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Research Paper
Jacob Vershinski
Introduction
The Israel-Palestine conflict is not a recent development and dates back as far as the 19th
century. Ever since the British mandated Jewish immigration into Palestinian territory, there has
been tension and conflict between the two groups that continue to this day (Israel and the
Palestinians). Arguments about who occupied the land primarily dominated early controversy.
However, different religious, territorial, and economic factors continue to contribute to the
conflict today.
History
Jewish nationalism in what is currently known as Israel and Palestinian territories dates
back to the first century. From the first to the seventh century, the Roman and Byzantine empires
ruled this land (Mark). Determined for some sort of power, the Jewish people revolted against
the Roman Empire, but to no avail. They lost their foundation for Jewish nationalism in the
Roman-Jewish wars and were exiled from the land (Aberbach).
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the British began to take control of this land, and
surrounding territories. Along with France and Italy, Britain took over the Ottoman Empire, and
it was divided up in what is known as the Sykes-Picot agreement. This agreement gave Britain
land which extended from Baghdad to Kuwait and also allowed the British to maintain influence
in what is present-day Iraq, Jordan, and the Negev desert. The next year the Balfour Declaration
was signed, which loosely described Britain’s intent for their newly conquered land, Palestine
(Al Jazeera, 2016). They expressed favor towards establishing a national Jewish home in
Palestine, which gained them the support of the United States, who had a significant Jewish
population at the time (Israel and the Palestinians). Even though the land was already occupied
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by Palestinian people, the British still regulated Jewish immigration into the region. In the years
that followed, conflict broke out, while both Jewish and Arab populations skyrocketed
(Handelman, 2011). However, the Jewish immigration was exceeding the natural population
growth of the Arabs, causing increased concern. This only heightened tension and conflict
between the two communities.
As time progressed, the Jewish and British fought against the Arabs, causing them to
weaken. When World War II occurred, the British shifted their focus away from facilitating
Jewish immigration, to preventing it, to gain the support of the Arabs during the war (Israel and
the Palestinians). This allowed the booming Jewish population to gain their own stability and
mobilize to attack the British. In 1947, after a few years of battle, the British retreated out of
Palestine, allowing the Jewish population to gain control (Handelman, 2011). In 1948, Zionist
leader David Ben-Guiron declared Israel an independent state, to which he received attacks from
Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Lebanon, the Palestinians, and Syria (Weiner, 1999). The Arab’s
military quality and fighting power were poor, and therefore they lost the fight. This allowed the
Jews to expand their territory to include all of British-run Palestine, except for the West Bank,
Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Conflict continued through the 20th century producing two wars:
the Six-Day War and the Yom-Kippur War. In 1987, Palestinian frustration led to an uprising in
Gaza and the West Bank. Violence erupted as the Israelis responded with lethal force. However,
Israel’s military power was not very effective against demonstrations, which led to an agreement
in 1993 that gave temporary peace between Israel and the Palestinians (Israel and the
Palestinians). This didn’t last long as extremists, who refused to accept any form of compromise,
took control and violence once again erupted. This violence has continued in waves until the
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present day. Attacks by one side mediate retaliation, leading to what seems like a never-ending
cycle.
Religion and Rumors
Religion plays a very large role in the Israel and Palestine conflicts. First, let’s examine a
place that can be argued as one of the holiest cities on earth, Jerusalem. Jerusalem, which is on
the border between Israel and the West Bank, plays a crucial role for both the Jewish and Muslim
people. In Jerusalem, there are three major holy sites for various religions: the Al-Aqsa Mosque
for the Muslims, the Western Wall for the Jews, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the
Christians. The Al-Aqsa mosque is the third holiest site in the world for Muslims, making it of
extreme importance to them. The Western Wall is part of the holiest site in the world for Jews,
also making it crucial to their religion (Schulson, 2019). With two enemies in close proximity to
each other and their holy sites, conflict ensues. Also, both sides try to claim Jerusalem as their
capital, only furthering the conflict between the two (Schulson, 2019).
Besides the holy site of Jerusalem, we can also look at the practice of each religion. For
example, extremely religious Zionists in Israel “increasingly see themselves as guardians and
definers of the how the Jewish state should be” (Religion and the Israel-Palestinian Conflict).
Even though these individuals are not truly the guardians of how the Jewish state is, they still
contribute to the religious conflict because they appear to be very strict in anything that deals
with the Arabs. On the other side, Islamic groups in Palestine are encouraging violence against
the Jewish people in Israel. The Israeli people are divided against each other.
Additionally, religious-based rumors started by extremists on both sides and spread
through the media only further provoke conflict. For example, there are rumors of a Jewish plan
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to destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque to build a third Jewish temple on the ruins. On the other hand,
there are rumors that Muslims hold Jewish annihilation at the core of their beliefs
(Religion and the Israel-Palestinian Conflict). Even though these seem to be rumors, they still
spark controversy because nobody knows what to believe! Let’s say both sides deny these
rumors. Who is to say that they are telling the truth? Maybe they are just saying that to calm
tensions or to lower the guard of the other side. While I personally believe these rumors to be
nothing more than fiction, they are still a contributing factor to the constant conflict between
Israel and Palestinians.
Territory and Occupation
The debate of territory between Israelis and Palestinians seems to be the primary source
of the conflict. The British-controlled immigration of Jewish people into Palestinian land appears
to be the root of the problem. The British nor the Jews discussed how the Palestinians would feel
about sharing the land. They just went right ahead and started moving in. From the Palestinian
point of view, this is wrong as they were there first, they believe that they have rightful
ownership of the land, and they don’t want to share it. This is why the Palestinians tried to rebel
against the British and the Jews initially. From the Jewish point of view, they are returning to a
place with historical significance, and they have an ally to help them get there (Israel and the
Palestinians). In fact, the Jewish people tried to establish independence hundreds of years before
the Palestinians were even there. They believe that it is their rightful place to set up an
independent state. With both sides believing they have the right to be in control of this land,
conflict arose.
Additionally, after the Six-Day War, Israel gained access into the Gaza Strip, the West
Bank, and East Jerusalem, and they have maintained control ever since. This is an issue because
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the Palestinians, who were initially there, had no place to go and they are still living there, under
the occupation of Israel (Shafir, 2017). This causes tension because the Palestinians have what
they consider to be their enemies in their land. With no place to turn to, the Palestinians continue
to encourage conflict as they see Israeli forces intruding on their land. However, this constant
conflict has more behind it than just land controversy.
Economic Impacts
While land distribution and occupation is a highly debated topic between Israelis and
Palestinians, there are profound impacts that result from this. For instance, there is both a cost to
Israel and a cost to the Palestinians for the Israeli occupation. It has been projected that between
1970-2008, the total cost of the Israeli occupation totaled over $100 billion (Costs of Israeli
Occupation, 2015). This is so severe to the Israeli economy that if it weren’t for international
support, the occupation would’ve ended long ago. The main portion of this cost appears to be for
security issues, indicating that the Palestinian revolts are actually causing a rise in the cost of
occupation (Swriski, 2005). With no foreseeable end to Palestinian resistance, one can only
imagine this cost will increase.
However, the Palestinian resistance to the Israeli occupation is causing detrimental
effects for themselves too. With Hamas continuing to revolt in the Gaza Strip, the violence has
led to the closing of the Israeli border to the Palestinians, causing a decrease in trade and
employment (Naqib, 2000). Also, when the Israelis began their occupation of the West Bank and
Gaza Strip, they brought along their own economy, which is much larger and more well
established than the Palestinian’s. While some can view the good in this, as it stimulated trade
and increased demand for products, there is also the possibility of competition, which could
crush the Palestinian’s economy.
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Next, along with the Israeli occupation came tariffs. Immediately after the occupation
began, Israel implemented a “custom union trade arrangement that increased tariffs
approximately fourfold” (Naqib, 2000). This led to a decrease in Palestinian world trading and an
increase in trading with Israel, effectively eliminating any advantage they had in the market. This
also stimulated the Israeli economy, while limiting the Palestinian economy. Israel has also been
known to hire Palestinians to work in Israel (Naqib, 2000). This effectively means Israel controls
their wages, and thus their economy.
Finally, if we look at the land occupied by Israel, specifically the Gaza Strip, it is located
on the Mediterranean Sea. This means it has ports for exporting and importing goods, a site for
international trade. With this in mind, we can see that the Gaza Strip plays a very important role
for the economy of the Palestinians, but also for the Israelis occupying the Gaza Strip.
Solutions to the Conflict and IR Theories
When it comes to solving this conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, many issues
would need to be resolved, and approved by both sides. This ongoing battle relies on realism: the
theory that supports conflict and raw power as the predominant forces to solve any issues. Both
sides have been using military power and violence to battle. Israel uses their military power to
maintain the occupation of Palestinian territories, while the Palestinians use their power to cause
chaos and revolt against the Israelis. Both sides focus on conflict and have been doing so for
such a long time that it would be very difficult to try to persuade them otherwise.
The first problem is Jerusalem. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their
capital. It also proves to be a significant holy site for both communities. Making it an
international city run by the EU is one solution, but having both sides approve of that might be a
little more difficult.
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Next, there is an issue with how to separate Israel and Palestine, and if a two-state
solution is even plausible. When trying to divide the land, we need to think about settlements by
Israelis in Occupied Palestinian Territories. Should the settlements stay in the land, and the
Palestinians get the remaining territory? Or should the Israelis get kicked out and be forced to
return the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem? We also need to think about if the
Palestinians should get some sort of compensation for the land they’ve lost to Israel. Would
Israel be willing to give the land back, or even pay compensation? If Israel does pay for the land,
would the Palestinians accept it? Could there be peace between the two given their history of
hatred? A two-state solution may seem like the best option on the surface: split up the two
conflicting countries and the fighting should end. However, it is not as easy as that. Both sides
need to agree to a solution, sustain the solution, and be encouraged to prevent a future conflict
from emerging. These are only a few of the problems when it comes to solving this issue.
Conclusion
The Israel-Palestine conflict dates back as early as when the Jewish people started
migrating into Palestinian land via the British. Palestinians didn’t want to share their land, and
revolts began. However, with the British backing them, the Jewish people soon became very
powerful, overthrew the British, and took control themselves (Israel and the Palestinians). Many
countries have attacked the Jewish people in Israel in an attempt to shut them down, but none
have succeeded. As time went on, so did the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people,
only growing as the years passed. Religious, territorial, and economic factors all continue to
contribute to the conflict between the two communities, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in
sight. Any resolution proves to be no more than just an idea, but this can’t keep up forever. So,
when will it end?
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