Let’s unravel the entire Palestine conflict and try to understand the gravity of the situation at hand.
The time is 1178 BC, Hazrat Suleiman (AS) continues the construction of Haikal-e-Sulemani, also known as the first temple, regarded as the holiest site for Jewish people. Nobody would’ve thought that this particular spot in Jerusalem would become a non-ending conflict amongst the biggest religions in the world.
Fast forward to May 2021, Al-Aqsa Mosque, the site of the same ancient Jewish temple, found itself at the center of violence at the hands of Israel. The security forced stormed the mosque using stun grenades targeting thousands of Palestinians gathered to offer their prayers. This has led to a series of rocket exchanges between the Israel army and Hamas.
According to the UN, as many as 10,000 Palestinians have been forced to leave their homes in the Gaza Strip whereas the death toll from Israeli strikes has reached 137 including 36 children.
How did the international community let this happen? What are the interests of different stakeholders in the region and where do we go from here? These are some of the questions that have haunted me in the past week. Let’s unravel the whole conflict and try to understand the gravity of the situation at hand.
The History of Israel-Palestine Conflict
The entire Palestine region was under Ottoman rule for a good 400 years until they were defeated at the end of World War 1 (1919). At the time the land was inhabited by a Jewish minority and Muslim Majority. The British took control of the region and decided to establish a national home in Palestine for Jews. The influx of Jews in the region accelerated in the coming decades due to their persecution and the rise of antisemitism in Europe.
Now here lied the problem. Jews, instead of living as refugees, claimed that Palestine was their ancestral home and as per their religious belief they were to create a Jewish Nation. They even declared the independence of the State of Israel in 1948. On the other hand, the Palestinians being the local inhabitants for hundreds of years, were not ready to give up their homes.
This specific conflict between the Jewish Zionists and the Palestinian Nationalists has resulted in multiple wars. These wars have resulted in significant gains to Israel’s cause. The most important territories captured by Israel in the aftermath of the 1967 war included the Gaza strip, the West Bank, Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. The West Bank and the Gaza strip is home to a large Palestinian population and is the epicenter of armed conflicts between the two parties.
Do we agree with Israel’s narrative?
So, what does Israel want? For starters, it wants the same land inhabited by Palestinians with the whole of Jerusalem as its capital. In addition, Israel is not willing to return the territories it occupied in 1967. Furthermore, it continues to aid Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.
One thing we need to understand here is that as per International law historical affiliation of a party to a given land doesn’t give that party the right to occupy that land and alter the demographics. Moreover, there have been several UN resolutions declaring Israel’s occupation illegal. One of them is Security Council Resolution 242, unanimously adopted in 1967, which declares “the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war.”
Regarding Israel’s settlements, numerous UN resolutions hold that Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights are a violation of international law, including UN Security Council resolutions in 1979, 1980 and 2016. Furthermore, UN Security Council Resolution 446 directs Israel to stop transferring its people into the territories or change the demographic makeup.
The Plight of Palestinians
Hundreds and thousands of Palestinians have been killed, detained and displaced since the Israel occupation. Forced evictions, curtailed freedom of speech, heavy restrictions on movement, racism and discrimination at the hands of Israel have led Palestinians to become one of the most marginalized and economically deprived nations in the world.
The international community needs to understand that Palestine Movement is more than just a religious or political struggle, it is now a Human Rights Issue that needs to be taken seriously.
Peace talks between Israel and Palestine have been taking place on and off for decades now, but so far, no concrete resolution has come forward. The international community shouldn’t be hostage to a few powerful nations or institutions, it needs to decide the future of Palestine based on International Law and grant the people of Palestine their due right of self-determination. It also needs to understand that with religious sentiments at its, the conflict can spiral out and become an international catastrophe.