Root Causes of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Israel-Hamas hostilities, which began unexpectedly on Saturday, are the latest chapter in a 70-year struggle. This ongoing conflict has drawn foreign attention and exacerbated Middle East instability.
The Clash of Israeli Security and Palestinian Aspirations
The conflict stems from a clash of Israeli security concerns in a historically perceived hostile region and Palestinian aspirations for self-determination. The modern State of Israel, proclaimed by founding father David Ben-Gurion on May 14, 1948, provided a homeland for Jews seeking refuge from persecution and with deep ancestral ties.
The establishment of Israel, known as the Nakba to Palestinians, resulted in their displacement and thwarted nationhood aspirations. Roughly 700,000 Palestinians, half of the Arab population under British rule, were forced from their homes or fled during the ensuing conflict. They found themselves in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
Key Conflicts and Peace Efforts
Israel, a close U.S. ally, disputes claims of forcibly evicting Palestinians, asserting that it was attacked by five Arab states the day after its establishment. While armistice pacts halted the combat in 1949, no formal peace agreement was reached.
In 1967, the Six-Day War initiated by Israel led to its occupation of Arab East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights in Syria, and the West Bank. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 saw Egypt and Syria’s failed attempts to retake territory seized by Israel.
In 1982, Israel initiated a 10-week siege of Lebanon, leading to the evacuation of Palestinian militants. This sparked hostilities with Hezbollah in 2006. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but faced recurrent conflicts in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021, characterized by Palestinian rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes.
Two Palestinian intifadas occurred in 1987-1993 and 2000-2005, marked by conflicts and Hamas’ suicide bombings against Israelis.
Peace Efforts and Unresolved Issues
Efforts to establish peace have seen limited success. The 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty ended thirty years of hostility. The 1993 Oslo Accords outlined a framework for Palestinian autonomy, followed by Jordan and Israel’s peace treaty in 1994.
The Camp David summit in 2000, involving Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak, and Arafat, couldn’t secure a definitive peace agreement. In 2002, an Arab plan offered normalized relations with Arab nations, contingent on Israel’s complete withdrawal from 1967 annexed territories and a “just resolution” for Palestinian exiles.
Palestinians terminated diplomatic ties with the Trump administration, which abandoned the two-state option, halting Israeli-Palestinian dialogue since 2014.
The current state of peace efforts remains uncertain, with the Biden administration seeking broader Middle East normalization.
Key Issues in the Israeli-Palestinian Dispute
The core issues include the two-state solution, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and the treatment of refugees. The two-state solution envisions separate Israeli and Palestinian states, with Hamas rejecting it, while Israel insists on Palestinian demilitarization.
Many view Jewish settlements on land occupied in 1967 as unlawful, but Israel disputes this, citing historical ties. The status of Jerusalem remains contested, with Palestinians wanting East Jerusalem as their capital.
Around 5.6 million Palestinian refugees reside across various regions, with the majority being descendants of those who fled in 1948. Palestinians seek repatriation, while Israel insists any resettlement must occur outside its borders.
