Thoughts post research paper

I finally finished my paper this morning. Luckily I was able to get some sleep, so I am not too tired. Since writing this paper I found out way more information than I intended. In a way I am happy for this. I am now more informed about what is going on in this conflict. I even have my own opinion. Its worse than I originally thought. Writing this paper wasn't too hard. My only problem was information overload and properly using sources. My paper also leaned more towards the fighting than political.I think I used my sources well. I believe that I will get a decent grade for this paper.

Completed Essay

Don't forget a cover page!

Christopher Smalls

ENG 103

Prof. Salamat

Research Paper

Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a war that has been going on since after WWII ended. Israel claims that they own land that is inhabited by Palestine. Palestine claims that Israel has no rights to the land. The results of these claims have been an ongoing conflict between the two groups. During this conflict, Israel has maintained the upper hand. Palestine has stayed strong despite this and has not backed down. To this day, no end for this conflict is within sight. Who is right and who is wrong?

Israel and Palestine are two nations that have a long history. Their history dates back to biblical times. According to the Bible and Torah, Israel was founded by former enslaved Jews. These religious texts claim that with the help of God and Moses, their first prophet, Moses was able to lead the Jews to freedom. The Jews at the time were slaves of the Egyptians.

God had promised Jews a promise land and chose Moses to lead them. Moses led them through the desert for many years however he would never make it to the promise land. The Jews would eventually make it to the promise land and establish Israel. Since then, Israel would change hands of leadership from Jews, Romans, and Ottomans.

Modern day Israel was established on May 14, 1948, three years after WWII ended. Britain at the time had the mandate over Israel/Palestine and gave it up to the UN to establish a Jewish and Arab state. The UN handed over 56% percent of Palestine however Jerusalem was not part of the territory. This new measure was opposed by Arabs, however Jews accepted it. After many debates and propositions The State of Israel was established. This would trigger the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The Arab states which consisted of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon invaded Israel.

After the war ended, Israel kept most of the land given to them by the UN and 60% of the land given to the Palestinians for the proposed Arab state.  Also as a result of this no Palestinian Arab state was established. Between 600,000 and 760,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled from the area that became Israel and they became Palestinian refugees. The war and the creation of Israel also triggered the Jewish exodus from Arab lands. In the three years following the war, about 700,000 Jews immigrated to Israel, residing mainly along the borders of the State. With these events, modern day Israel was created and the beginning of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict started to bloom.

As stated, Palestine has a long history dating back to biblical times. Israel’s ancient history is Palestine’s history. The “Holy Land” is now called Israel, was once before and by some today, called Palestine. The histories of Palestine and Israel divulge and intertwine around the time discussions of a Jewish and Israeli state began. The Palestinians were promised 45% of the land in order to create an Arab State. This however displeased Arabs. Arabs for a long time did not want to split the land with Jews. They wanted it to remain as an Arab state.

When the State of Israel was establish, Arabs did not declare a state of their own. Instead, as stated before Arab countries united and invaded Israel. After the Arab-Israeli war, Palestinians only managed to keep 40% of the land that was promised to them. Despite all of this, an Arab state was still not established. Instead, many Palestinians became refugees. The refugees fled to other Arab nations or established camps in what was left of the land given to them by The UN.

The road to an independent State of Palestine would be a long journey. In 1967 another war broke out. This war would be known as The Six-Day War. Between June 5th and 10th, the war was fought, in which Israel, defended itself against attacks from surrounding countries, As a result of this war, Israel seized control of the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. With this Israel took more land however it would eventually return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. As a result of these wars, Palestinian territory further shrunk.

During the 70’s The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) began to rise in power. The PLO was established on May 24, 1964, with the goal of creating an independent Palestinian state. The PLO was recognized as the representatives for the Palestinian people. They wanted the right to return and self-determination. This meant that they wanted The Palestinian refugees be allowed to return to Palestine. They also wanted to govern themselves without the help or involvement of other nations.

This would be a change because in the past, Palestinians got help from the other Arab nations. This caused a rift with other Arab nations and made them drop all involvement with the Palestinian people. For once the Palestinian became masters of their own destiny. During these early times The U.S. supported Palestinian autonomy in political union with Jordan. In 1985 Jordan gave up West Bank to Palestine. Then in 1988 The PLO made a declaration of Independence. With this a Palestinian State was finally establish. The State of Palestine recognized themselves as an Arab country and declared Jerusalem as their capital. By 1989 after a UN meeting had taken place, many states recognized The State of Palestine. With this modern Palestine was established.

From their beginnings we can see why there would be a conflict between Israel and Palestine. Palestine and Israel have always fought against each other. With the establishment of The State of Palestine things only got worse. Before that however things were terrible throughout the 60’s and 70’s. During the 60’s The PLO tried to take West Bank from The State of Israel. The PLO was deported into Jordan by the Israel Special Defense Forces (IDF). In Jordan the PLO acted against Jordanian rule. From Jordan the PLO infiltrated Israel using terrorist and launch rockets. Israel in turn retaliated these attacks. Throughout the 70’s The PLO terrorist activities intensified. They launched attacks against Jordan and later Lebanon. These resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians and many more refugees.

Attacks against Israeli Jews also continued. During the 1972 Olympics Palestinian terrorists captured Israeli athletes as hostages. In a botched rescue operation all the athletes were executed. Israel once again retaliated for these attacks. These sorts of actions were not unique. Several events had happened in which resulted in more Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After the State of Palestine was establish, the conflict became more political rather than retaliation against acts of terror.

The 90’s would become a new era for The Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 1993, peace negotiations finally began. The negotiations were referred to as The Oslo I Accords. The Accord provided for the creation of a Palestinian interim self-government, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). The Palestinian Authority would have authority over the territory under its control. Israel would also withdraw the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from parts of the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

With this Palestine was given parts of the Gaza Strip and West Bank to Govern. Israel also agreed to recognize The PLO as the representatives of the Palestinian people. In return, the PLO recognized The State of Israel’s right to exist and renounce all acts of terror, violence, and desire for the destruction of Israel. Palestine now had a proper State and government. It was a move towards a legitimate Palestinian State. 

Although this move was supposed to be the beginning of a friendship between the two nations, things did not get better. Israel and Palestine still had some issues among each other that would only continue to escalate. Israel still occupied territory that belonged to the Palestinians. Palestine also had thousands of refugees who being prevented from returning to Palestine.

Other problems have the continued presence of Palestinian terrorist.  Although The PLO renounced terrorism it has not stopped it. To this day Israel is still being attacked by Palestinian terrorist. From 1993–2003, 303 Palestinian suicide bombers attacked Israel. This has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Israeli militants and civilians. In turn Israel has often had to retaliate against these terrorist.

In response to terrorist’s actions, Israel built a wall along the West Bank. Discussing of a wall was brought up in 1994. Construction began in 2000, by May 2006; the construction of the wall was complete. This wall separates West Bank with the rest of Israel. As a result of this wall, Palestinians have reduced freedoms, reduction of the number of IDF checkpoints, road closures, loss of land, increased difficulty in accessing medical and educational services in Israel, restricted access to water sources, and economic effects. This left many Palestinian to continue of suffering.

According to a UN report about the wall “... it is difficult to overstate the humanitarian impact of the Barrier. The route inside the West Bank severs communities, people's access to services, livelihoods and religious and cultural amenities. In addition, plans for the Barrier's exact route and crossing points through it are often not fully revealed until days before construction commences. This has led to considerable anxiety amongst Palestinians about how their future lives will be impacted. ... The land between the Barrier and the Green Line constitutes some of the most fertile in the West Bank. It is currently the home for 49,400 West Bank Palestinians living in 38 villages and towns.(UN Reports and Findings, Chap 1)” This is only one of the few sufferings.

 Israel seized lands belonging to the Palestinian and built the wall on top of it. This has caused villages and families to be split up. Palestinian homes, shops, and stalls were destroyed as well. Important resources such as fertile land and water were taken away from the Palestinians. Israeli’s also cut off access to the Jordan River for farmers and removed permits for them to cultivate land. This has left many Palestinian to go on starving.

The wall has also cut off important health care facilities for many Palestinians. As reported by The BBC “Upon completion of the construction, the organizations predict, the barrier would prevent over 130,000 Palestinian children from being immunized, and deny more than 100,000 pregnant women (out of which 17,640 are high risk pregnancies) access to healthcare in Israel. In addition, almost a third of West Bank villages will suffer from lack of access to healthcare. After completion, many residents may lose complete access to emergency care at night (BBC News)”.

Israeli militant violence against Palestinian civilians has also become issues. In a article by Cynthia Hansen she tells how two weeks before Israeli soldiers were to pull out of Palestine this event took place. This was an apparent response to two Israeli soldiers being kidnapped. Palestinian civilians threw rocks at Israeli soldiers who in turn opened fire on them. This is a great example of the violence between the two nations. Israeli soldiers still maintain presences in the Wes Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli settlements in The West Bank have also caused conflicts with The Palestinians. Finally another important act in this conflict is the Israeli military blockade of The Gaza Strip. This has put Israel in conflict with Palestinian terrorist groups. This has resulted in more deaths, limited freedoms, and a hurt economy.

As we can see these military conflicts show no sign of slowing down. Other nations and organization have had to get involved, specifically The U.S., U.N., and Arab League. The U.N. has often had to step and voice its opinions to Israel. Many times it has condemned its actions and demanded a stop to it. Israel often chooses to ignore them despite their demands.  As shown earlier, The U.N and Arab League have always been involved with Israel and Palestine. They helped shaped where it is today. The U.S. got involved with the conflict during the early 90’s. The U.S. and Israel have always been allies. Israel receives financial and military aide from The U.S. The U.S. was even involved in one of the first peace talks between the nations. The U.S. involvement helped make The Oslo Accords possible. The U.S. has even given security assistance to Palestinian Authority. The U.S. has helped create a Palestinian army so that they can defend themselves. Despite involvement of other nations, things are not improving.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is only getting worse. Every so often you may hear of a new casualty. Many casualties go on unreported on the world news! So there is much more horror stories than the average person may know. In order to get the full story you may need to go to the source yourself. At this time The Gaza Strip Blockade is still in place however it has gotten better. Israeli militants and settlements are still in The West Bank. The wall is still standing strong and terrorist are still a threat. Perhaps someday things will get better but for now they are not.

For things to change I believe it is up to Israel. Israel should leave The Gaza Strip and West Bank. Tearing down the wall should also happen. If they wish to keep the wall up then they should help Palestinians get important necessities. The Israeli, Palestinian, and U.S. governments need a working relationship. Once a relationship is establish they should work on improving lives in Palestine. Refugees should receive the support and aide of the governments. Afterwards the governments can work together to stomp out any terrorist organizations. I believe with this the conflict could end or at least get better.

However its not really my place to say what they need. This conflict has been a long and bloody one and it is about time it stopped. The governments need to start working together to find a solution. Some sacrifice may be required in order for that to happen. As it stands now, neither side intends to budge. Things will only continue to get worse before they get better.

Work Cited Page

"Barrier 'harms West Bank Health'" BBC News. BBC, 15 Feb. 2005. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

Israeli soldiers opened fire on hundreds of stone-throwing Palestinians. By: Hanson, Cynthia, McLaughlin, Abraham T., Christian Science Monitor, 08827729, 12/1/95, Vol. 88, Issue 5

The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement. By: Clinton, Bill, Hussein, King, U.S. Department of State Dispatch, 10517693, 10/9/95, Vol. 6, Issue 41

Rowley, Charles K., and Jennis Taylor. "The Israel And Palestine Land Settlement Problem, 1948–2005: An Analytical History." Public Choice 128.1/2 (2006): 77-90. Business Source Complete. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.

Newman, David. "Contemporary Geopolitics Of Israel—Palestine: Conflict Resolution And The Construction Of Knowledge." Eurasian Geography & Economics 51.6 (2010): 687-693. Business Source Complete. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.

United Nations. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Barrier Projections - Humanitarian Impact of the West Bank Barrier on Palestinian Communities (March 2005) - OCHA Report (31 March 2005). N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

"Israel Science and Technology Homepage." Brief History of Israel and the Jewish People. Israel Science and Technology, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.

"History of Israel: Key Events." BBC News. BBC, 05 June 2008. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.

" Facts About Israel: History." Mfa. Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

Jones, Steve. "What Were The Oslo Accords?" About.com US Foreign Policy. About, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

Agencies, Tim Butcher in Jerusalem and. "Israel Bombs Gaza for Seventh Day after Killing Hamas Leader." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 31 Mar. 0050. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. "PLO: History of a Revolution - Al Jazeera English." PLO: History of a Revolution - Al Jazeera English. Al Jazeera, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

Bailey, Kirk. "A Brief History of Palestine." - For Dummies. Dummies, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.

Deadline is coming up!

I was just reminded that the deadline for the research paper is up tomorrow. I was not aware of this and did not work at it at all this week. Now that I know I have the paper done by tonight. Right now I have a 5hr break between classes. I will use this break to either finish my paper or get most of it done.