Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Political History

 


By Mare the Muse and Perplexity

The history of Palestine is a complex tapestry spanning thousands of years, from ancient civilizations to modern-day conflicts. Here's an overview of the region's history and the roots of today's conflicts:

Palestine has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with evidence of human habitation dating back to the Paleolithic period1. The region was among the earliest to see agricultural communities and civilization develop1.

In the Bronze Age, the Canaanites established city-states in the area, influenced by surrounding civilizations, particularly Egypt1. During the Iron Age, two Israelite kingdoms, Israel and Judah, controlled much of Palestine, while the Philistines occupied its southern coast1.

The region saw a succession of empires and ruling dynasties:

  • Assyrians conquered the region in the 8th century BCE

  • Babylonians took control in c. 601 BCE

  • Persians conquered the Babylonian Empire in 539 BCE

  • Alexander the Great's conquest in the 330s BCE began the Hellenistic period

  • Roman Empire annexed the region in 63 BCE

  • Muslim conquest of the Levant occurred in 636–641 CE

  • Crusaders established the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1099

  • Ayyubid Sultanate reconquered the region in 1187

  • Mongol Empire invaded in the late 1250s

  • Egyptian Mamluks controlled Palestine

  • Ottoman Empire conquered the region in 15161

The roots of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be traced to the late 19th and early 20th centuries:

  1. In 1917, the Balfour Declaration promised a "national home for the Jewish people in Palestine"9.

  2. After World War I, the League of Nations granted the UK a mandate over Palestine, including provisions for a "Jewish national home"9.

  3. Tensions rose between Jewish immigrants and Palestinian Arabs, leading to riots and rebellions in the 1930s9.

The modern phase of the conflict began with the creation of Israel:

  1. In 1947, the UN adopted Resolution 181, proposing to divide the British Mandate of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states4.

  2. Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, sparking the first Arab-Israeli War4.

  3. The war ended in 1949 with Israel's victory, but resulted in the displacement of 750,000 Palestinians4.

  4. The Six-Day War in 1967 led to Israel gaining control of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, and other territories5.

The conflict has continued into the 21st century:

  1. The First Intifada (1987-1993) and Second Intifada (2000-2005) were major Palestinian uprisings5.

  2. Despite peace efforts like the Oslo Accords, tensions and violence have persisted5.

  3. In 2005, Israel disengaged from Gaza, but imposed a blockade after Hamas took control in 20075.

  4. Recent years have seen periodic outbreaks of violence, including the Gaza war that began in October 20233.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains one of the world's most enduring and complex geopolitical issues, with deep historical roots and ongoing challenges to peace and stability in the region.

Citations:

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Palestine
  2. https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-206581/
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Gaza_war
  4. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/israeli-palestinian-conflict
  5. https://abcnews.go.com/International/timeline-long-history-israeli-palestinian-conflict/story?id=103875134
  6. https://www.worldhistory.org/palestine/
  7. https://solutionsnotsides.co.uk/sites/default/files/2023-04/ISRAEL-PALESTINE%20TIMELINE.pdf
  8. https://www.reddit.com/r/IsraelPalestine/comments/1g1i664/can_you_summarize_the_history_of_the/
  9. https://www.un.org/unispal/timeline/
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_conflict

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