Can someone explain the real issue between Israel / Palestine?

Answer 1

Just to comment on all the answers that you got, there were no Palestinians before 1967, so it is not that Israel took something from someone. There were Arabs that lived in that area that was declared by the UN as Israel. Some actually became equally Israeli citizens. The ones that ran away to the other Arab country (which BTW, rejected them..) called them self later on Palestinians and they claim the occupied territories and in some cases all of Israel area.

Answer 2

From: The Global Policy Forum*

Israel, Palestine and the Occupied Territories

The question of Palestine and Israel has commanded the attention of the UN since the organization was founded. The UN General Assembly voted the original partition of the land in November 1947 and the UN deployed its first peacekeeping operation to monitor the ceasefire lines after the war of 1948. This site introduces readers to the key issues, with a special focus on UN involvement in the conflict.

For many years, successive Israeli governments refused to consider a Palestinian state, while most Arabs denied the legitimacy of Israel. In the 1970s both sides began to recognize the need for compromise. The Palestinians proposed a separate state, claiming as their homeland the territories outside the 1948 ceasefire lines, territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. This idea found widespread support in the international community, and Israel was called on to withdraw from this land, as affirmed in UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

Israel's 1967 occupation of other territories complicated the matter. Israel seized Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Syria's Golan Heights and set up settlements in both. Israel also invaded Lebanon in 1978 and 1982 and maintained a long-term occupation in the southern part of the country. These wars and occupations were related to the Palestine question and deepened the political crisis surrounding it. Even after Israel eventually withdrew from Egypt and Lebanon, the Palestine (and Golan) occupations continued. Israel's settlement-building, and its construction of a massive border-wall that annexed large swaths of Palestinian territory, has made resolution of the conflict far more difficult.

Since resolutions 242 and 338, the Security Council has taken no significant steps to end the Israel-Palestine conflict. United States influence has generally kept the issue off the Council's agenda. When Council members have introduced resolutions, responding to periodic crises, the US has repeatedly used its veto on Israel's behalf. The General Assembly has taken a more active and creative role in the conflict, yet its resolutions are non-binding and have largely symbolic weight. Both bodies would have been more effective if governments had been willing to confront US displeasure and US pressure. Recent US policy has only made matters worse.

Key issues that have plagued the stalled "peace process" include: Israel's occupation, Israeli settlements and settlement-building, the Israeli wall, security for Israelis and Palestinians, shared sovereignty over Jerusalem, and the right of return of 3.7 million stateless Palestinian refugees.

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*The GPF, Global Policy Forum monitors policy making at the United Nations, promotes accountability of global decisions, educates and mobilizes for global citizen participation, and advocates on vital issues of international peace and justice.

Answer 3

Palestine is currently divided among the states of Jordan, Israel, parts of Lebanon and Syria, and the disputed territories of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.

Best to start with the background to the Arab-Israel Conflict (it goes back a long ways) and stick to the facts

http://www.palestinefacts.org

Answer 4

This is a very hard one. They have been fighting since the time of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Moses and Joshuah return to the home land after a 400 year visit to Egypt. They were told by God to Kill all the inhabitants. They got tired of killing and war and made peace (what a peace). They have been fighting ever since. Just read the Bible, and they were fighting way back them. I just read this past week where David was fighting in and it was in a city that stands today.

The Bible in the last book talks about the Last great War / Battle and it will be in this part of the world. There will be no peace there till the end of time as we know it.

Answer 5

God gave the descendents of Abraham forever the land of Canaan (Israel) from the river Nile in Egypt to the river Euphrates (in Iraq) The Palestinians think it is their land and Israel knows it isn't, so it is simply a fight for the land.
The Palestinians will lose eventually since Yahweh is on the side of Israel.

Answer 6

Have you ever heard of Hadrian? He is the one who named Palestine because of his intense hatred for the Jews. History will show from his time, all that took place - even to this day.

The land was never that of the muslims - despite who says anything to the contrary. God gave that land to Abraham and his descendants, through his son, Isaac. It is written. Please read the book.

Ishmael, and his mother, Hagar were put away; Ishmael was not given the Holy Land. He was not a covenant child of Abraham. He was the child of his concubine.

It is the all-time family feud!

Answer 7

Well, here we go:

After the Jews were slaughtered in WWII, the Allies felt they should try to find them someplace to call their own. A country where they could rebuild from the atrocity. But where, where to do it??

Hmmm...there used to be a place that Jews lived and had a government. Thousands of years ago, in fact. And right now, Great Britain owns that land. And it's not being used for anything except goat herding.

PERFECT!

Well, "Palestinians" were under the impression they had a country. Actually, most of their "country" became Jordan. But Jordan refused to allow these "Palestinians" in. It seems everybody thinks they're murderous scum.

Answer 8

After WWII, a bunch of European countries (and the US) went in, snatched a bunch of land from the Palestinians, including Jerusalem (which is sacred ground to both Jews AND Muslims) and gave it to the Jews. For obvious reasons, the Palestinians were less than pleased to be kicked out of homes and land that their ancestors had lived in for thousands of years, and since the Jews (now Israelis) now own said land, they hate the Israelis, who won't let them go back and are doing their best to keep all the best parts of their new land for themselves. The fact that the Israelis are also of a different faith which considers Muhammed a false prophet just makes things even worse.

Answer 9

It's simple, both believe that God had promised the land to them.

You might have to get out your Bible and read a bit of Genesis if you don't remember the story of Abraham. Abraham's wife, Sarah, couldn't have children, so she told him to have a son with their slave girl, Hagar. He did and they named the boy Ishmael, but then Sarah had a son named Isaac.

The Jews believe they are the descendants of Isaac, and that was the first born son since he came from Abraham and his wife. Being the first born son he inherits the Holy Land.

Muslims believe they are descendants of Ishmael, and that he inherits the Holy land because he was actually born first.

That's what it boils down to, one Holy Land with two groups of people claiming the birthright!

Answer 10

The real issue is the Palestinian land illegally occupied by Israel.