Trying to understand the Palestine-Israel Conflict?

Question

I've been studying up about this in school and it seems to me that post-WWII the U.N. decided to give the Jewish people their "Promised Land" and took part of Palestine and created Israel. Understandably, the Palestinians were upset and so, along with other Arab nations, attacked Israel it's first day as an official country. Israel fought back, and thanks to the USA's help when it came to their military, they were able to not only keep their land, but they expanded and took the majority of Palestine.

Am I understanding this correctly? What's it your opinion about this? How should the US be involved? And please, be sincere about it.

Thanks Roxiecat. I'm a sophomore, by the way.

Thanks Roxiecat. I'm a sophomore, by the way. I learned about it in World Studies Honors.

Whoops, I posted that first part twice. I guess I got a little too ahead of myself!

Answer 1

Ignore all the old history. Each side has held control of the land previously, and both have numerous grievances stretching back hundreds of years.

Look at what's happened recently. In an effort to establish a Palastinean state and live side by side in peace with the Palastineans, Israel voluntarily vacated, at great political and economic expense, Gaza, and turned it over to them. They were making plans to pull out of the West Bank and do the same.

How did the Palastineans respond? They used Gaza to shoot rockets into Israel. They've elected a terrorist organization called Hamas as their official government. Hamas purpose for existing is to wipe out Israel. To date, they have not recognized Israel's right to exist.

Bottom line - Israel made a costly effort to give peace a chance, and the Palastineans spit in their eye and have virtually declared war on them.

Answer 2

It is somewhat simplistic and should be elaborated on.

One thing that many people seem to forget when they talk about this history is that there was never a country called "Palestine". There was a territory called Palestine that belonged to the British Empire (and before that the Ottoman Empire).

Before the UN vote, there was the recommended partition of Palestine that would give the Arabs a state along with a Jewish state. This was REJECTED.

I personally wonder if the Arabs won that war if there would have been an independant Arab state there or would it been divided up between Syria, Egypt, and Jordan. I tend to think the later due to various reasons.

Just as a tip... try looking for accurate maps that show things shuch as the partition plan, the area that Israle ended up being in 1948, the size it ended up being in 1968, etc. It will help with the perspective.

Answer 3

Yeah thats about it. You are forgetting though, that Israel should never have been formed. "Promised Land" says it all.
Promised by who God? That doesnt fly for me un less God is passing out real estate agent cards. The Bible isnt a deed.
There is awhole lot more to it than what you said though.
The US wants Israel there so it always has an excuse for military presence in the middle east.
Also do you think the timing of the formation of Israel was funny? Right around the time oil was being discovered in the middle east? I think Israel has no right to be a country, the Jews lived throughout the middle eastern countries in peace, they were NOT persecuted and had freedom to worship as they chose.

A RELIGION IS NOT A COUNTRY NOR A RACE OF PEOPLE.PALESTINE IS A RACE.JUDAISM IS A RELIGION.

Answer 4

The "Palestinians" is the greatest hoax in history. Or, in their own words...


"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

-PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein, 1977

Answer 5

Bzzzt Wrong

Your brief over simplification is flawed.

If you are actually interested. start by reading the first book of the bible as history. Read it very carefully it is not as simple as you might think.

Make a point in following the time and location of everyone. Not just principal players everyone.


When you finish that then start on some Mideastern Culture time-lines Who said what and when. Top it off with the Census taken by the Ottoman Empire. Along with the settlement of WWI and WWII.

Your answer will be found. But if you are not a descendant of Shem the son of Noah then it is all a waste of time. You would be better off playing GTA

Go big Red Go

Answer 6

Well from what I understand after ww2 and what the germans did to the jews we decided to give them thier promised land based not only on the jewish religon but on the fact that America is a Christain based country.Whether or not it was the right thing to do I dont know.But I do know we will always be on the side Of Isreal simply because of our beliefs and the fact that they are the only democracy in the middle east.

Answer 7

Not exactly. In 1967 the Arabs made a move on Israel, and Israel
thwarted it rather quickly. It wound up with more land as a result of the "Six-Day War." One takes that risk when one attempts to crush another country. The Arab plan simply backfired on them.

That Israeli land expansion was purely defensive. The tiny country was completely surrounded by countries hostile to them, and those countries demonstrated that they were out to crush Israel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Days_War

Answer 8

you seem to have it down about right.. and Israel seems to be strong enough to hold it's own, so i don't think we have any need to be involved.. and i can understand how Palestine would be upset about everything, but this is an unfortunate part of war, to the victors go the spoils to do with as they see fit.


by the way, Hamas is only a part of the Palestinian government, not the hole thing, and Palestine did not attack Israel, Hamas did, the Palestinian army never made a move even though their cities were being bombed. and Hamas, not Palestine was shooting the rockets.

Answer 9

Exactly! That's right. But since then the UN has passed various resolutions calling on Israel to withdraw to the 67 boundaries but she have ignored such resolutions and each time the UN voted a resolution calling on Israel to stop maltreating and murdering the Palestinians the US vetoed it. This includes resolutions that sanctioned the deploiment of UN peace keeping forces to the occupied territories. Further, the US equip Israel ith the latest WMDs (cluster bombs, nukes...)... www.ifamericansnew.com

Answer 10

i say free palestine! theres alot of things in this that never make sence, how about our hippy parents that always wanted to "tear down the wall" and yet still side with the israelies?? how the hell does that make sence!!! i have a close friend (palestinian), and they have absolutely no human rights, they arent even alowed to step foot into a church! its a shame, and i disagree with israel! if your interested in this, look up "ymca's journey for justice" they have people go to palestine/israel for 2 week trips and teach you hands on about what the people go thru there. also, only a month back, one of his friends was stripped naked in the streets and tortoured all night until his death, because he wanted freedom! yes it still persists!!! heres some web sites
http://www.arij.org/
http://www.passia.org/