There Goes The Neighborhood: The Showdown Between the Palestinians and Israelis

When some groups mix together, catastrophic results may follow. The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a vivid example of the bad chemistry that is a consequence of what happens when a certain groups are meshed together. Ever since the late 19th Century, the Israelis and Palestinians have been in gridlock over who is entitled Jerusalem and its surrounding cities. At the genesis of the conflict, Zionism (a Jewish political movement advocating the installation of a Jewish State, Israel) and Muslim Nationalism (the majority of Palestinians are Muslim, and the Palestinians make up a large bit of Israel's population) have been prevalent in the country. The conflict has evolved into a bloody one, with nearly 10,000 casualties since 1948. There are disputes between the Jews and Muslims, mainly over entitlement to land, as well as water distribution, securities, mutual recognition, and so on. 

So, why is there such a fierce battle for the land (modern day Israel)? The Muslim Palestinians had lived in Israel (which they called Palestine) had lived in the country for centuries, and only relatively recently did many Jews seek refuge in Israel after World War 2, after the horrors of the Holocaust. However, many Israelites had been exiled from the country centuries ago. The Jews formed a Zionist Army (with the permission of the United Nations), which helped them establish a nation-state which we now call Israel. Jews believe they are entitled to the country, something they support with religious scripture from the Hebrew Bible. This claim posed a problem to the Palestinians, who had nurtured the land for generations and called it their home. They didn't buy the Hebrew Bible, either. After the Israelites attempted to return to their country, clashes ensued. Propaganda on both sides boosted their enmity, adding fuel to the fire.

There have been many attempts of peace, each with varying success. The Balfour Declaration, drafted in 1919 with cooperation from both sides, supported the building of a Jewish State in Palestine (a wartime promise from the UK), with Palestinian cooperation. The British Mandate for Palestine, released in 1922, gave the UK a large influence on Palestine and set up Israel. This spurred an increase in Jews immigrating to Palestine, sparking many riots. The UN would later allot 1/2 of the land to each side, with the exception of Bethlehem and Jerusalem in the International Zone. However, as neither side was satisfied with the compromise, the violence resumed. 1948 brought the Israeli-Palestinian War, resulting in many deaths and hundreds of thousands of Jews becoming refugees. Many wars and peace treaties later, efforts for peace appear to be futile. There is still violence, there are still problems, and it is uncertain how things shall turn out. Despite encouragement from many governments, the two sides refuse to bargain. A two-state solution was suggested, with the Palestinians only occupying the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Sadly, this is only one of a plethora of battles that occur over neighborhoods, large and small. Hopefully, humans can continue to come up with additional creative ideas to help combat modern problems.