Post+War+Palestine

Before and during WWII, Brittish Zionist the movement spurred many European Jews to immigrate to Palestine. The Palestinians however, mostly Islamic, felt that the increasing number of Jewish people in the area demanding return of the Jewish homeland a threat to their own well being. The persecution of Jews by the Nazis only increased the number of Jews moving to Palestine, and the displacement of native Palestinians by immigrant Jews created a major conflict that last to this day. Britain didn't want to lose support from either side, so they took both. Britain called for compromise, but when it was realized that the two sides could no t live together, Brittain called for partition of the country. After the war the issue was brought to the United Nations who called for the formation of a Jewish state in Palestinian territory, even though all Islamic countries opposed (Palestine flat out denied) the partition. The United Nations declared an independent Israel. The land set aside for Palestine was quickly taken over by neighboring countries Egypt, taking the Gaza Strip, and Jordan, annexing the West Bank, all the while Israel controlled the remaining Golan Heights, Palestine essentialy ceased to exist. This arrangement spurred a series of Arab-Israeli wars each ending with a subtle shift in territory, eventually to be regained in a later conflict. The Palestinians, however, were completely irrelavent in all of these arrangements, having lost all political power in their own land. The new land arrangements created thousands of Palestinian refugees who were forced out of their homeland.

The Palestinians under Israeli rule resent being forced out of their homeland and many have fought to win back independence. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) works for re-establishing an independent Palestine. Many Palestinians turn to the PLO for support and want to regain independence. The military side of the PLO launched a series of anti-Israeli campaigns, but was met with even stronger and more drastic militant force by the Israeli government. When military uprisings failed, the PLO led a widespread campaign of civil disobedience, which was met with much more support. In secret talks in Oslo, Norway in 1993, Israel granted Palestinians right to free rule in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Conservative Jews still oppose concessions to Palestine, but the Palestinians now have the land the United Nations promised them. The Israelis still control the majority of the original land, but coexistence has become less opressive, if not more peaceful; although there is still very much resentment between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims. It is important to know that a people cannot be displaced from a land they've held for centuries without strong opposition or infringement on their rights. The Western disregard for the indigenous Islamic voice in the original UN conference has turned the Middle East into a pool of hate and hostility towards the west and has created much of the resentment we face today.

media type="youtube" key="IVU7lTtHuBQ" height="344" width="425"This video shows the American justification for the formation of the state of Israel as determined by President Truman. This video shows the hardship of the immigrant Jews, which shows the real essence of the current conflict. How can you find the right side when both sides seem equally oppressed or right to be there? This video shows the perspective of the Jews during the formation of Israel. These are important to understand as well as the views of the currently opressed Palestinians in order to make any judgement on how the situation should be handeled. This cartoon shows that the Palestinian voice is often unheard because Israel has friends in high places. The Israelis are allied with the United States, arguably the most powerful nation on the planet and Palestine is essentially alone. This is another reason the conflicts in the Middle East are so hard to solve. It shows the necessity of open discussion and letting all parties get their voice in.