Essay Example on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: From 1920s to 1948

Introduction

The conflict between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs can be drawn back to 1948 when Israel was established as an independent nation. The intercommunal violence in Palestine between Arabs and Israelis in the 1920s was the primary trigger of the conflict (Ben-Meir et al., 2017). The dispute started as disagreements amongst the Israelis and Arabs intensified and erupted to full-scale warfare during the civil war between 1947 and 1948. The real causes of the conflict can be drawn back to the 1800s, with a rise in political movements. The Jews had thought about returning to Zion for almost a millennium, and the Jewish populations in the Middle East and Europe began to aggressively discuss going back to their native land (Ben-Meir et al., 2017). This came as a result of the increased persecutions of Jews in Europe and Russia in the 1880s.

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The Zionist movement was later established as a partisan crusade in the late 1890s. The association strongly advocated for an independent state to be established in Palestine, to host all Jewish populations around the world. Zionists had a strong belief that the nation-state to be built must be in their native homeland, Israel. The first recorded act of violence was the accidental murder of an Arab man who was shot dead at a wedding in December 1882 by a guard from the Jewish community. 200 Arabs attacked the Jewish community in response, throwing stones and vandalizing a vast amount of property. In March 1886, a Jew was attacked and robbed by Arabs, who went on to confiscate his mules grazing in the fields. The next day, about fifty Arabs attacked Jewish villages, vandalizing fields and livestock and stealing the majority of animals, an act viewed by Jews as a provocation. By 1908, about thirteen Jews had been murdered by Arabs, all of them dying in nationalistic circumstances, robberies, and other crimes. Arabs killed five Jewish guards in the next five years, which prompted Jews to speak more about Arab hatred and nationalism.

Who Was Involved and Their Roles

The Israeli-Palestinian war is the most prolonged conflict in the history of the modern world. The dispute erupted in the 19th century and has been in existence ever since. Considerable attempts have been made to resolve the disagreement, with little fruits being born for both the Jews and Arabs to live harmoniously. The major players in this conflict are both the Arabs and the Jews. The Jewish populations were not previously living in this Israeli lands but instead came back from other regions. They claimed Palestine was their native homeland and they must settle there, on the other hand, the Arabs who have been living in these lands are not much welcoming, and they started attacking the Jews as soon as they began to settle. After a Jewish guard accidentally killed an Arab, the Arabs started attacking the Jews continuously, killing several guards and destroying property in the process (Morris, 2019). The Jews started to view these attacks as provoking acts, and their hate of Arabs began.

Resolution of the Conflict

Since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted, various steps have been made towards its resolution. A considerable number of proposals and treaties have been established and signed to resolving the conflict. Some countries such as Jordan and Egypt have signed peace treaties in the twentieth century, although some have not yet found common ground. The peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian war is a work in progress because, despite all the efforts made in trying to address the conflict, no lasting solution has been found as of today.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Analysis

The Arab-Israeli dispute has a complicated history. The ever conflicting and different narratives surrounding the conflict contributes significantly to its continuity. The conflict is primarily fought over territories between the Arabs, who used to live in the region and the Jews who claimed the land, saying it was their native homeland. After Palestine was subdivided, successive disagreements followed between the State of Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank. After Egypt attacked Israel, the Camp David Accords were signed to bind the two states in a peace treaty.

The Arabs who used to occupy the Palestinian region have continued to hold the assertion that it is their territory, and the Jews have no legal claim over it. Both the Jews and the Arabs in Palestine have continued to claim the lands, with the vision of controlling the entire region. The two communities have failed to reach a viable agreement that will allow both states to coexist and enjoy the benefits of the land. Socially, the Jews and the Arabs from this region have continued to grow their hate over each other, which keeps on escalating the conflict. This hate began the minute the Jews landed in Palestine, and the Arabs started attacking them. The Jewish community in the region viewed Arab attacks as provocative acts that intensified the hatred between the two populations. The Gaza strip and the West Bank territories have experienced more hostilities than the other regions.

Causes of the Israeli-Palestinian War

The Israeli-Palestinian war is one of the most protracted and most enduring conflicts in the modern world. In about a century of bitterness and controversy, before and after the birth of the Israel State, many observers and researchers have concluded that no functional resolution can be developed. The origins of this war can be traced back to the sectarian conflict in Palestine between Arabs and Jews and Jewish immigration. Israel has continued to occupy both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for over fifty years, which Palestinians have continued to claim. Physical hostilities started when the Arabs responded to a shooting when a Jewish guard shot dead an Arab at a wedding. The Arabs responded by vandalizing property and killing Jewish villagers, as well as confiscating their cattle.

The Arabs living in the region have continued to express their concerns that the territory belonged to their forefathers, and the Jews are just intruders. To make it worse, the Jews have sustained their occupancy of both Gaza Strip, and West Bank, which Arabs claim is not under the State of Israel. The Arabs claim that Israel's control of the Gaza Strip and West Bank has resulted in unequal access to both the economic and social opportunities that the regions offer. The continued killing of Jews by the Arabs can be considered as a proximate cause since human rights are being abused.

The continued occupation of the two regions by Israel has contributed significantly to the escalation and prolonging of the conflict. To achieve peace, both the Jews from the Israeli State and Palestinian Arabs must hold either side of the deal whenever a peace treaty is signed. Failure to adhere to the set guidelines in peace treaties is a strong contributor to the conflict.

Actors in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

The major players in the Arab-Israeli dispute are the Palestinians, the Israelis, and other third party organizations such as the European Union. The Israelis' goal is to control both the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Their interest in these two regions has conflicted with the Palestinians claim over the same land. The Arabs have a strong claim over the areas which they feel, together with the international community, as an occupation rather than settlement (Morris, 2019). The European Union have channeled their efforts in creating a two-state solution, and these efforts have borne no fruits. The Israelis, who have continued to occupy the Gaza Strip and the West Bank for over a half a century, are the spoilers in this conflict. Their invasion and settlement in the region make them the intentional spoilers.

Conflict Dynamics

For over seventy years, the Israel-Palestinian dispute has mostly impacted the Middle East landscape. A sufficient diplomatic resolution has avoided international efforts, leaving many questioning the prospect of peace. Large-scale hostilities and flows have left populations insecure, which has continued to escalate the conflict. Currently, both the Israeli State and the Palestinians have continued to send airstrike attacks to each other.

From the analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, specific scenarios can be developed. Firstly, the Israeli Jews must cease occupying the two regions, which will make Palestinians feel equally treated, and negotiations will commence. Secondly, the Arabs must accept that Jews are there to stay, and therefore, they should be willing to coexist mutually.

Conflict Styles

Conflict styles are usually used to display the repercussions of various behaviors. Each conflict style is a means to meet one's needs in conflict, although it might affect other individuals in different manners (Omar, 2017). Among the widely used style of conflict in the Israeli-Iraqi war is competing. Competing in conflict refers to a situation where one conflicting party advocating her needs over the others. Both Israel and Palestine want to take control over the Gaza Strip at the expense of the other. This style of dispute makes conflict management even more challenging. Managing conflict is a process that involves handling disagreements between two or more individuals or parties (Omar, 2017).

What Parties Handled or Didn't Handle Well

Among all the parties involved in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, the majority of them have failed to handle its part well, which explains the length of the conflict. Both the State of Israel and Palestine has in one way, or the other failed to adhere to the guiding principles in the process of conflict resolution. Conflict resolution is a process that involves solving disputes through constructive problem-solving approaches (Omar, 2017). In the peace treaties that have been signed since the argument started, both parties have failed to comply with the terms of the accord which has resulted in the escalation of the conflict.

Another party who have failed in their efforts to solve the conflict is the international community. Both the EU and the USA, who have an interest in mediating the two parties, have failed to come up with a solution that satisfies both parties. Mediation is the process where a third party, which is entirely impartial, assists the conflicting individuals/groups to solve their disputes. Only Jordan and Egypt have had an agreement with the State of Israel over their conflict with Arabs. Egypt signed an accord with the State of Israel after they had previously attacked the Jews. Also, Jordan signed an agreement with the Israeli Jews that allows the State of Israel to take control of the Gaza Strip.

The legendary Israeli-Palestinian dispute has seen a lot of third parties trying their best to help reach an agreement. Several countries have helped the two states in their negotiations, but nothing conclusive has been developed so far. The conflict has attracted both intermediaries with leverage, such as the US and mediators with limited material capability. These mediators have helped the states reach some type of agreement, like in the Oslo negotiations. No single mediator in this conflict have been active in their efforts since the primary goal of any mediator is to help the conflicting parties reach an agreement.

Alternative Conflict Resolution Approaches

The Israeli-Palestinian dispute has been in existence for over a century. No viable agreement has been reached so far, and this has left the states no option but to escalate their hatred towards each other. This has resulted in both parties attacking each other through deadly airstrikes killing dozens and vandalizing a considerable amount of properties. The primary goal of the resolution process of this Israeli-Palestini...