For the longest time in history, conflict has been part of human beings. Religious books like the Bible date conflict as early as the time when man was created. It is natural for people to have disagreements and misunderstandings. However, some conflicts are usually very immense and trace their roots to the cultural and socio-economic set-up of a particular demography. Through this, children born in such communities grow knowing who are their enemies and allies. The result is that the element of rivalry with a certain community is passed down from one generation to another, which makes it very difficult to find an amicable solution to the animosity.
Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict is probably one of the longest rivalries in history between two demographic settings. The conflict has seen several instances of ‘evolution’ over the years, as mediators have tried to bring the two parties together. The book ‘Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict’ is written by Charles D. Smith and it reviews the long-term conflict that has existed between Palestine and Arab-Israel. The book explores the conflict from several dimensions and how the conflict has remained ‘adamant’ to the solutions that have been put forth. Charles also takes a look at the mediators who have tried to reconcile the two parties and the methods they have used to come up with a long-lasting solution.
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Before looking at the specific chapters required for this paper, it is important to shed some light on some aspects pertaining to Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. As stated earlier, the conflict started around the mid-20 th century. 1 The root of the conflict traces back to the sectarian conflict in Mandatory Palestine and the immigration of Jews. There have been long-term processes that have been instituted to resolve the conflict, but none has been effective. The issues of contention between Palestine and Arab-Israeli include the Palestinian right of return, security, borders, water, and the Palestinian freedom of movement. Further, there has been a stiff contention on Israeli settlements and the control of Jerusalem.
Chapter two of the book discusses World War I, Great Britain, and the Peace Settlements that were put forth to decide Palestine’s fate between 1914 and 1921. World War I broke out on August 1, 1914. 2 It was an open clash of the superpower countries, especially those in Europe. The book discusses that prior conflicts between the superpower countries had been settled through diplomatic talks, but the outbreak of the World War I was the result of issues that could not be amicably solved through diplomacy. There was also the prevalence of the Ottoman territory in Arab nations around the time that the World War I broke out. Most countries doubted each other including those that were allies. However, Russia, France, and Britain were allies and created the Triple Entente in 1914. This ‘merger’ was sparked by the fear of Germany, which at that time seemed to have a vast cache of artillery and combat prowess.
Ottoman remained neutral during the conflicts that were rampantly increasing aggression between Germany and Russia. 3 The book goes ahead to analyze how Ottoman was swayed into taking sides during the war. There is a systematic assessment of various accelerators of the war and how each country sought more artillery and strategic military advantage. There is also an outlook of the lure of an Arab Revolt. Palestine was not of great interest to the British policymakers in London. To them, Palestine did not have anything that would boost the strategic set-up of their military. However, in 1916, Britain started showing interest in Palestine and Zionism. 4 In this way, Britain encroached Palestine and lured them into being allies. This meant that the British increased their allies, which gave them a strategic advantage over her enemies. The Balfour Declaration was a peace agreement based on the reconstruction of Palestine as a Jewish State. 5
The third chapter discusses how Palestine was caught up in the wars. There is a glimpse into Zionism, the Palestinian Arabs, and the British Mandate between 1920 and 1939. 6 When the British entered Palestine, they brought in a lot of changes with some of the most significant shifts being witnessed on the political and economic status. To this extent, Palestine began having combat recognition from other countries. However, British officials faced a lot of hostility from the Arabs towards Zionism primarily motivated by two factors. One was the Balfour Declaration which they felt was not tailored to their interest but rather, it favored the British and Palestinians. The second factor was the conduct of many Jews in Palestine who believed that the achievement of a Jewish state was imminent.
Hostility and rivalry between the two groups continued to grow gradually. However, the heavy presence of the British in Palestine moderated the issue. The first phase, ‘Hopes Fulfilled and Dashed’ occurred between 1918 and 1920. 7 A peace conference was held. Chaim Weizmann, who headed the Zionist leadership, stated that he envisioned Palestine being as Jewish as England is English. Some of his ideas suggested the deportation of Palestine Arabs back to Syria. Nonetheless, the Palestine Arabs were not impressed by these views. However, they had fewer options at their disposal. In addition, Palestine Arabs had less scope for their pursuit. By the end of 1918, Palestine was united under one administration; something that had not happened for centuries.
A political system was established to help mandate and rule the two parties. However, the leadership was centralized on the highest power but devolved on the lower leadership positions. Even though the Zionists had the upper hand in the command, the Palestine Arabs had a sizeable recognition. On most occasions, the British tried to maintain neutrality, but due to accountability and political stability, they had to consult with leaders; who were mainly Zionists. Policies were instituted and implemented. Antagonism started rising again with conflicts arising from some of the policies that had been initiated. The disputes continued from simple aspects of leadership and policy to land ownership and the distribution of resources. 8
Chapter four depicts the events of the World War II and the formation of the State of Israel. The Second World War had a significant impact on Palestine. Adolf’s plan to eradicate people who were perceived as inferior according to the NAZI ideology was one of the greatest blow to Zionists. By the end of the War, at least six million Jews in Europe had been killed. 9 It is from this Holocaust that most Jews started the immigration voyages to Palestine. The European war ended in 1945.Britain started withdrawing many of its colonial administrations in various countries. However, the volatile political stature of Palestine posed a great threat to itself than any other country. On the 14th of May 1948, the State of Israel was created.
The importance of this document is that it gives a historical analysis of what triggered Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict. This is crucial because it helps in understanding all the elements that revolve around the conflict. The document helps in assessing the conflict since it offers the reason why it occurred and outlines the remedies that failed to work.
Bibliography
Karsh, Efraim. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: The 1948 War . New York: Rosen Pub., 2009.
Phyllis, Bennis. Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer. Interlink Publishing, 2012.
Smith, Charles D. Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict . 9th ed. New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martins, 2017.
1 Efraim Karsh, The Arab-Israeli Conflict: The 1948 War (New York: Rosen Pub., 2009), 5.
2 Charles D. Smith, Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict , 9th ed. (New York, NY: Bedford/St. Martins, 2017), 100.
3 Charles, 102 .
4 Charles, 120 .
5 Charles, 125.
6 Charles, 173.
7 Bennis, Phyllis. Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer. (Interlink Publishing, 2012), 46.
8 Charles, 195 .
9 Charles, 254.
