The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Complex History and Ongoing Struggle

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The Origins of the Jewish People

To fully understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it's important to examine the history of the Jewish people, both as taught in Israel and as established by historians.

The Biblical Narrative

In Israel, Jewish history is primarily derived from biblical texts. According to this narrative:

The Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt
During their escape to Sinai, they received the Torah from God
They were promised the land of Canaan
After conquering it, the kingdoms of David and Solomon were established
Solomon's Temple was built in Jerusalem
The kingdom later split into Israel and Judah
In the 6th century BCE, the Babylonians conquered the region, destroyed Solomon's Temple, and exiled the people to Babylon
After 50 years, they were allowed to return to Jerusalem and built the Second Temple

Historical Evidence

Based on historical facts and archaeological discoveries:

In the 13th century BCE, the New Egyptian Kingdom dominated the region called Canaan
The empire weakened due to the Hittites in the north and the Philistines settling on the coasts
As Egypt gradually withdrew, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah emerged, likely founded by local populations
In the 6th century BCE, the Babylonians occupied the region, destroyed Jerusalem, and forcibly took the elite to Babylon
After the Persian conquest, they were allowed to return to Jerusalem
The Second Temple was built, and the Torah was likely written during this period based on ancient texts and oral stories

The Diaspora and Return to Palestine

Roman Rule and Jewish Revolts

In 70 CE and again in 132 CE, while the region was under Roman control, two major revolts were violently suppressed
Jerusalem was destroyed, and Jews were expelled from Judea
They were condemned to live in exile away from their land

Jewish Communities in the Mediterranean

By this time, there were already many Jewish communities throughout the Mediterranean basin
This was a result of migrations and conversions

The Rise of Christianity and Islam

In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and spread the religion throughout the empire
Jews were gradually marginalized
In the 7th century, during the Arab conquests, Jews and Christians in occupied lands were tolerated and allowed to practice their religions, provided they paid an additional tax

Jewish Populations in Europe

In the 8th century, the Khazar king Bulan and his elite converted to Judaism
In the Iberian Peninsula, after the Catholic reconquest, a large Jewish community called the Sephardim had to convert to Catholicism or leave the territory
Many went to the Arab Maghreb and the Ottoman Empire, where they were tolerated
In Europe, starting from the Crusades period, Jews were regularly persecuted
Many took refuge in Poland, where they were well received and formed what are called the Ashkenazi Jews

The Birth of Zionism

Russian Pogroms and Early Zionist Movement

By the 18th century, there were about one million Jews in the world
Most lived in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Between 1772 and 1795, Poland and Lithuania were completely divided between Russia, Prussia, and Austria
The majority of Jews now found themselves in Russia, where they were tolerated but under strict control
In 1881, following the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, his son and heir Alexander III came to the throne and began implementing authoritarian and repressive policies, particularly targeting Jews
As a result, about a hundred pogroms - violent and often deadly attacks against Jews - broke out across the country, with no reaction from the state
Many Jews fled to the United States and Western Europe
Some thought about emigrating to Palestine, forming the group "Lovers of Zion"

Early Jewish Settlement in Palestine

At that time, about 25,000 Jews, mostly Sephardim, lived in the major cities of the Ottoman Empire, near the holy places of Judaism
They formed what is called the "Old Yishuv"
From 1882, new immigrants, mostly Ashkenazi Jews from Europe, formed the "New Yishuv"
They arrived in waves of immigration called aliyahs

Theodor Herzl and the First Zionist Congress

In France, the Jewish Captain Alfred Dreyfus was falsely accused of providing secret information to the Germans
This case gained importance with rising anti-Semitism in the country
In 1895, Dreyfus was publicly discharged in Paris
Among those present was Theodor Herzl, an Austrian Jewish journalist
The following year, he published a book uniting Jews around the world as one people who could not be assimilated
To escape persecution, they had to create their own state, in Palestine or Argentina
On August 29, 1897, he organized the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, with the aim of preparing for the establishment of a homeland for the Jewish people

The British Mandate and Early Conflict

World War I and the Balfour Declaration

In 1914, World War I began
The Ottoman Empire sided with the Central Powers
Several fronts opened against the United Kingdom
The UK found itself in a difficult position and sought new support in the region
On one hand, it encouraged Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, to revolt against the Ottoman state, promising him an independent Arab state
On the other hand, a secret agreement was signed with France to divide the Ottoman state after its defeat
Finally, in 1917, while the British army was about to enter Palestine, Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour published an open letter declaring that the country was in favor of establishing a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine

Post-War Partition and Increased Jewish Immigration

At the end of the war, the Ottoman Empire was dismantled, mainly in favor of France and the United Kingdom
Winston Churchill placed Hussein bin Ali's sons at the head of Transjordan and Iraq, and kept Palestine west of the Jordan for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people
This was despite the opposition of 600,000 Muslims and 70,000 Christians living there

Arab-Jewish Tensions and British Difficulties

Although a minority, the 80,000 Jews living in Palestine organized themselves
They created a union of Jewish workers, established the Haganah, an armed self-defense group, and created the Jewish Agency for Palestine, which acted as an unofficial government for the Yishuv
Jewish immigration from Europe accelerated with British support
However, Arabs viewed these new immigrants as invaders and organized demonstrations that often turned into massacres against Jews
Despite being a large majority, Arabs lacked a strong common structure and were divided by conflicts between influential families

The Rise of Nazi Germany and Increased Jewish Immigration

Hitler's Rise to Power and Jewish Persecution

In 1933, Hitler came to power in Germany and began a policy of persecuting Jews with the aim of excluding them from society
Many fled to Palestine

Arab Resistance and the Arab Higher Committee

Faced with this new influx, Arabs gathered to form the Arab Higher Committee, headed by Amin al-Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem
He organized a general strike against the British administration and demanded an immediate end to Jewish immigration
The strike quickly turned into guerrilla warfare, and a series of attacks were organized against the British and Jews

Jewish Retaliation and British Intervention

In response, the Irgun, a military organization founded by the most extreme members of the Haganah, retaliated for the attacks by organizing its own attacks
For its part, the United Kingdom sent large military reinforcements to violently suppress the rebellion

Consideration of Partition

The country realized that it would be difficult to establish a state comprising both communities and studied for the first time the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state
However, for the first time, the neighboring Arab states united and declared that they opposed the partition of Palestine and the establishment of a Jewish state

World War II and Its Aftermath

British Policy Shift

On the eve of World War II, the United Kingdom needed allies in the region to maintain its control over the eastern Mediterranean through which Iraqi oil passed, as well as to protect the Suez Canal
The country then radically changed its policy and committed to establishing a unified state, within the next ten years, consisting of no more than a third of Jews
As a result, Jewish immigration was now severely restricted

World War II in the Middle East

At the beginning of World War II, Italy bombed Palestine and launched an attack from Libya towards Egypt
After being repelled by the British, large German reinforcements landed and gained the upper hand
Fearing an invasion of Palestine, the Haganah created the Palmach, an elite unit trained in warfare

The Holocaust and Increased Jewish Immigration

Around 1943, information about the genocide of Jews by Nazi Germany began to spread
David Ben-Gurion, head of the Jewish Agency, prepared a plan to allow the immigration of one million Jews to Palestine
At the end of the war, at least 250,000 Jews from Holocaust survivors wanted to join Palestine, but the United Kingdom maintained its policy and prevented their arrival
The Haganah then organized Jewish immigration secretly

Post-War Violence and the British Withdrawal

Faced with British intransigence, the Palmach, Irgun, and Lehi (a new armed terrorist group dreaming of establishing a Jewish state between the Nile and the Euphrates) organized a campaign of sabotage and bombings against the British
On July 22, 1946, in Jerusalem, the Irgun committed a deadly attack against the British administration
Faced with some difficulties, the United Kingdom failed to draft an agreement between the Zionists and Arab nationalists and decided to transfer the Palestinian problem to the newly created United Nations

The UN Partition Plan and the Birth of Israel

The UN Partition Plan

The UN formed an international committee that proposed dividing the land into two states, with Jerusalem under international control
The plan was adopted, supported by the United States, despite opposition from Islamic countries
This was considered an important victory for the Zionists, as they obtained their first international recognition

Arab Opposition and Civil War

The entire Arab world opposed this plan and the establishment of a Jewish state
In major cities, violence quickly escalated between Jews and Arabs, turning into a civil war

Preparation for War

Ben-Gurion, realizing that Arab states would enter the war after the British departure, prepared the Yishuv for war
People of fighting age were recruited, and secret emissaries were sent to Europe to buy weapons, ammunition, and surplus equipment from World War II
Golda Meir, an influential woman originally from Kiev, was sent to the United States, where she obtained nearly $30 million in donations for the war from the very important Jewish community there

The Arab-Israeli War of 1948

On May 14, 1948, in Tel Aviv, Ben-Gurion declared the independence of the State of Israel
At midnight, the British Mandate ended, and the following day Arab armies entered the war against Israel
Ben-Gurion, the current Prime Minister, unified all Jewish armed forces into a national army called the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF

The Aftermath of the War

Israel gained several territories, including West Jerusalem
Egypt controlled the Gaza Strip, and Jordan annexed the West Bank into its territory
Nearly 700,000 Arabs were displaced or fled from the war and are now refugees in camps in Gaza, the West Bank, and neighboring countries
The Arab League and the United Nations want to allow their return, but Israel refuses
Only 150,000 Arabs now live in Israel

The Suez Crisis and the Six-Day War

The Suez Crisis

In 1956, the new Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, at the expense of France and the United Kingdom
In response, these countries secretly approached Israel to organize an attack against Egypt
The Israeli army quickly occupied the Sinai
However, in the context of the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the United States intervened to put an end to the attack

Israel's Nuclear Program

Israel gained a major alliance with France, which provided weapons and helped build a nuclear reactor
In 1963, this reactor was inaugurated, allowing the production of plutonium
However, Israel maintains ambiguity about its nuclear program and does not leak any information

The Six-Day War

In 1967, tensions escalated again
Nasser deployed his forces on the border with Israel, organized a blockade of the Strait of Tiran, and closed access to the port of Eilat
Israel saw this as a declaration of war and launched an attack against Egypt and its allies Syria and Jordan, which were bombing Israel
In just six days, Israel emerged victorious and took control of the Sinai, the Golan Heights, and the Palestinian territories

The Yom Kippur War and the Camp David Accords

The Yom Kippur War

On October 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel with the aim of reclaiming the Sinai and the Golan Heights
Initially, Israel was in an unfavorable position, but within a week managed to gain the upper hand, particularly with support from the United States, which sent weapons via an airlift

Oil Embargo

In response, Arab oil-producing countries reduced production to raise oil prices and also imposed an oil embargo on Israel's allies

The Camp David Accords

In 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab head of state to make an official visit to Israel
Two years later, the two countries signed a peace treaty
Egypt recognized Israel in exchange for the country regaining the Sinai

The First Intifada and the Oslo Accords

The First Intifada

At the end of 1987, in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian population rose up against the Israeli occupation, armed with stones and Molotov cocktails, marking the beginning of the First Intifada
Violence quickly escalated and spread throughout the occupied territories

The Rise of Hamas

More extreme organizations took control of the spontaneous revolution, such as Hamas, an Islamic organization created for this occasion by members of the Muslim Brotherhood, calling for jihad against Israel

The Oslo Accords

In 1993, the first historic agreement was signed between Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli Prime Minister
Each recognized the other, and Israel committed to gradually withdrawing from major Palestinian cities

Opposition to the Peace Process

Extremists on both sides opposed this rapprochement and sought to derail any agreement
In 1995, a radical Jewish student assassinated Yitzhak Rabin in Tel Aviv
Conversely, Hamas, which opposes recognition of Israel, organized a wave of terrorist attacks throughout the country

The Second Intifada and the Gaza Disengagement

The Failure of the Camp David Summit

In 2000, US President Bill Clinton invited the new Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat for new negotiations
This time, they failed on more sensitive issues, such as the return of Palestinian refugees, the status of Jerusalem, which each wanted as their capital, and control of the holy sites in the city

The Second Intifada

On September 28, 2000, Ariel Sharon, now a politician, visited the Temple Mount
For Palestinians, this was seen as a provocation
Protests were organized and quickly deteriorated
Faced with violent Israeli repression, a new wave of terrorist attacks was organized throughout the country

The Gaza Disengagement

To ease tensions, Ariel Sharon dismantled 21 Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip and evacuated the area

Recent Developments and Ongoing Challenges

Hamas' Victory and Control of Gaza

In 2006, Palestinian elections were held
Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, won, and its leader Ismail Haniyeh became Prime Minister
An armed conflict soon broke out between Hamas and its main rival Fatah
The latter controls the West Bank, while Hamas has full control of the Gaza Strip

The Gaza Blockade

Israel then imposed a blockade on the area, with support from Egypt
Two million people are trapped on a 365 square kilometer strip of land, without international aid, and in the hands of Hamas, which regularly launches rockets at Israel

Ongoing Conflicts and Peace Efforts

In 2012, Palestine gained non-member observer state status at the United Nations
The following year, new peace negotiations were organized at the invitation of US President Barack Obama
These efforts failed, partly due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accelerating the colonization of occupied territories during negotiations

The 2014 Gaza War

Netanyahu then launched a new attack on the Gaza Strip in response to rockets fired by Hamas at Israel
18,000 homes were destroyed, along with a large part of the public infrastructure, including the only power plant

Trump's Presidency and the Abraham Accords

In 2017, Donald Trump became President of the United States
In the same year, he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and prepared to move his embassy there
In 2020, Trump achieved normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan

The October 2023 Hamas Attack and Ongoing Conflict

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a major attack on Israel
The security wall was breached, and terrorists massacred 1,139 people and took about 250 people hostage
Israel took a week to regain control
It then retaliated with intensive bombing of the entire Gaza Strip and began invading the area
As of this writing, at least 32,000 Palestinians have been killed

Unresolved Issues and Future Challenges

The Refugee Question

There are 5.9 million refugees, 1.5 million of whom still live in camps hoping to one day return to their ancestral land

The Status of Jerusalem

Both sides want Jerusalem as their capital, as well as control over the holy sites located there
Some Jews today dream of building the Third Temple on the Temple Mount

Israeli Settlements

There are 700,000 Jewish settlers living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
They are subject to Israeli law and thus have more rights than Palestinians

The Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

The current humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic, and everything will have to be rebuilt

International Alliances

The United States and the European Union remain Israel's biggest allies
Conversely, Iran is its biggest enemy
The country militarily supports Hezbollah, which regularly attacks from Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen who target Israeli and allied ships in the Red Sea, and Palestinian groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad
Hamas also receives significant support from Qatar, which hosts its leaders

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains one of the most complex and intractable issues in international relations. With deep historical roots, competing claims to land and holy sites, and ongoing violence, finding a peaceful resolution continues to be a significant challenge for the international community.

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