Israel And Palestine Conflict 2021 Explained
Main reasons for conflict between Israel and Palestine
The conflict we see in 2021 between Israel and Palestine is not the one that has started now. It is born of more than 100 years of struggle. It has been around for generations. But now, They are the worst clashes seen in the region in years. So, in this article, I will explain how actually the war started why it is still not resolved yet and why it is raised again in this situation.
1. How did it start?
Palestine is a small region of land that has played an important role in the modern history of the Middle East. Throughout history, Palestine has been ruled by numerous groups, including the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Egyptians.
During world war -1 the Ottoman Empire is ruling Palestine. After the Ottoman Empire was defeated in world war-1, Britain took total control of Palestine. Back then, it is occupied by the majority of Arab and a minority of Jews. After Having total administration over the region, Britain was tasked with setting up a national home for Jewish people in Palestine.
But both the Jews and Arabs argued that Palestine was their land. So, it has become an issue. During 1920–40 many Jewish people around the world fled to Palestine escaping violence. This situation greatly incited the Arab population and caused violence between Arabs and jews.
2. The Partition of Palestine
In 1947, UNITED NATIONS proposed a plan to split Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. The city of JERUSALEM(capital city) a Holyland for both would become an international city. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, but many Palestinian Arabs opposed it.
Arab groups argued that they wanted more territory because of their majority of the population and began to form volunteer armies throughout Palestine.
3. Forming ISRAEL State
In 1948, Britain left Palestine and declared itself an independent state. Then, the Jewish leaders created the state of ISRAEL. Many Palestinians couldn't bear it. So, a war broke out including neighboring Arab armies moved in to prevent the establishment of the Israel state. The 1948 war is the beginning of the Arab-Israel conflict and it is involved five Arab Nations -Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon.
As the war ended in 1949, Israel controlled more than two-thirds of the former British Mandate, while Jordan took control of the west bank (part of Palestine) and Egypt occupied Gaza.
The 1948 conflict opened a new chapter in the struggle between Jews and Palestinian Arabs, There was never a peace agreement between them each side blamed the other and war would continue for decades.
4. War and Peace
In April 1967, the clashes worsened after Israel and Syria fought in which six Syrian fighter jets were destroyed. In the wake of the April air battle, the united nations helped Egypt against Israel. Israel's defense forces then launched an attack against Egypt on June 5, 1967, which ended on June 10 is called The “Six-Day War”.
By the end of the war, Israel had taken control of the Gaza strip, The West Bank, the Sinai peninsula, and the Golan Heights.
Along with wars, there were numerous attempts for peace over the decades. Palestinian and Israeli leaders met and negotiated a two-state solution that did not last. By 2000 violence again raised. The most recent peace plan came from Donald Trump in January 2020. Israel PM said it was the deal of the century but Palestinians scoffed at it saying it was one-sided. So, the tensions about war remained high.
5. Jerusalem and Hamas
Jerusalem is one of the holiest lands on earth for Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Israel claims the whole city as capital. But, Palestine claims east Jerusalem is the capital of its future state. For the past 50 years, Israel has built settlements in Jerusalem, and more than 60, 000 jews live there.
Since 2007, Gaza has been ruled by a Palestinian Militant group called HAMAS. Many countries consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization. The group has carried out suicide bombings and repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel.
6. Current conflict- 2021
But, things have really started in mid-April 2021, the start of the holy month of Ramadan. There were daily violent clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians. Palestinian militants fired more rockets into Israel. Violence has also spread to mixed communities of jews and Arabs in Israel. Hundreds of people have been killed in Gaza including children.
7. Conclusion
Any nation needs to end conflict and negotiate. It is not only for the sake of development but also for the people who are forced to leave their homes for the war. It is sad to see still there are countries trying to go to war even in these pandemic situations. But, peace requires the consent of both sides. It is hard to see an end to this endless conflict until that happens. Hope that people will understand the necessity of peacemaking and wish they will choose humanity over destruction.
Thank you for reading this article until the end. Hope you understand the history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Do follow me on medium and get in touch on Linkedin. Don't forget to clap if you like the article. Also, Let me know in the comments if I missed anything. Last but not Least STAY SAFE and stay indoors as much as possible. Take all the precautions when you go out and Take care. Let's meet in the next article.
