Tug of war: Unfolding the History between Palestine and Israel

Tug of war: Unfolding the History between Palestine and Israel
Scenes from the Six-Day War (1967) and Yom Kippur War (1973).

By Ilhan Ismail

Palestine’s history is a tale of unyielding resilience amidst profound struggle. I delved into their journey, uncovering the deep-rooted pain and enduring spirit that define their existence. Through the tumult of political upheaval and social strife, the article highlights the nation’s struggles over the years. 

Their fate was tied to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, a British proclamation supporting the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, while ensuring the rights of non-Jewish communities were not harmed. During the Mandate (1920-1948), large numbers of Jewish refugees moved to Palestine, moreso when the Nazi persecution was intensified in Germany in the 1930s. 

Consequently, on May 14th, 1948, Israel declared independence from British rule. This led to the First Arab-Israeli war in 1948, called the Nakba, meaning a Catastrophe. Over 700,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes and Israel was given full autonomy to control large parts of Palestine. 

Later on in June 1967, Israel and its Arab neighbors fought the Six-Day War as a result of regional tensions. Israel launched a preemptive strike against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, leading to its capture of the Golan Heights from Syria, the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan.

However, Syria and Egypt attempted to gain back their land, leading to the Yom Kippur War (also known as the Ramadan War) that was fought on October 3rd, 1973. This war also saw international involvement, with the Soviet Union (present-day Russia) allying with the Arabs and the USA backing up Israel.

Afterward, peace talks were held, but peace did not last long. On December 8th, 1987, the First Intifada (Revolt) happened after an Israeli driver killed 4 Palestinians in a car accident. The uprising saw widespread protests from the Palestinians. It led to the formation of Hamas, a resistance group founded by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as a way to seek independence.

Israel did not take the Revolt lightly. More tension was fueled after Jordan surrendered its claims to the West Bank. The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was formally recognized as the representative of the Palestinian people. Luckily the tensions were stopped by the Madrid Peace Conference of 1991. However, peace lasted for only 2 years.

After signing several treaties, all fruitless, Israel began the unilateral withdrawal of settlers and military forces in Gaza in August 2005. Nonetheless, Israel started firing on Gaza with missiles. Over 1000 deaths were the aftermath of the violence, as hostility between the two nations grew This sparked international concerns. It happened after the Second Intifada in which Israel argued that Palestinians had “no right to revolt”.

Fast forward to May 2021, the tension was reborn during the Israel-Hamas crisis. Israel planned the eviction of Palestinian families living in Sheikh Jarrah. However, Hamas wasn’t happy about this, hence resulting in clashes. The violence led to the death of over 200 Palestinians and 12 Israelis.

Two years down the line (7th October 2023), Hamas conducted a surprise attack on Israel, killing over 1,400 Israelis and taking hostages with them. Israel, in the weeks that followed, retaliated by conducting massive airstrikes on Gaza, leading to over 40,000 Palestinian deaths and over 90,000 injuries. 

A report from the Statista Research Department shows that as of October 15th, 2024, the number of recorded Palestinian deaths in the West Bank was 719, due to the ongoing conflict. The area remains one of the key territories at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The attack by Hamas and the response from Israel is the largest escalation of rivalry to be witnessed in decades. Many countries and international bodies have condemned this war, as many international laws have been broken and war crimes committed. Civilians, especially children, have borne the brunt of the violence, with numbers continuing to rise daily.

As the heart wrenching story between Israel and Palestine unfolds day by day, the world hopes that peace, humanity, and justice will prevail over conflict.