LATELY I REALIZED I KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE ISRAEL/PALESTINE CONFLICT. I ASKED AND SOMEONE RECOMMENDED IF AMERICA KNEW. ORG AS A SOURCE FOR INFORMATION. I AM NOT PUTTING THIS OUT ON MY WALL TO BE ANTI-ISREAL. I AM NOT ANTI-PALESTINIAN. I AM ANTI WAR PEROID. I WELCOME INFORMATION FROM ANYONE, BUT I WILL NOT ARGUE OR DEBATE ON THIS SUBJECT WITH ANYONE. IF YOU WISH TO COMMENT, PLEASE DO SO. 1. Keep it civil 2. No bigoted remarks 3. No foul language 4. Help me learn more about this situation in a constructive way. THANK YOU. A Synopsis of the Israel/Palestine Conflict The following is a very short synopsis of the history of this conflict. We recommend that you also read the much more detailed account, The Origin of the Palestine-Israel Conflict. For centuries there was no such conflict. In the 19th century the land of Palestine was inhabited by a multicultural population – approximately 86 percent Muslim, 10 percent Christian, and 4 percent Jewish – living in peace. Zionism In the late 1800s a group in Europe decided to colonize this land. Known as Zionists, they represented an extremist minority of the Jewish population. Their goal was to create a Jewish homeland, and they considered locations in Africa and the Americas, before settling on Palestine. Historic Palestine more maps At first, this immigration created no problems. However, as more and more Zionists immigrated to Palestine – many with the express wish of taking over the land for a Jewish state – the indigenous population became increasingly alarmed. Eventually, fighting broke out, with escalating waves of violence. Hitlers rise to power, combined with Zionist activities to sabotage efforts to place Jewish refugees in western countries, led to increased Jewish immigration to Palestine, and conflict grew. UN Partition Plan Finally, in 1947 the United Nations decided to intervene. However, rather than adhering to the principle of “self-determination of peoples,” in which the people themselves create their own state and system of government, the UN chose to revert to the medieval strategy whereby an outside power divides up other people’s land. UN Plan of Partition more maps Under considerable Zionist pressure, the UN recommended giving away 55% of Palestine to a Jewish state – despite the fact that this group represented only about 30% of the total population, and owned under 7% of the land. 1947-1949 War While it is widely reported that the resulting war eventually included five Arab armies, less well known is the fact that throughout this war Zionist forces outnumbered all Arab and Palestinian combatants combined – often by a factor of two to three. Moreover, Arab armies did not invade Israel – virtually all battles were fought on land that was to have been the Palestinian state. Finally, it is significant to note that Arab armies entered the conflict only after Zionist forces had committed 16 massacres, including the grisly massacre of over 100 men, women, and children at Deir Yassin. Future Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, head of one of the Jewish terrorist groups, described this as “splendid,” and stated: “As in Deir Yassin, so everywhere, we will attack and smite the enemy. God, God, Thou has chosen us for conquest.” Zionist forces committed 33 massacres altogether. By the end of the war, Israel had conquered 78 percent of Palestine; three-quarters of a million Palestinians had been made refugees; over 500 towns and villages had been obliterated; 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. For decades Israel denied the existence of this population, former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir once saying: “There is no such thing as a Palestinian.” 1967 Occupation more maps 1967 War & USS Liberty In 1967, Israel conquered still more land. Following the Six Day War, in which Israeli forces launched a highly successful surprise attack on Egypt, Israel occupied the final 22% of Palestine that had eluded it in 1948 – the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Since, according to international law it is inadmissible to acquire territory by war, these are occupied territories and do not belong to Israel. It also occupied parts of Egypt (since returned) and Syria (which remain under occupation). Also during the Six Day War, Israel attacked a US Navy ship, the USS Liberty, killing and injuring over 200 American servicemen. President Lyndon Johnson recalled rescue flights, saying that he did not want to embarrass an ally. (In 2004 a high-level commission chaired by Admiral Thomas Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, found this attack to be “an act of war against the United States,” a fact few news media have reported.) Current Conflict There are two primary issues at the core of this continuing conflict. First, there is the inevitably destabilizing effect of trying to maintain an ethnically preferential state, particularly when it is largely of foreign origin. The original population of what is now Israel was 96 percent Muslim and Christian, yet, these refugees are prohibited from returning to their homes in the self-described Jewish state (and those within Israel are subjected to systematic discrimination). Second, Israels continued military occupation and confiscation of privately owned land in the West Bank, and control over Gaza, are extremely oppressive, with Palestinians having minimal control over their lives. Over 10,000 Palestinian men, women, and children are held in Israeli prisons. Few of them have had a legitimate trial; Physical abuse and torture are frequent. Palestinian borders (even internal ones) are controlled by Israeli forces. Periodically men, women, and children are strip searched; people are beaten; women in labor are prevented from reaching hospitals (at times resulting in death); food and medicine are blocked from entering Gaza, producing an escalating humanitarian crisis. Israeli forces invade almost daily, injuring, kidnapping, and sometimes killing inhabitants. According to the Oslo peace accords of 1993, these territories were supposed to finally become a Palestinian state. However, after years of Israel continuing to confiscate land and conditions steadily worsening, the Palestinian population rebelled. (The Barak offer, widely reputed to be generous, was anything but.) This uprising, called the Intifada (Arabic for shaking off) began at the end of September 2000. U.S. Involvement Largely due to special-interest lobbying, U.S. taxpayers give Israel an average of $8 million per day, and since its creation have given more U.S. funds to Israel than to any other nation. As Americans learn about how Israel is using our tax dollars, many are calling for an end to this expenditure. Notes Recommended Reading: The Origin of the Palestine-Israel Conflict. More Sharing ServicesShare|Share on facebookShare on emailShare on favoritesShare on print NEW BOOK ON THE ISRAEL LOBBY Alison Weirs new book Against Our Better Judgement: How the U.S. was used to create Israel brings together meticulously sourced evidence to outline the largely unknown history of U.S.-Israel relations. Buy the book on Amazon. Visit the book website for reviews, more ordering options, and upcoming author events. THE CATASTROPHE – AL NAKBA Ethnic Cleansing: How Palestine Became Israel In the late 1800s a small, fanatic movement called “political Zionism” began in Europe. Its goal was to create a Jewish state somewhere in the world. Its leaders settled on the ancient and long-inhabited land of Palestine for the location of this state. READ MORE | FOOTNOTES FEATURED LINKS IN THIS SECTION The Origin of the Israel/Palestine Conflict The History of US-Israel Relations: Part One We Didnt Disappear The Struggle for Equality Inside Israel The Secret of Leopold Amery The History of US Policy in the Region The Legacy of Ariel Sharon: Sabra & Shatilla Living with the Holocaust: The Journey of the Child of Holocaust Survivors
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 01:49:05 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015