A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF

THE ORIGINS, CHALLENGES AND

PROSPECT FOR RESOLVING THE

ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT

Jason Worsley
MA Theology and Religious Studies
Theologies of Encounter, Conflict and Reconciliation
University of Roehampton
INTRODUCTION

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the ongoing struggle between the people of

Israel and the people of Palestine, even though Palestine host a majority of
Muslims as its population the same cannot be said about Israel which hosts
Jews, Christian, Druze and Muslims. This conflict has generated different
opinions from the society all the way up to government level or political level
and opinions in this conflict are voiced by bloodshed. Thousands of people have
died since Israel was founded in 1948 through the power of the United Nations
who were drawing up borders for the world (Accessed 11/05/20).

This essay is going to look at the origin of this conflict, how it began and what
is the main cause of it that cannot be rectified, what are the challenges both
nations are facing, what progress has been made since the origin of this conflict
and why has a long lasting peace treaty still not been arranged between the
nation. This research will help me suggest a prospect of peace for both nations
and what steps can be taken for a long term solution.

ORIGINS

In the 19th century they began a trend between the superpowers of Europe who
had just dominated the First World War and were splitting the shares amongst
themselves and this trend followed after the Second World War where people
around the world started to identify themselves as Nations.

The conflict between Israel and Palestine is a modern warfare, which began in
the 20th century over dispute of Land which was given to Israel as a home for its
people. Even though both sides represent different religions that are fighting
over a piece of land that is historical not just to Muslims and Jews but to
Christians as well (Beinin & Hajjar 2015:1).

Palestinian do not believe that they should be compensating their land for the
crimes Europe had placed over the Jews for decades. At that time the land was
part of the ottoman empire and Jerusalem was governed directly by Istanbul
because of its religious significant to the Muslims.

When the land was split on the 14th May 1948 between Jews and Palestinian
both parties began to develop national consciousness, because the Jews were
spread all over the world, the national movement Zionism looked for an
identification for the Jewish people across the world to call a place their home.
The process of immigration and Settlements started, and Palestine seemed like
the obvious home for the Jewish people since their originated from that land
(Beinin & Hajjar 2015:2).
In 1948 the first war began when the Arab league decided on behalf of the
Palestinian people to intervene in the newly established nation of Israel. This
war caused over 15,000 causalities and by the year 1949 when ceasefire was
announced Israel was occupying most of the West Bank and Egypt took Gaza
where they formed an all Palestinian government.

Suez Crisis which began in 1956 saw the Israelis occupying the Gaza strip and
exiled the All Palestinian Government temporary until they withdrew
themselves. This tension was further escalated in 1967 when the Six-Day War
which was fought between Israel. Egypt, Jordan and Syria the latter three joined
forces as part of the Arab League to stand up to Israel and take the land back for
Palestine and themselves.

According to Bovbjerg and Portney (2019:663) the conflict is the most traceable
and long-lasting disputes in the 21st century and the impact of this small conflict
threatens global stability. I agree with Portney and Bovbjerg that the impact of
this crisis that effects global stability is because of the religious group that relate
themselves back to the Land, Jews and Muslim relate back to Abraham whereas
Christians salvation through `Jesus Christ who was a Jew is also related back to
that land.

In 1987 the first Palestinians uprising began in response to the escalating attacks
claimed by themselves from Israel and by early 1990s the western powers knew
that a peace settlement between the two nations was necessity as its effects were
being lobbied in their own governments. This saw the Oslo accord in 1993
being established which I will discuss in the Prospect section of the essay
(Accessed 12/05/20).

Since its beginning of its formation in 1948 Israel has continuously fought wars
to protect itself because of the land it had inherited, which according to the Jews
is an incorrect way of putting as it was never the case but through the
destruction of Rome they were scattered which was occupied after the Romans
by the Ottoman empire and are only retuning back to the land from where they
were pushed out of.

Palestinians on the other hand trace their roots back to Abraham and were all
already residents in what we now call Israel and were forced to give up their
lands and get treated the same way the Jews were treated in the concentration
camp. As all of Gaza right now is a refugee camp with statistics showing of
nearly 80% of people living in Gaza are living in Tents provided by UN and
question how someone can share their land and end up becoming a prisoner
(Saab 2009:9).
CHALLENGES

Land
The main issue that can easily be noticed in this crisis is the issue of Land and
which parts of the Land goes to which party and the main challenge of this land
issue is Jerusalem. Since the Madrid conference in 1991 which bought together
for the very first time both head of state face-to-face into a discussion of peace,
which gave an international consensus of creating a Palestinian state in the West
Bank and Gaza existing under Israel rule. This consensus raised question of
what will happen to the current Jews living in the West Bank, how Jerusalem
will be shared, and the issue of refuges was all debated and has never reached a
conclusion (Djerejian 2018:5).

I agree with Djerejian as the goal for a two-state solution becomes seriously
challenged today. The number of Jews settling in the West Bank increased to
650,000 making it even more impossible and putting in serious doubt a
complete Palestinian state. The two states have over the years made it
impossible for an international border to be created and twenty five years of
diplomacy which includes the Oslo Accord, the Camp David summit and the
Arab Peace summit which will be discussed later, have to all failed in bringing
peace and a long term solution for both states and as both states have grown
over the years and settlers move into neighbourhoods, it seems like both
communities have decided to grow and become closer together while the
political distancing continues (Accessed 12/05/20).

Settlement
Communities of Jews started to move to the west bank as soon as it came under
Israeli occupation after the six-day war, some have moved there for religious
reason, some for housing as it tends to be cheaper, some to claim the West Bank
for Israel. These settlers play a key role in the two-state solution that is currently
in play. Most international lawyers who have looked at the settlement and
military occupation agree that it breaks the fourth Genève convention which
stops the occupying country to transfer population into the captured territory
(Accessed 12/05/20).

This move by Israel to move its population into a territory it has just captured is
wrong on Geneva record and the reason , I believe everyone have kept quiet
about it because if Superpowers who have been self-appointed by God to be the
Guardian of this Planet we call Earth, start to give back lands to people we
captured it from we would need to draw the lines of the Map again and it would
shock how certain countries became powerful over the years, hence the reason
why this has been kept quiet and not been voiced louder.
Jerusalem
The final problem to this two-state solution is Jerusalem, it homes some of the
holiest site in three of the largest religions in the world and sacred to all three of
them, how to split Jerusalem remains one of the most fundamental question in
the two-state solution currently in place.

The Western Wall also known as the wailing wall is 488 meters wall running
alongside the temple mount, built by Herod the Great for the Jewish People but
destroyed by the Roman army during its siege. After the Ottoman empire
conquered Jerusalem in 1517 they built a wall around the temple mount still
present today to protect the heritage of their faith in Islam. After the 1967 War
Israel took control of East Jerusalem where they brigadier General made the
declaration never to let go of the wall again. This picture is the first picture to be
taken at the wall after Israel won the six-day war and by critically analysing the
picture the expression of people faces shows the shock of return to the promise
land.

Israel called Jerusalem its undivided capital, which

was rejected by the United Nations and condemned
Israel for breaking International Laws. The US
always refused to recognise Israel as its Capital in
fear of uprising and by also that it would give the
impression of recognising the West Bank as Israel.

Palestine control over the temple mount and the

Israel settlement so close to their borders which
most look like army or secret services watching
them constantly is one of many issues facing the
Palestinians sides who feels that they are the ones
compromising for the Jews for the crimes of Europe.
Pic 1: Jewish soldiers (acc
12/05/20)

PROSPECT

The primary approach to solving this conflict today is based on a two-state

solution but the odds for attaining a final agreement is far from the conclusion
as challenges continue build within the Israel-Palestinian conflict and this will
continue to wider of the years as both parties are far from reaching to the core of
a solution. The mutual distrust between both parties and additional development
on both sides is pushing a two-state policy out of the window and since the
development of the Arab springs and ISIS in the middle East has pushed this
crisis to the bottom of the pecking order for the Arab League to consider or
think of. Research conducted by Djerejian shows from the polls that the main
issue is Jerusalem and nothing else (Djerejian 2018:9).

As we have narrowed down the challenge to a single concept of Land, I want to

critically analyse the initial two-state agreement that is still hanging on a debate
and far from being reached.

(1) Demilitarised Palestinian State.

(2) Israeli Withdrawal to the 1949 Armistice Line.
(3) Israel to reunify 100,000 Palestinians in Israel that are currently in Gaza.
(4) Jewish Quarter and Western Wall under Israel and Muslim, Christian
quarters including Temple Mount under Palestinian control.

A demilitarised Palestinian state, Israel withdrawal to the green line, Israel

accepting 100,000 refuges all can be accommodated. The only problem that is
of concern is Jerusalem and how that control needs to be handled as Palestine
wants to be a Muslim State and have full control on the Archaeological control
of its territory with Sharia Law ruling its nation. This is the same reason why
this conflict has headed to the bottom of the pecking order to be dealt with by
fellow Arabs. The Arab spring rising is an example that Israel is voicing of the
consequences of having an all Palestinians state and Palestinians on the other
hand are accusing the `Israelis of housing more of its citizens in the West Bank
to stop Palestine existing as a Nation (Djerejian 2018:11).

In 2011, an attempt was made to gain UN membership as a full sovereign state

by Palestine was thrown out of the window, showing the extent of the problem
is not even in the current two-state agreement but Palestine wanting the entire
country back and will allow Jews to live there. This in the current climate is not
just impossible but also unthinkable because if you agree to the peace treaty of
giving back all the Land back to Palestine and Israel to live there is a complete
abolishment of the vison of the Zionist movement which was based on Israel to
have a state of its own and its rightful place which is currently established
including the latest political stigma of the US embassy opening in Jerusalem in
the year 2018 making it impossible for that idea to ever be spoken of again
(Accessed 12/05/20).

Also known as the Oslo Accord of 1993 that kicked off the two-state policy and
has been built upon by US presidents such as the bush administration, Obama
.administration and the Trump administration who have built an embassy and
recognised the Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and as settlers continue to move
into the West Bank and Gaza continues to turn into a refugee camp there seems
no other hope but a One State solution in the favour of Israel most likely
looking as the only option and sustainable solution for the people of Palestine.
The One-State solution would merge Gaza, West Bank into Israel and would
end the conflict permanently but most polls suggest that people are in
preference of a two-state solution. Israel has for the last 50 years continued to
fill the West bank with settlers in an insurance policy in case a one-state
solution is not agreed in its favour in the next 20 years the West bank
inhabitants would most be Jews and be working in high official places dictating
the Palestinians country on behalf of the Israeli state, this is obviously
conspiracy theory but a more likely conspiracy of growing into a nation rather
than taking over from the outside (Djerejian 2018:32).

It seems like the political, economic and future growth Israel has accommodated
over the last 50 years makes it the perfect candidate for the one-state solution
and to continue to populate settlement in the west bank as an insurance policy I
agree with Djerejian who suggested that this pre-occupation is a future plan of
Israel which I believe is an insurance policy for the one-state solution not
favouring Israel as this conflict does not seem to be going away anytime soon
which again favour Israel as it will continue to populate the West Bank and
outnumber the Palestinians over the years, which would empower it settlers
into position of government authority and eventually still being under Jewish
control but under a different name (2018:34).

CONCLUSION

A prophecy of the temple being built according to Amos 9:14-15 & Isaiah 43:5-
6 all play a key role in the theological conception of Jerusalem and the temple
mount. This alone shows the extent of how the Oslo Accord was never going to
work in the first place as Palestinians were under Ottoman rule and never had a
land for themselves from the beginning and after the destruction of the ottoman
empire the British and the French split this side of the territory amongst
themselves and was called British Palestine but after the second world war, the
decision for Jews to return to Israel was proclaimed with Jerusalem the centre of
every conversation.

This essay has researched the origin of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the
challenges the conflict has faced and what is the core problem that the crisis is
facing and what prospects have been reached to put an end to it. Based on my
research I conclude that the situation in the middle east since 1948 has never
been able to be resolved even by super powers of the world who armed the
opposite sides during the war with the Americans arming the Israelis and the
Russians arming the Egyptians with sea to Air missiles (SAMS). The war is not
over the land but the control of Jerusalem and as years pass on and people tend
to cooperate with each other by living together eventually communities start to
socialise and cross between each other eventually becoming one.

The two-state solution has not worked since the Oslo Accord of 1993 and
hardly gets looked at from world leaders in fear of an uprising in the Muslim
world but the likely hood of Israel becoming a one-state by integrating Gaza
and Palestine within its territory will be a very successful solution for the people
of Palestine or Muslims living in the West Bank who would flourish under the
Israeli government. As of 2020 31 United Nations member state do not
recognise the existence of the State of Israel but 17 of 21 states in the Arab
League recognise its existence (Accessed 12/05/20).
As the years continue to go pass the acceptance of the State of Israel amongst
world leaders who previously rejected its legitimacy shows the direction the
one-state solution is heading towards and as uprising in the middle east
continues and as the Arab world concentrates on their own states. This helps
Israel to continue populating the West Bank to make it completely impossible
for Palestine to have its own State and it will eventually over the years fulfil the
prophecy they have built this Zionist vision on.

I would have loved to have suggested a two-state solution but looking at the
religious factors it was always going to be impossible and unacceptable
especially for the Holy sites which draws over $3 billion a year into Israel and
Palestine collectively this revenue of international visitors plays a key role in
this democratic decision and is the reason why I did not suggest a two-state
solution (accessed 12/05/20).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Joel Beinin and Lisa Hajjar, Palestine, Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict a
Primer.

Randall Bovbjerg and Paul Portney, 2019. A Rational Policy solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Vol 8, No 4, 663-667.

Bilal. Saab, The Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Beyond Gaza. 2009. Vol 65, pp9-
10.
E. Djerejian. (2018). Two States or One. Carnegie Endowment. New York.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_conflict

https://www.vox.com/2018/11/20/18080052/israel-settlements-west-bank

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legitimacy_of_Israel

APENDIX

Picture 1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_conflict