Israel-Palestine conflict: Religion, region and all that triggered a century long war

Israel and Palestine have been embattled in conflict for over a century now. While multiple efforts have been made at resolving the issue, the battle, fuelled by regional annexation and religious opposition, seems far from over.

While the Zionists currently led by PM Naftali Bennett and Palestinians led by Palestinian National Authority (PNA) continue their contestation for the sliver of land, another key player Hamas has emerged with its anti-semitic charter.  

How did it start?

In 1918, as World War I ended, the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the allied forces, giving the British direct control over Palestine (modern-day Israel, Palestine and Jordan). It was in September 1923, that the League of Nations passed the Mandate for Palestine which obliged the then rulers of the land to establish a “national home for the Jewish people.”  However, this was soon opposed by the Palestinians who asserted that it would subjugate Arab Palestinians. It is worth noting that throughout the first world war, the UK used the conflict to galvanize allied support and even passed the Belfour Declaration (1917) announcing a separate state for the Jews.

Independence and Aftermath

In May 1947, a sovereign, independent State of Israel came into existence with David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, as the prime minister. However, it soon attracted the ire of the Arabs and in 1948, 5 Arab states- Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon-invaded the region in what became known as the Arab-Israeli War. This triggered a civil war across Israel as a part of which thousands of Palestinians were forced out of their house in what is now termed as Al-Nakba. In 1949, an armistice agreement was inked making the West Bank part of Jordan and Gaza an Egyptian territory.

The arrangement was short-lived as Israel in 1967, waged the six-day war, annexing the Gaza Strip, West Bank (including East Jerusalem), Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights. While Palestinians initially objected to it, they later accepted the demarcations under the Oslo Accords, allowing the Palestinians to self-govern the captured land. The Sinai Peninsula was later returned to Egypt in 1979.

Why is Jerusalem the flashpoint? 

The city of Jerusalem has been the bone of contention between the Arabs and the Jews for a century. The old city of Jerusalem houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest place for Islam. The same land is also revered as the holiest in Judaism as Temple Mount. Frequent flashpoints at the site have triggered not only a war of nerves but also ammunition between Palestinians and Israelis. Earlier in May, Israel and Gaza based Hamas engaged in an 11-day long war which led to more than 200 fatalities.   

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The “Occupied” West Bank

West Bank is a landlocked sliver of land which is bordered by Jordan and Israel. While Israel occupied the area in 1967, Palestinians claim it to be their own. The West Bank also includes the area of East Jerusalem, which is one of the key areas of contention owing to its religious importance. At present, it houses over one lakh Israeli settlers while roughly two to three million Palestinians live in the disputed territory under limited self-governance and Israeli rule, according to BBC. Palestinians have repeatedly highlighted that with a rising number of settlements in the West Bank, it has become increasingly difficult to achieve their "dream of independence".

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The Gaza Strip and its blockade

Since 2007, the Gaza Strip is ruled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Both Israel and Egypt strictly control the border to prevent weapons from reaching Hamas. However, the blockade has had major adverse effects on 140 sq. mile sliver of land and its two million residents. Adding to that, this year 11 day war (May 2021) has left the region annihilated with hospitals, offices and houses destroyed by aerial strikes. In more recent times, the Zionist regime has ramped up efforts to ease tensions and in September, it allowed imports of new vehicles, goods and equipment for civilian projects in the Gaza Strip. 

(Image: AP)