Welcome! Student Blog here, currently enrolled at BHCC in Boston MA. I'll be posting all sorts of content here, posing questions to both myself and readers about the outside influence of the world on ourselves.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been ongoing since the inception of the independent nation of Israel. Israel, the worlds only Jewish state, is surrounded by all sides by predominantly Islamic countries. Both sides of this conflict have stakes in the land on which Israel is based- Israel considers it a holy land, and their ancestral home; whereas Palestine believes the land to be theirs by right, as they lived there for the 2000 year interrim between the Jewish peoples last presence & their return after World War I. During World War I Britain stated it's intention to create an independent Jewish homeland and was mandated the region. In the interrim between WW1 and WW2, antisemitism began spreading throughout Europe, fueled by Germany in particular but also other nations, and Jews being persecuted across the continent began migrating to the region fast enough that Britain was forced to restrict them (though an underground movement to bring Jews into the land began after WW2's beginning, increasing the Jewish population further). After World War II, however, the Jewish community had disputes with British rule, and sought independence from them and all other nations. To quell an uprising, Britain agreed to divide the land and create 2 nations- a Palestinian, a Jewish state, and the city of Jerusalem to be under "an International Trusteeship System". Though the Palestinian government rejected this compromise, Israel announced it's independence the day before the British mandate expired, laying claim to the land before terms had been officially reached. Since this announcement, there has been discord between the two neighbors, as Palestine believes its rights have been infringed on and land has been taken unjustly. The West Bank is under the sway of the moderate Fatah Party, while the Gaza strip region is ruled by the militant (and potentially terrorist) Hamas party. The two Palestinian territories in Israel are under Israeli occupation and control, effectively giving them the power to restrict supplies and aid going into Gaza.
Many look towards the tragedies suffered by the Jews in WW2 to justify Israel's continued presence and fight for land. While those were abominable, it does not excuse the Israeli domination of the region with the help of more powerful governments. When the region was founded over 250,000 Palestinians were forced out of their homes into the neighboring regions, and then 20 years later during the Six Day War, further land was taken forcing more. While Israel may have pure motivations in having a land to call it's own, that land came at the cost of the Palestinian state, justifying the anger felt by the Palestinian citizens of the Gaza strip and the West Bank. While claims that Palestine is assaulting Israel are not without merit, the scale in these assaults must be noted. Gazan attacks hit the region directly surrounding the Gaza strip, thanks to the inability to acquire larger artillery to hit further targets caused by Israel's blocking the region from getting said weaponry. Israeli assaults, on the other hand, typically hit civilians and military citizens alike due to the dense population in the city. While Gaza and it's Palestinian citizens act out against a force populating their city & infringing on their rights, Israel responds by violently and openly assaulting innocent civilians. Others say that Palestine being run by the terrorist group Hamas proves that they are the aggressors in the situations, to which it must be noted that Hamas has only been in power for roughly 20 years, and was elected by a majority of people who felt so disenfranchised by Israeli rule over their lands that they believe that terrorist governance was the only way to retain their livelihoods. Unfortunately Hamas and Gaza are unable to create their own standing army and are thus relegated to the status of "terrorist" due to the methods to which they resort. The violence only escalates with time, and when there is a military strength such as that of Israel (with the backing of other major nations) versus a small group led by a group perceived as terrorists, it only makes sense that the escalation would be blamed on Hamas.
The Jewish belief that they are entitled to a holy land, specifically the land disputed, is one based purely in biblical lore. The Roman's may have thrown the Jews out of Jerusalem after 1000 years of residence, but it was twice that time before they returned. In that time, it was not Roman or Italian powers that were pushed out and deprived of their land, it was Arab and Islamic powers that were forced from their homes for the sake of someone else's religion. It's all well and good to want a nation that is peaceful and amenable to western allies, but that coming at the expense of a people who've just as much right is both unfair and unwise. Palestine being an Islamic citizenship within a Jewish nation in an Islamic region is, at best, courting further instability. Israel's unwillingness to compromise also points to their status as the instigator of much of this violence, as they refuse to budge on land that was technically never granted to them officially on top of forming a country before any compromise could be officially made. Formation under such circumstance is bound to raise the suspicion of the people who are forced to accept such rule. Israel's formation on what was once Palestinian soil must have come across as an injustice to those that were displaced, and seeing them displace more and more of their fellow citizens is what lets such enmity take root.
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Franky,
ReplyDeleteExcellent writing and research. This post is professionally written with clear, organized thought and facts that back up each projected statement that you make. I like that you used a lot of historical information for your facts.
There could be more recent facts to further justify your claims as well. The recent war between Israel and Gaza (which was more of an Israeli invasion), the Israeli blockade on Gaza, and other more recent incidents would further your points and also support your thesis.
That's my other suggestion: to include our thesis by the end of the first paragraph, so you readers know where you are leading them with this information. Your first paragraph is a solid introduction, but as an editorial piece, the reader has no clue which way your swinging. Be sure to include, and even allude to (in your tone and title), your thesis in the first paragraph.
Also, where's the images? Please be sure to include them to enhance the look of your post.
Overall, great research and very poised analysis. Professional in tone.
GR: 92