A Century of Conflict Between Israel and Palestine

Curtis Shih & Savoy Liao ('27), Dec. 18, 2023

The history of the current conflict in Israel/Palestine can be traced back to different periods. An important moment leading to the creation of the state of Israel and the failure to create a state of Palestine dates back to November 2, 1917. This is when Arthur Balfour, foreign secretary of Britain, released the Balfour Declaration, stating British support for building a Jewish homeland in Palestine. During that time, this declaration sounded like a good escape for the Jews, as they were suffering from persecution in Europe. This declaration supported  Zionism, a political movement started by some Jewish people who wanted to create a sovereign Jewish state. Their outcome is present-day Israel. After the Balfour Declaration was released, the Zionist movement became very active. Members started the process of immigration, buying land, building companies and factories, and even starting to build schools in the territory that was then called Palestine. During that process, the Palestinians were clear that Britain wasn’t giving them the independence they promised; they were handing out parts of their country to other people.

In 1936, Palestine went on strike; leaders were killed, houses were blown up, the British and Jews were targeted and many Palestinians also suffered casualties. It was a full-on war, and

something had to change. This was when the British sent out the Peel Commission, which proposed dividing Palestine into three zones - an Arab state, a Jewish state, and a free area for holy sites. This commission did not end up solving the conflict between these two groups, instead, it worsened the situation and the revolt continued until 1939, when World War II sparked. Millions of Jews were killed in Nazi death camps and the survivors fled to Palestine to find safety despite the British limiting the Jews from immigrating into Palestine. In 1947, two years after the world war, Britain announced its withdrawal from Palestine, leaving the newly formed United Nations to handle the problems it did not resolve. 

In November 1947, the UN proposed a plan to divide Palestine into two halves, marking 55% of Palestine as a Jewish state. When the Arabs heard about this plan, they immediately rejected it believing it took away too much of their land. The Zionist leaders accepted it. This was when the Zionists saw an opportunity because, with the British leaving Palestine, the Zionists knew that they would have the strongest military in Palestine. They took this opportunity and started seizing more territory than what the UN had given them. The Zionists drove Arabs out of their towns, attacked villages, and carried out some massacres. When the news of the takeover spread throughout the country, panic set in. Palestinians started fleeing, afraid that they would be next. By May 15, 1948, 250,000 Palestinians had fled. Overall, over 700,000 (or 80%) of the Palestinian Arabs became refugees, fleeing to other countries or moving to what is now the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

As of right now, the population of Israeli Jews and Arabs is roughly equal, with the Israelis having more political and military power in the situation. Palestinians still do not have their sovereign state, so they lack the same rights and freedoms as Israeli citizens.

Despite the conflict dating back about 100 years, tensions have continued to persist, leading to the spark of the recent conflict.

On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian armed group, Hamas, fired thousands of rockets at multiple locations and seized hostages in Israel. They launched a specific attack in southern Israel where they brutalized and killed 1,200 Israeli civilians. As of November 1, 2023, the number of hostages believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza is estimated to be 240. In response, Israel launched a powerful series of airstrikes on Gaza. As a result, over 15,000 deaths have been reported by the Gaza health ministry by the end of November. 

Several countries have shown support for Israel, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Norway, Austria, Germany, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, India, and the UN. These nations show their support for Israel for various reasons, such as historical ties, religious affinities, and trade relationships. On the other hand, countries supporting Hamas include Iran, Qatar, and Lebanon. These countries perceive Hamas as a group that is fighting against Israel’s occupation. 

Hamas is a Palestinian group that has been ruling the Gaza Strip since 2007, the group was originally a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine, however, after more and more sporadic conflicts between the Palestinians and Israelis, a part of the group decided to leave the brotherhood and use more radical methods to fight for the Palestinians, which is now also known as the Hamas. Opinion polling shows that Hamas has lost its popularity in Gaza, despite being seen as a stronger alternative when they were elected almost two decades ago. Given the extreme positions of the current Israeli leadership and Hamas, it’s not likely this conflict will be resolved until new leadership supports a political solution. Palestinians are still waiting for statehood. Israelis and Palestinians are both in need of security and a commitment from each other to have a peaceful coexistence.