Israeli - Arab-Palestine war; Religious or ethnically motivated? who is the rightful inhabitant of the region?

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The Israeli–Palestinian Conflict: Historical Overview

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1918 during World War I, the term Palestine referred to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.

When the First World War ended in 1918, Britain was entrusted with the territory of Palestine by League of Nations (later replaced by United Nations after its collapse in 1946) to oversee the area and help establish a Jewish homeland.


Palestinian Perspective

According to the Palestinians, the region includes the West Bank (the area between today’s Israel and Jordan) and the Gaza Strip (bordering Israel and Egypt). 

Palestinians claim the land belonged to their forefather, Abraham and that they are the rightful owners.

However, these areas have been under control of the Israeli army since 1967.

Control over the region has remained controversial since the establishment of the modern Jewish state (Israel) shortly after World War II in 1947.

To this day, there is no international consensus on the boundaries of the region.

Twenty-eight United Nations member states do not recognize Israel as an independent state, while more than 130 countries recognize Palestine as an independent state. 

This is because many areas claimed by Palestinians are also claimed by Israel.


Jewish Perspective

According to the Jews, the Hebrew Bible contains narratives of ancient Israelites living in the region known as Canaan, which later became the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, established by King David and his descendants around 1000 B.C. This serves as the foundation of their claim.

Over centuries, the region was conquered and ruled by various empires including the Babylonians, Persians, Romans, and Ottoman Turks, leading to the displacement of Jews across different parts of the world.

Jews claim to have returned to the land given to their ancestors by God (YHWH).


The UN Partition and the Establishment of Israel

After collapae of League of Nations, United Nations was formed in 1945.

UN proposed a partition plan to divide Palestine into two parts: 

  • An independent Jewish state and 
  • An independent Arab state, with Jerusalem designated as an international territory, neither under Jewish nor Palestinian Arab control.

Most Jewish leaders accepted the plan, but many Palestinian Arabs, who had been resisting both British rule and growing Jewish influence, strongly opposed it. 

Some Arab leaders, claiming to represent the majority population, demanded control over more territory. This led to the formation of volunteer armies by Palestinians to resist what they saw as the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine.

In 1948, Britain withdrew from Palestine, and Israel declared itself an independent state, expressing willingness to comply with the UN Partition Plan. 

However, neighboring Arab countries, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon, launched military attacks to prevent the establishment of a Jewish state.

The 1948 Arab-Israeli War ended in July 1949, with Israel gaining control of more than two-thirds of the territory. 

Jordan took control of the West Bank, and Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip.


Formation of the PLO and the Six-Day War

In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed with the goal of establishing an independent Palestinian Arab state, claiming the land was illegally occupied by Israel. 

Yasser Arafat became the chairman of the PLO in 1969 and served until his death in 2004.

During his leadership, Arafat reached an agreement with Israel in the 1993 Oslo Accords, where the PLO recognized Israel’s right to exist in exchange for Israel’s recognition of the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

In 1967, the Six-Day War broke out between Israel and several Arab states. Israel emerged victorious, gaining control of the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Sinai Peninsula, and Golan Heights (between Syria and Israel).


Peace Efforts and Renewed Conflict

In 1978, Israel and Egypt signed the Camp David Accords in the United States, which restored peace between the two nations.

Israel returned Sinai Peninsula to Egypt and discussions about Palestinian sovereignty were proposed.

In September 2000, renewed conflict erupted between Palestinian Arabs and Israel. 

A major trigger was a visit by Israeli politician Ariel Sharon (later Prime Minister) to the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, a site sacred to Muslims. 

Palestinians viewed this as a provocation, which led to violent riots and suicide bombings. These uprisings, known as intifadas (rebellions), lasted about five years. 

In 2005, Israel withdrew its forces from Gaza.


Hamas, Fatah, and Divisions

In 2006, Hamas, an Islamist military group, won the Palestinian legislative elections, leading to political conflict with Fatah, the party controlling the PLO. 

In 2007, Hamas defeated Fatah in a violent struggle over Gaza.

Hamas has since been accused of launching rocket attacks, conducting suicide bombings, and calling for the destruction of Israel. 

The group has been involved in major conflicts with Israel in 2008, 2012, and 2014.

In April 2014, Hamas and Fatah agreed to form a unified Palestinian government.

However, internal disagreements over leadership led to the failure of the agreement in 2019. 

As a result, Fatah remained in control of the West Bank while Hamas controlled Gaza.


October 2023 Attack and Current Situation.

In October 2023, Hamas conducted a large-scale raid on Israel, kidnapping around 200 people and killing approximately 1,000 civilians. 

This triggered a massive Israeli military response. Israel, under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, launched a series of airstrikes on Gaza.

The ongoing retaliation has reportedly led to the deaths of more than 37,000 Palestinians, including women and children, intensifying the humanitarian crisis.


What Has Been Causing the Unrest?

The root causes of the conflict remain deeply tied to land ownership and ethnicity. Arab nations like Jordan, Syria, and Egypt have historically supported their brethren, Palestinian Arabs.

Religion itself is not the main reason behind the violence. 

  • The Israeli army includes Jewish, Christian and Muslim soldiers.
  • Meanwhile, some Christian Palestinians also oppose Israeli control and reject the recognition of Israel as a state.

However, international religious affiliations influence the conflict. 

  • Some Christians globally support Israel due to biblical ties to the land, while 
  • Islamic militant groups like Hezbollah, the Houthis, and others, allegedly supported by Iran support Palestinian resistance, adding a religious layer from outside the region.
  • Muslims across the world also supports Palestinians especially on social networks. There are numerous facebook groups with endless debates between christians and muslims in support of either side.


Despite numerous international interventions, peace agreements, and diplomatic efforts, the core issues remain unresolved: 

  • borders, the status of Jerusalem, security, Palestinian statehood, refugees, and mutual recognition. 
Both Israelis and Palestinians ground their claims in history, identity, and lived experience, making compromise politically and emotionally difficult.

While religion often shapes narratives and external support, it is not the primary cause of the conflict. Rather, political power, territorial control, displacement, and national self-determination have consistently driven unrest. 

Internal divisions, such as those between Hamas and Fatah, alongside regional and international interests, have further complicated efforts toward a lasting solution.


Related topics:

Crises that shook the capitalist system

Why were the Jews massacred by Adolph Hitler


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