The Palestinian Issue: A Century of Struggle and Resistance

The origins of the conflict

The Palestinian issue is one of the most complex and enduring conflicts in modern history.

It involves the struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination and justice against the Zionist movement and the state of Israel, which was established on Palestinian lands that were usurped by Zionist gangs, colonized and occupied what remained of its homeland for more than a century.

The roots of the conflict can be traced to the late 19th century, when the Zionist movement emerged in Europe as a political and ideological project to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine, a region that was then part of the Ottoman Empire and inhabited by a majority of Arab Muslims and Christians, and a minority of Jews.

The Zionists sought to create a Jewish state through immigration, land purchase, and political lobbying.

The Zionist project received a major boost in 1917, when the British government issued the Balfour Declaration, which expressed its support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, without regard for the rights and aspirations of the indigenous Palestinian population.

The declaration was part of the British imperial interests in the Middle East, and paved the way for the British Mandate of Palestine, which lasted from 1920 to 1948.

During the British Mandate, the Zionist movement intensified its colonization of Palestine, with the support of the British authorities, who facilitated the Jewish immigration and land acquisition, and suppressed the Palestinian resistance.

The Zionist settlers established exclusive Jewish institutions, such as the Jewish Agency, the Histadrut, and the Haganah, which aimed to create a state within a state.

The Palestinian people, who saw their land, resources, and identity being threatened by the Zionist project, rose up against the British and the Zionists in several revolts, most notably the Great Arab Revolt of 1936-1939, which was brutally crushed by the British forces and the Zionist militias.

The Palestinians also sought the support of the Arab countries and the international community, but their appeals were largely ignored or rejected.

The Nakba and the creation of Israel

The fate of Palestine was decided by the United Nations in 1947, when it adopted Resolution 181, which recommended the partition of Palestine into two states: one Jewish and one Arab, with Jerusalem as a corpus separatum under international administration.

The resolution was based on the UN Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) report, which acknowledged the historical and religious connection of the Jews to Palestine, but ignored the political and national rights of the Palestinians.

The partition plan was rejected by the Palestinians and the Arab states, who considered it unjust and illegal, as it granted the Jewish minority, which constituted about one-third of the population and owned less than 7% of the land, more than half of the territory, including the most fertile and urbanized areas .

The plan was accepted by the Zionist leadership, who saw it as a stepping stone for further expansion.

The partition plan triggered a civil war in Palestine, which escalated into a regional war after the British withdrawal and the declaration of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948.

The war resulted in the defeat of the Arab armies, and the occupation of 78% of Palestine by Israel, which also annexed West Jerusalem.

The remaining 22% of Palestine, consisting of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, came under the control of Jordan and Egypt, respectively.

The war also led to the Nakba, or the catastrophe, which marked the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by the Zionist forces.

More than 750,000 Palestinians, about two-thirds of the population, were expelled or fled from their homes and villages, and became refugees in neighboring countries or within Palestine.

More than 400 Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed or depopulated by the Israelis, who also confiscated the refugees' lands and properties.

The Nakba was a traumatic event for the Palestinian people, who lost their homeland, identity, and dignity.

It also created the Palestinian refugee problem, which remains one of the core issues of the conflict.

The refugees have been denied their right of return to their homes and lands, as enshrined in the UN Resolution 194 of 1948, which also called for the demilitarization of Jerusalem and the establishment of a conciliation commission to facilitate a peaceful settlement.

The occupation and the resistance

The Palestinian issue did not end with the Nakba and the creation of Israel. The Palestinian people continued to resist the Israeli occupation and colonization of their land, and to assert their national identity and rights.

In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, with the aim of liberating Palestine and establishing an independent and democratic state .

The PLO adopted various forms of struggle, including armed resistance, diplomacy, and popular mobilization. The PLO also gained the recognition and support of many countries and organizations, especially in the Arab and Muslim world, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the socialist bloc.

The PLO also established a state-in-exile, with its headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, and its institutions in various Arab countries.

The PLO's resistance and influence posed a threat to Israel, which sought to eliminate it and to consolidate its control over Palestine.

In 1967, Israel launched a preemptive war against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, and occupied the remaining 22% of Palestine, as well as the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, and the Shebaa Farms.

The war, known as the Six-Day War or the June War, marked the beginning of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, which continues to this day.

The Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories was accompanied by a systematic policy of colonization, which involved the construction of illegal Jewish settlements, the annexation of land and resources, the imposition of military and administrative measures, the violation of human rights and international law, and the denial of the Palestinian right to self-determination. The occupation also created a new reality on the ground, which undermined the prospects of a peaceful and just solution to the conflict .

The Palestinian people under occupation did not surrender to the Israeli oppression, but resisted it in various ways, such as civil disobedience, strikes, demonstrations, and armed attacks.

The most notable expressions of the Palestinian resistance were the two intifadas, or uprisings, which erupted in 1987 and 2000, and which challenged the Israeli occupation and exposed its brutality to the world .

The peace process and the impasse

The Palestinian resistance and the international pressure forced Israel to engage in a peace process with the Palestinians, which started with the Madrid Conference in 1991, and continued with the Oslo Accords in 1993, and the subsequent agreements and initiatives, such as the Wye River Memorandum, the Camp David Summit, the Taba Talks, the Road Map, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the Annapolis Conference .

The peace process was based on the principle of land for peace, and the vision of a two-state solution, which envisaged the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and a fair resolution of the refugee issue, in exchange for the recognition of Israel and the end of the conflict.

The peace process also involved the creation of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which was supposed to be an interim self-government body that would prepare for the final status negotiations and the statehood .

However, the peace process failed to achieve its goals, and instead became a cover for the continuation and expansion of the Israeli occupation and colonization.

Israel did not comply with its obligations under the agreements, and continued to build and expand its settlements, to annex more land and resources, to impose closures and sieges, to conduct military raids and assassinations, and to violate the human rights and dignity of the Palestinians.

Israel also refused to address the core issues of the conflict, such as Jerusalem, refugees, borders, and security, and rejected any meaningful compromise or concession .

The failure of the peace process led to the outbreak of the second intifada in 2000, which was met with a brutal Israeli repression, and the construction of the apartheid wall, which isolated and fragmented the Palestinian territories. The second intifada also witnessed the emergence of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which challenged the PLO's leadership and strategy, and adopted a more militant and religious approach to the conflict. Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, which triggered a political and geographical split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and a violent confrontation between Hamas and Fatah, the main faction of the PLO .

The Palestinian division and the Israeli intransigence have created a deadlock in the peace process, and a deterioration in the situation on the ground.

The Palestinian people have been suffering from the Israeli occupation and siege, the internal strife and corruption, the economic and social hardships, and the loss of hope and direction.

The Palestinian issue has also been marginalized and neglected by the international community, especially in the wake of the Arab uprisings, the regional turmoil, and the global challenges .

The future of the Palestinian issue

The Palestinian issue is not a historical or a humanitarian issue, but a political and a moral issue, that requires a political and a moral solution. The solution is not to deny or negate the rights and aspirations of either side, but to recognize and respect them, and to find a way to coexist in peace and justice.

The solution is not to impose or accept a fait accompli, but to challenge and change it.