Conflicts in West Asia: A brief history of the Israel-Palestine conflict  

The October 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas and the subsequent response of Israel have apparently changed the face of the long standing Israel-Palestine conflict. Despite several regional and international efforts, the war has persisted for nearly a year. 

With speculation doing the rounds that the war would have wider implications for the stability and security of the region and the world at large, let’s look back and dig into the root cause of the conflict. 

Origin of the crisis 

The present crisis of Israel-Palestine started long back before the establishment of Israel. It can be traced back to the emergence of  the “Jewish question” in Europe in the late 18th century, which led to the Zionist movement. The term “Zionism” was first coined in 1885 by the Viennese writer, Nathan Birnbaum. 

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, “Zionism is a political movement that was originally begun in order to establish an independent state for Jewish people.” Theodor Herzl, a Viennese Jewish journalist and one of the significant leaders of Zionist Movement, organised the first Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897 and spearheaded the movement for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.  

Role of empires 

The aspirations of contemporary empires during WWI also helped Jews in establishing the state of Israel. The British Empire, for instance, was struggling to maintain its control in the Middle East and capitalised on the weakening Ottoman Empire. It made agreements with other regional Arab actors.

1. McMahon-Hussein Correspondence (1915-16): It was a series of letters exchanged between Sharif Huseein of Mecca and Sir Henry McMahon, the British High Commissioner in Egypt. As part of the correspondence, the British promised Sharif Hussein of Mecca an Arab state after WWI in exchange for his revolt against the Ottoman Empire.

2. Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916): It was a secret agreement between France and Britain involving the division of territories of the Ottoman empire after WWI. The agreement was named after the British diplomat Sir Mark Sykes and the French diplomat François Georges-Picot.

3. Balfour Declaration of (1917):  It was signed between the British Foreign Secretary, Arthur James Balfour, and Lord Rothschild, a prominent leader of the British Jewish community, to establish a “Jewish national home” in Palestine in exchange for the support of the European Jews for Britain in WWI. Britain honoured the Balfour Declaration after WWI and supported Jewish settlements in the Palestinian land.

Following the Balfour Declaration, Palestinian resistance against the British and the Jewish settlements in Palestine became stronger.

Nevertheless, in 1928, Jews sought to extend their rights to worship at the Western Wall located near al-Haram al-Sharif – where the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock are situated. Tensions escalated into the Palestinian Revolt of 1936-37, which  started as a non-violent protest but evolved into guerrilla warfare.

At this time, Britain declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. The plight of Jews in  Germany made Jewish leaders in Palestine build more infrastructure and resources to accommodate the Holocaust victims. British and Jewish authorities brought Holocaust survivors to Palestine. However, Britain did not have the intention to leave Palestine at that time. Therefore, violent resistance against Britain also erupted from both Jews and Arabs.  

Partition and Nakba 

After WWII, Britain decided to exit from Palestine and shifted the responsibility to address the issue to the United Nations (UN). On May 15, 1947, the UN established the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) to study the case of  Palestine. On August 31, 1947, UNSCOP published its findings and recommended the partition of Palestine. 

On November 2, 1947, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 181, recommending the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state (on around 56 per cent of land), and an Arab state (on around 43 per cent of land), with Jerusalem and Bethlehem put under a special international regime.

Despite owning 94 per cent of the land before the UN Partition Plan of 1947, Palestinians now administer roughly 12 per cent of it

Shortly after the UN Resolution 181, a civil war broke out, resulting in the violent expulsion of Palestinians from their towns and villages, which culminated in what is known as the Nakba (Catastrophe). By the time Britain withdrew, Israel had control over 77 per cent of the land, and one-third of the Arab population had been displaced and became refugees in neighbouring countries. Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948.

The continuation of war 

The Palestinian War shifted from Palestine to refugee camps in neighbouring Arab countries. Several political and militant organisations were established like Fatah, Popular Front for  Liberation of Palestine, Democratic Front for Liberation of Palestine, etc. Initially, it was hoped that a united Arab front could bring Palestine back. Nevertheless, hopes were subsequently pinned on then Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. 

Suez Crisis (1956) 

The first war after 1948 was fought in 1956 when Israel invaded Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. The war was precipitated by the nationalisation of the Suez Canal by Nasser. Alongside Israel, Britain and France attacked Egypt to protect their economic benefits. It was called the Tripartite Aggression. Egypt won the war politically and became the leader of Arab nationalism. Nasser made Palestine an Arab issue. 

Six-Day War (1967)

In 1967, the Six-Day War was fought between a united Arab front and Israel in which Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria, and the Gaza Strip and the West Bank from Jordan. In this war, Arabs not only lost their territories but also the feeling of a united front. 

Yom Kippur War or Ramadan War (1973)

The Yom Kippur War or Ramadan War of 1973 was fought between the united Arab front led by Egypt and Syria against Israel. Arabs lost it and after this, no united Arab war has happened against  Israel. 

Later on, the first Intifada of 1987 brought Palestinian war to home. Since then, violent clashes and attacks like the Second Intifada of 2000 and the recent Hamas attack in 2023 are happening from within the borders of Israel and Palestine.  

The peace efforts 

Arab states created the Palestine Liberation Organisations (PLO) at the Alexandria Summit in 1964 under the leadership of Ahmad Shuqayri. The PLO and Israel were brought to the negotiating table by the US. The Oslo Accords of 1993 between Israel and the PLO sought to establish peace based on UN Resolution 242, which called for Israel’s withdrawal from territories occupied during the 1967 Six-Day War.

However, the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on November 4, 1995 halted the peace process. It was the continuation of a land-for-peace treaty. It created the Palestinian Authority, dominated by Fatah, which still rules the West Bank and other areas. 

Over the years, the conflict has continued, with intermittent peace efforts and violent uprisings like the First Intifada (1987), Second Intifada (2000), and the recent Hamas attacks. The involvement of regional players through the Abraham Accords, signed between Israel and several Arab countries like the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, has also shaped the modern geopolitical landscape, but without resolving the core issues, including humanitarian, of the Israel-Palestine conflict. 

India’s position 

India’s position in this conflict has remained consistent. It has supported a “negotiated two-state solution, towards the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine within secure and recognised borders, living side by side in peace with Israel.” It has been providing humanitarian aid to Palestine and has political, strategic and defence relations with  Israel. 

(Chitra Saini is an independent researcher and holds a doctorate in International Studies from JNU.)

Post Read Question

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has changed the face of the long standing Israel-Palestine conflict. Comment.

What is the Balfour declaration? How does it relate to the Israel-Palestine conflict? 

Discuss India’s stand on Israel-Palestine conflict.

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