The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Introduction to the Conflict The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an ongoing dispute between two peoples, the Jewish Israelis and the Arab Palestinians. The reason behind the continuous fighting of the Israelis and Palestinians is that both peoples claim the right to sovereignty of Israel. The origin of this current conflict stems from post-World War 2 Zionism and the declaration of the State of Israel

Geography of Israel At present, Israel has 10,000 square miles of land and is located at the Eastern end of the Mediterranean sea. The present state of Israel occupies all the land from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean ocean, bounded by Egypt in the south, Lebanon in the north, and Jordan in the East. The Gaza Strip is located just south of Israel and is under the control of the Palestinian authorities.

Map of Israel and Surrounding Countries Lebanon and Syria in the North Jordan in the Right Egypt in the South Mediterranean sea on the Left Completely surrounded by Muslim Countries

Map of the entire Middle East

Zionism Zionism is a political movement that supports a homeland for the Jewish people in Israel. Zionism began organizing itself in the early 19th century. This movement was successful in establishing the state of Israel on May 14, 1948.

The Gaza Strip The Gaza strip is a narrow strip of land along the Mediterranean sea. It is currently governed by the Palestinian Authority but Israel controls the strip’s airspace and maritime access.

PLO Palestinian Liberation Organization: A group that represents Arab people of Palestine who were displaced by the establishment of Isreal

Conflicting Ideals Jewish point of view: After the holocaust and World War 2, Zionists wanted to reclaim Israel as a Jewish state. They also wanted to make Israel, then populated by Arabs, a state mostly, if not completely, populated by Jews.

Conflicting Ideals Arab point of view: As Arabs grew aware of the Zionist intentions, they opposed further Jewish immigration into Israel. The Arabs realized that this was a direct threat to the existence of Arabs and Arab society in Palestine. Since 700 C.E., Palestine’s population was mostly Arab. This meant a threat to 1200 years of history.

Important Events after the declaration of the Independence of the State of Israel The Balfour Declaration (1917) - Before Great Britain Conquers Jerusalem and Palestine, Britain issues the Balfour Declaration. The declaration states British support of the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine. This is a step forward for the Zionist movement but for the Arabs, this only makes their problem worse.

Demographics Israel: As of now, there are roughly 7,000,000 people living in Israel. About 5.3 million people are Jewish, 1.3 million are Israeli Arabs, and 300 thousand are neither of the two. Jews: 5,000,000 (76%) Muslims: 1,000,000 (16%) Christians: 150,000 (2%) Druze: 100,000 (1.5%) Unclassified: 300,000 (4%)

Clips Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KWHHuO_hm4

Israel and Palestine: The Roots of Conflict What region is at the heart of the conflict? Describe the claim that both groups have on this region. What effect did WWII have on the conflict? What is Israel? When was it founded and by whom? What is the Zionist Movement? What is the PLO? Whom does is represent? What was intifada? Who was involved and what caused it? What caused the rise of militant Islam? What is the link to modern terrorism? What is Hamas?

Personal Account/Journal Entry Write a personal account from the point of view of an Israeli or Palestinian student. The account can be written in present day or the past, and must reflect a major event in the history of the conflict-Consider how it must feel to live in the midst of the conflict