panned out without the involvement of the global community?

Impact on Economy

Now that you have laid the foundation for the research paper, it would be great to tackle the impact of the continued fighting on the economy. In Israel, the unemployment rate stands at 5 percent. On the other hand, it stands at 17.7 percent and 42 percent in West Bank and Gaza Strip respectively. On top of that, the economic losses that Gaza has suffered over the years amounts to more than $200 million.

Impact on Healthcare

Again, Gaza Strip continues to experience the worst of the continued fighting. Its healthcare is in complete tatters. It’s common to see hordes of Palestinians making their way to Israel-occupied territories to seek better medical attention. Public health is in serious danger of collapsing completely the more the fighting continues. Furthermore, the lack of access to clean water increases the likelihood of severe outbreaks of diseases.

Impact on Education

The research paper also has to look at the impact of the continued fighting on education. In Gaza Strip, there is no doubt that poverty and violence have made it extremely difficult for children – and students in general – to access quality education. A case in point is the presence of more than 240,000 students having to access education from only 252 UNRWA schools. Moreover, students are never assured of a full day’s worth of education in these schools.

Its full impact is easy to see in the following areas:

  • Underfunded education
  • Students regularly failing their examinations
  • Over 94% of all schools run double shifts for different sets of schools
  • Severe truncation of children’s education

Impact on the Environment

Your research paper would be incomplete if it doesn’t talk about the impact of continued fighting on the environment. The constant shelling and dropping of bombs all over Gaza Strip has created an ecological disaster, which nobody seems to be in a hurry to solve. Consequently, there is no guarantee that the next generation will even be able to live, study, worship, or work in suitable surroundings. The local flora and fauna are in a crisis.

Impact on Agriculture and Food

It’s difficult to see Palestinians in the Gaza Strip dedicating much of their time in productive activities such as farming and all manner of food production. How can they when they are constantly worrying about evading enemy fire? Remember that the unending fighting has completely destroyed the region’s coastal aquifer, which is its main source of water. What is more, cultivable land seems to be shrinking too, thus exposing locals to risk of starvation.

 

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What was Israel Called Before 1948?

Which is the oldest nation between Israel and Palestine? Such questions often come up when talking about the conflict that has gripped the area for generations. In answering this question, one has to talk about the names by which the two countries went prior to the present day predicament. Most importantly, the focus normally tends to be on Israel for various reasons. For starters, it is the most developed nation of the two in terms of healthcare, economy, security, and quality of life. Nevertheless, what was its name prior to 1948?

History

In terms of land size, Israel is one of the smallest countries in Middle East. Some of its neighbors include Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. To its west lies the magnificent Mediterranean Sea. Most of its population comprises Jews. For this reason, it’s no wonder that many people and commentators around the world refer to it as the Jewish Nation or State. However, that has not always been its name. Over the years, its name has changed depending on numerous circumstances.

One can’t talk about the history of Israel without mentioning its biblical foundations. As the Hebrew Bible tells us, its origins are traceable to Abraham, who is referred to as the ‘father of many nations.’ However, the name Israel would not emerge until Jacob, who was Abraham’s grandson, entered the scene. He was born Jacob. Much later, he would take the name Israel after God renamed him. For this reason, one would be right in concluding that Jacob is the father of Israel, the nation.

However, history also indicates that the nation never remained intact throughout its existence. For example, it fell into the hands of the Assyrians who not only invaded but destroyed its northern part in 722B.C. Over the years, different empires and armies have attacked and decimated the land. Interestingly, it always rises from the dead like a phoenix. A few examples of the armies and nations that have attacked Israel include Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Islamists, Arabs, and Mamelukes among others.

Apart from that, some of the wars that have taken place following its renaming to Israel are:

  1. Hamas Wars
  2. Second Lebanon War
  3. Second Palestinian Intifada
  4. First Palestinian Intifada
  5. Lebanon War
  6. Yom Kippur War
  7. Six-Day War
  8. Suez Crisis

Israel/Palestine under the Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire ruled Israel for years between 1517 and 1917. Consequently, it didn’t exist as a nation. That situation would continue until World War 1. While the war was at its peak, James Balfour, who was the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom at the time, submitted a letter that requested setting aside a part of Palestine for the Jewish nation. At the time, there was no suggestion that the country reverts to its original name of Israel. Instead, the general feeling of The Balfour Declaration was that it remains Palestine.

In a way, one could surmise that The Ottoman Empire at the height of its powers killed Israel. Conversely, at its death it led to the creation of the state of Israel, which would be known as Palestine for several years. However, the creation of the Jewish state caused plenty of friction with the Arab countries around it. To them, the Jewish homeland would lead to the total annihilation of Arab Palestinians. Fortunately, Israelites would remain safe under the rule of the British until the creation of their separate state in 1947.

Without a doubt, Israel has been called many nations throughout its history. In this article, the focus was on the name it was known by before 1948 following The Balfour Declaration. As shown above, its name was Palestine. Since the renaming in 1948, Israel has suffered plenty of wars with its neighbors, especially the Arab states. It has a rich history in terms of name, establishment as a state, subjugation under foreign powers, and eventual independence. As history books show from the biblical days, it has gone through a full cycle of names.

 

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Palestine Cultural Beliefs

Palestinians have a unique culture, just like every other community around the world. In talking about their culture, one has to look at their traditions as well as the social customs that govern daily interactions. It’s worth noting that the country acquired its name from the Romans who invaded the land in the 2nd Century C.E. For this reason, one expects the culture to feature a bit of stuff from the Romans. Nevertheless, this article focuses on some of Palestine’s most prominent cultural beliefs, which define how they live, socialize, learn, worship, and work.

Social Stratification

In talking about the Palestine cultural beliefs, reference has to be made to the people’s social stratification too. What you will notice about this place is the division into classes and castes. A perfect example of this appears around West Bank. Here, you will see the Jewish settlements divided from everything else. The Palestinians and Jews don’t live in the same settlements or places. For this reason, you are likely to find the places where the Jews inhabited and frequent filled with all the best stuff, which include:

  • Roads
  • Shopping facilities
  • Jobs
  • Services

Because of this anomaly, the Palestinians resent the Jews. Nevertheless, elite Palestinians are also renowned for the privilege they enjoy. For example, you will see them donning all the fine attire. It’s worth remembering that many Palestinians lived outside their country for years. They then returned to the land following the Oslo Accords of 1993. These people came back with a great deal of wealth, which they continue to flaunt to their fellow countrymen and women who are not as financial secure.

Gender Roles

Additionally, the Palestinian cultural beliefs have divided gender roles clearly. Therefore, you will encounter many men – and women – who believe that a woman’s place is right in the home. Because of this, women often have to focus on house chores or work in the local cottage industries. On top of that, women who wear Western-style dresses are unlikely to earn much admiration within the society. What is clear here is that the status of men vis-à-vis women follows the pattern of all Arabic culture, which expects women to wear:

  • Long jacket-like dresses
  • Traditional Muslim jilbabs
  • Scarves for covering the hair

Family

In Palestine, marriage is traditionally between men and women. Typically, you would expect to find most married men with more than three wives. However, the situation is different in Palestine where they mostly restrict themselves to 1-2 wives. Additionally, men always approach the families of the women they wish to marry, before getting engaged, knowing one another, and preparing for their weddings. Other than that, most households host extended families too and married children have no problem staying with their parents either.

Socialization

Palestinians have one of the highest birth rates in the world. They love their children and proudly take great care of them. Infant boys go through circumcision, which is often a period of great celebration. Cultural centers abound at all learning levels, which are predominantly organized under Egyptian and Jordanian systems of education in Gaza and West Bank respectively. Regardless of a person’s socialization, all men are required to greet each other with a handshake. For their part, the culture expects women to kiss one another on the cheeks.

Religion

Religion is an important part of the cultural beliefs of the Palestinians. Islam and Muslim are the most predominant religious group in the country. In fact, they make up 75% of the population. For this reason, it is little wonder that Islamic practices are the most prevalent everywhere you go around the country. Locals go to the mosque from where they receive their weekly sermons from Imams, who are their spiritual leaders. Religion also plays a crucial role in a person’s death. Each death is followed by a 3-day mourning period and an anniversary after 40 days. .

 

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