Israel-Palestine Editorial: History to Modern Warfare
- Sylvia Rose
- Mar 28
- 4 min read
The modern Israel-Palestine conflict has torn up Middle East for over a century. Israel and Palestine both claim rights going back to Biblical times. Today Israel is on an genocidal mission in the Gaza Strip.
Nationalism & Colonialism
The modern Israel-Palestine conflict goes back to late 19th century during times of rising nationalism in Europe. Jewish nationalism or Zionism is an effort to establish a Jewish homeland due to rising anti-Semitism in Europe.
Simultaneously, the Palestinian Arabs who live in the region for generations start to form their own national identity. Palestine is then part of the Ottoman Empire.
In the Balfour Declaration of 1917 the British government supports "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people." It's a catalyzing force.
While promising a homeland to the Jews, it fails to address the existing rights of Palestinian Arabs, the vast majority of the population. As Jewish immigrants start to settle in the area, tensions escalate to violence.
Between 1920 and 1921, riots in Jaffa and Hebron cause dozens of deaths and injuries on both sides.
After World War I, the League of Nations grants Britain a mandate over Palestine. Jewish immigration increases significantly, especially in the 1930s.
This heightens tensions with the Arab population. Arab riots and uprisings demand independence and an end to Jewish immigration. They're met with British suppression and growing Jewish self-defense organizations.
Violence escalates. Palestinians see their land taken away. Zionists believe they're reclaiming their ancestral homeland after centuries of diaspora. The British Mandate cannot maintain order and relinquishes control in 1947.
In 1947, the United Nations proposes a partition plan. This hopes to divide Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. Jewish leaders accept the proposal, but Palestinian leaders reject it.
This plunges the region into the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The war results in establishment of Israel and displacement of over 700,000 Palestinians, an event Palestinians still commemorate as the Nakba or "catastrophe."
Following the war, Israel controls 78% of Mandatory Palestine. The remaining territories, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip, come under Jordanian and Egyptian control respectively.
In the 1967 Six-Day War Israel triumphs over Egypt, Jordan, and Syria to take control of significant territories like the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This fortifies ongoing Israeli occupation.
After the conflict, 400,000 Israeli settlers move into the occupied territories. Inflamed tensions disrupt peace efforts. The occupation is a source of constant friction.
Israeli settlements and military control, coupled with restrictions on Palestinian movement and economic development, leads to the First Intifada (1987-1993).
The First Intifada arises as a grassroots uprising by Palestinians against Israeli rule. The movement is marked by protests, civil disobedience and civilian clashes. It sees the emergence of Palestinian rights group Hamas.
The Intifada brings international attention to the Palestinian plight. During this period 1,200 Palestinians and 225 Israelis are killed.
The 1993 Oslo Accords represent a step towards peace. Both sides recognize each other's right to self-determination. They agree on the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The PA governs parts of the West Bank and Gaza. Unresolved issues of borders, refugees and the status of Jerusalem continue to cause grievances.
Jerusalem’s status is still one of the most contentious issues. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim the city as their capital. Access to holy sites often creates violent confrontations. Global opinions on property rights vary.
Frustration and escalating tensions over Jerusalem erupts into the Second Intifada of 2000-2005. Violence is fierce with over 4500 Palestinians and 1000 Israelis killed in the clashes.
Since 2007, blockades of the Gaza Strip by Israel and Egypt create a massive humanitarian crisis. Restrictions on movement and limited access get worse.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are a main cause of discord. While the international community sees these as illegal, Israel argues they're essential for security. In 2022, around 700,000 people live in over 250 settlements.
In 2023 Hamas takes 251 hostages from Israel, triggering a full-scale Gaza war and blockades by Israel and Egypt. Most hostages are returned. 62 remain. Over half are thought to be killed in the war.
China, unlike the West, doesn't consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
China supports the creation of a "sovereign and independent Palestinian state" based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In Yemen, the Houthis cause the Red Sea Crisis in 2023. They blockade the Red Sea in support of Gaza Palestinians, demanding an end to the war and Israeli blockades. The Houthis are also labeled terrorists by Saudi and US.
In 2025 Israel, backed by the US, attacks hospitals, food lines, refugee camps and the Red Cross in Gaza. Much of the strip is now rubble. Trauma, starvation, disease and despair are rampant.
Aid workers are taken out of Gaza for their own protection. Israel targets Geneva Convention taboos like reporters and emergency shelters.
The group Hamas, labeled as a terrorist organization by US and its allies, is given as the reason for the attacks. In late March 2025, desperate people in Gaza cry for Hamas to leave so the war will end.
Israel is not punished for its acts, which are war crimes under the Geneva Convention. The attacks continue. Even if Hamas leaves, without help the Palestinians are on a path to final eradication.
