The Palestine-Israeli Conflict Essay Example for Free

The Palestine-Israeli Conflict Essay The central problem of the Palestine-Israeli conflict is a struggle over Palestine. The Zionists want to make Palestine a â€Å"Jewish State† for arriving Jewish settlers and the anti-Zionists, who are native Muslim/Christian/Arab Palestinians re resisting expulsion. (Ould-Mey, Abstract) Palestinians have been living under Israeli military occupation since 1967. Israel frequently violates the Geneva Conventions. The Geneva Conventions are â€Å"a set of principles instituted after World War II to ensure that civilians would â€Å"never again† suffer as they had under Nazi occupation. (If Americans Knew, Current Situation, Para 4) Consequently, Palestinians are powerless against Israel. For example, Palestinians cannot leave Gaza or the West Bank unless Israeli guards allow them to. They are also not allowed back in unless Israeli Guards allow them to. Often their requests are denied. The current conflict dates back to the 1800s when a group in Europe (Zionists) decided to colonize Palestine. As more Zionists moved into Palestine the indigenous population became increasingly concerned. Eventually fighting broke out that was only made worse as World War II led to more Jewish immigration to Palestine. Finally, the UN chose to use a strategy where an outside power divides up other people’s land in an attempt to resolve the fighting. The UN recommended giving away 55 percent of Palestine to a Jewish state. This led to a war in 1947-49. By the end of the war Israel had conquered 78 percent of mandatory Palestine; three-quarters of a million Palestinians had been made refugees; over 500 towns and villages had been destroyed; and a new map was drawn up, in which every city, river and hillock received a new, Hebrew name, as all vestiges of the Palestinian culture were to be erased. † (If Americans Knew, History, para 7) A second war in 1967 led to Israel occupying the additional 22 percent of Palestine that had eluded it in 1948. This left Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip living in a kind of limbo. These people no citizenship and no power over their own lives. Today, many Palestinians are resisting the occupation of Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip causing the conflict to continue. A resolution can only happen if Israel loosens its control over Palestine. The only way this will ever be a possibility is if there is a decline of U. S. support of Israel. With less involvement by the U. S. the U. N. will be able to play a greater role in the peace process. This would be a positive first step in resolving the conflict. At this point the U. N. could allow Palestinian refugees back into their homes. The U. N. could also take away the right of any Jew to be able to settle in Palestine. These steps would not completely resolve the conflict but it would the start of a resolution. As long as the U. S. continues to stand behind Israel, the conflict will not be resolved. It is important to note that this would ultimately benefit the U. S. as well as the U. S. support of Israel damages the country’s relationship with other nations and Muslim consumers.