Israel/Palestine explained!

It's easy to ignore it, to forget about the rest of the world and just focus on your own life. I know I do it a lot. But sometimes, it becomes too difficult to ignore. It shouldn't be ignored. The famine, the war, the hell that people are living through every single day needs to be recognised. It's depressing but people need to be aware of it. Recently, I've been paying attention to the news about the world because so much terrible stuff appears to be happening all at once. I feel like I should be doing something to help, I've always felt some responsibility as a human to help others, no matter who they are or where they are in the world. Unfortunately, it feels there is little I can really do to make a difference so I've decided to write a series of blog posts to at least raise awareness of what is going on in the world.

So first up, let's talk Israel and Palestine. I'm going to try and explain the conflict in simple terms because it's really complex.

Geographically

Israel and Palestine are territories in the Middle East. There are no internationally recognised borders, it's part of the long ongoing dispute. While some believe that Palestine is an independent state, others see it as territories under Israeli occupation. Both have claims to various territories going back a long way.

When/how did it all start?

The early 1900s was when it all began. Many Jews who felt persecuted in their own homes began to move to the area wanting to have their own state there. In 1947, the UN approved a division - Israel for the Arabs and Palestine for the Jews with Jerusalem as an international zone. This was not enforced as many viewed it as European interference. In 1948, Palestine was invaded as people wanted it to be unified. They also uprooted entire Palestinian communities resulting in around 700, 000 refugees. Israel took control of most areas except for Gaza and the West Bank.

Then what?

Israel began occupying Palestinian territories in 1967, forces have occupied the West Bank since then. Why the occupation? Well, Israel claims that it is for security against Palestinian attacks. This makes life for Palestinians very difficult, subject to Israeli controls and strict border controls. Unemployment is high and getting food and water can be hard for some. 

Why is it still going on?

Well, in 2005 Israel left Gaza. Then a group called Hamas won elections and took control there. Violence has been going on for so long that it seems like the norm but it's important to remember that no one should have to live in a state of conflict like this. 

Hamas? Who are they?

They are a militant group formed in 1987. They have been engaged in conflict with the aim of forming a Palestinian state. They want Israel to be gone. They have led several suicide bombings. As unity talks keep breaking down, the conflict continues.

What about peace negotiations?

With continuous failed peace talks, a lot of people have concluded that violence must be the only solution. There seems to be a widespread feeling of apathy. There are still a lot of important questions to be answered - what will happen to settlers in the West Bank? What will happen to refugees? Who gets control of Jerusalem? Where do they draw the borders?

Will it ever end?!

Hopefully, yes. Either one state gets destroyed, there is a unity of states or two states can be formed. When this will happen remains unknown but hopefully sooner rather than later as casualties continue to rise.

Hopefully if you didn't understand the conflict much, you do now. Raising awareness is important if there's little else we can do. Please do let me know if I've made any mistakes!