Palestinian and Jews clashing with each other

Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the terminology used for the ongoing territorial conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, though it has a religious color to it. The roots of this conflict lie in the pre-partition era but it burst out into a civil war in 1947-48 with the establishment of Israel.

Pre First World War Era

Before First World War, this area was quite peaceful where people from all religions were living in harmony. However, in 1800's the situation slowly deteriorated when Nationalist Jews announced the formation of a Jewish homeland for themselves. They used Torah as the justification for this demand in which God states (according to them), “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the River Euphrates, I will those people into your hands who live in the land and you will drive them out. Don’t make a covenant with or with their gods”.

This prophecy was rejected by the majority of Jews and by all the Muslim scholars by arguing that Arabs are also the descendants of Abraham from his son, Ishmael, which proves them to be the legitimate owners of the land of Palestine according to their own prophecy.

This call for Jewish national home in the Palestine attracted many Jews from around the world especially that from Europe and Russia during the Ottoman caliphate. This massive inflow of Jews in Palestine was encouraged by World Zionist organization (established in 1897) and the main reason for leaving to those territories was the rising anti-Semitism.

Post First World War

Ottoman caliphate signed a treaty of mutual defence with Central Powers during World War 1 and hence was on the losing side of the war. This allowed Allied Powers to occupy the Muslim lands of Arab including Palestine. This occupation was with direct cooperation of the so-called Arab Muslim rulers of that time who revolted against the Ottoman Caliphate along with Jews. In 1915, Sharif Hussain forged an agreement with McMohan, according to which Arab would be granted a separate state in exchange for a revolt against the Ottomans.

Sharif Hussain was betrayed when British announced Balfour declaration in which it was decided to go towards the formation of a separate Jewish state in Palestine. Still, Sharif Hussain and his Son, Faisal accepted that declaration out of sheer greed which instigated enmity among the Palestinians against them. Palestinians started their own struggle for a separate state but not on the basis of Arab nationalism rather was based on the Palestinian nationalism.

Pre-World War 2 Period

Ottoman Empire disintegrated with the end of World War 1 and British transferred its powers to Arab rulers to go towards the formation of Hashemite kingdoms in Hejaz and Jordan. The Palestinian Nationalism stirred up as an opposing power to Zionism because of the mass immigration of the Jewish people to Palestine and their struggle for a Jewish national home.

When Faisal signed an agreement with Weizmann, he lost his relevance in Arab nationalism which gave rise to Palestinian Nationalism, spearheaded by Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. Amin-Al-Husayni sided with Hitler in 2nd World war and issued a Fatwa against Jewish people which instigated violence across Palestine. This Fatwa was issued due to illegal immigration of Jews into Palestine and the mass killings carried by Jewish gangs such as Haganah, Irgun and Stern etc.

Post World War 2 and Arab-Israel War

United Nations decided to partition Palestine into three territories, one was given to Jews, other to Arabs and Jerusalem was to be under UN jurisdiction. Both the Jewish and Palestinian leadership rejected it out-rightly. Violence erupted on a massive level and in 1948; David Ben-Gurion declared an independent Jewish state in the occupied land.

This resulted in a full-scale military action from Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Iraq on the behalf of Palestinian people but unfortunately ended with the victory of Israel.  In 1967, Arab world again clashed with Israel but disunity and lack of willpower caused another major defeat with Israel capturing Gaza, Sinai Peninsula and Jerusalem. In 1964, PLO was formed as an indigenous Palestinian organisation under the leadership of Yasir Arafat which began to attacks Israeli interests. In 1973, Egyptian and Syrian armies attacked Israel in Youm-e-Kippur war which resulted in Camp David accord between Egypt and Israel.

Oslo-Accord

In 1993, secret negotiations began to take place between Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabi (Israeli PM) which resulted in an agreement paving the way for a two-state solution. It was agreed that Israel will slowly transfer its control over Gaza and West Bank to Palestinian authority in exchange for peace with Israel but this two-state solution never materialized.

Palestinian Intifada

In 1987 and then again in 2001, the massive spontaneous uprising of the Palestinian people was named as “Intifada” which resulted in massive violence because Israel tried to suppress it brutally.

Post Arafat’s death Era

After Arafat’s death, Mahmoud Abbas was nominated as the head of the Palestinian authority but his authority was undermined by the Palestinian people when they voted for Hamas during 2006’s Palestine legislative election. In 2006, war broke out between Hamas and Israel which resulted in the mass killing of the innocent Palestinians at the hands of Israeli troops and in 2007, an armed conflict broke out between Fatah and Hamas, after which Hamas took over Gaza from the Fatah.

In 2011, Palestine got non-member status in the United Nations General Assembly which requires majority votes with no discriminatory status like Veto power. Up till now, Palestinians are continuing their freedom struggle for their self-determination but when it will bear fruits, one never know.