Thursday, January 26, 2017

History of Israeli/Palestinian Conflict- Cliff Notes (pt 4)

Are you keeping up? Great.... lots more violence ensues. After the wars of 1948 and 1967, the land of Palestine (which includes the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem) is considered Occupied Territory. Powerful Men argue over land and rights.

  • More Jewish immigrants move to Israel, from many nations, it's like the Jewish Diaspora in reverse. They begin to build settlements on land that has been considered Palestinian. They erect checkpoints in order to feel safe. The U.S. and U.K. governments financially support the state of Israel, believing a Western-Style democracy will bring peace to a volatile region.
  • Palestinians in the OT experience a 400% population growth and yet are routinely evicted from their homes, which are destroyed to make room for settlements. They are considered internally displaced persons (experiencing diaspora) by the UN. Poverty, despair, homelessness and unemployment ensue as the occupation is now in its 50th year.
Peace loving Israeli and Palestinians believe a Two State Solution will ultimately bring stability to the region, because Palestinians will be able to self-govern and Israel will be lifted from its responsibility to govern the OT. Yet, there are forces in both sides that are bent on consuming the other. 

Can peace be achieved in the midst of this divisiveness?

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for this, Jenn. I often wonder what effect the novel and movie Exodus (historical fiction from the Zionist point of view) had on Western opinions of all this.

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  2. Nothing is ever as simple as a movie portrays it to be! Granted, for now I am only getting the Arab side of the story - which is a side many Westerners have not heard. During the mid-term break in March we'll stay a week with a Jewish family who may (or may not) give an alternate view of things. The general rule I've been operating under is: When you understand that you don't understand, then you'll understand. I think as Westerners we often want black and white answers, when there is a whole lot of grey. Who is the good guy, and who is the bad guy, and how do we help the good guy win? It's just not that ever that simple.

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