Update on the Crisis in Palestine

Brie Samaniego

Before the state of Israel was established in 1948, the land was called Palestine and ruled by the Ottoman Empire. Following the first World War, Palestine, among other territories, was placed under British control by the League of Nations in 1922. 

While the other territories became independent, Palestine remained under British control and enacted the Balfour Declaration, which promised a “national home for Jewish people.” The primary ideology in the establishment of Israel is known as Zionism, a form of Jewish nationalism. Oftentimes, anti-Zionism is conflated with antisemitism. Although some criticism of Israel can turn antisemitic, criticism of the Israeli government and the violence it has enacted is not inherently antisemitic.   

Around this time, large populations of Jewish people flocked to Palestine, fleeing the rise of Nazism and violent antisemitism. Both violent and nonviolent resistance ensued, from both sides. In 1947, the United Nations adopted Resolution 181 which partitioned Palestine, 45% to an Arab state and 55% to a Jewish state. 

The partition resulted in violent militant attacks against Palestinians living in the newly established Israel. This is referred to as “The Nakba” or “the Catastrophe,” forcing around 750,000 Palestinians to flee with thousands killed. This led to the full-scale Arab-Israeli War, leaving Palestine vulnerable to further attacks by the Israeli government, which employed tactics such as psychological and biological warfare, increased land seizure, expulsion of Palestinians, and destruction.  

At the end of the war, Israel held about 78% of Palestine, with more than 6,000 Israelis and 10,000 Palestinians killed and another estimated 500,000 Palestinians displaced. 

1987 saw the first in a set of mass uprisings against the Israeli occupation, called “the Intifada.” These uprisings saw the foundation of Hamas, an armed resistance group calling for the dismantlement of Israel. Hamas has been characterized by the use of suicide bombings to regain land. Hamas won the Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and took over the Gaza Strip in 2007, triggering the blockade on that land under the premise of preventing weapon smuggling. Human rights groups have deemed the blockade by Israel as an “open-air prison” and a form of collective punishment, illegal under the Geneva Convention. 

On October 7, Hamas fighters breached the fences separating Gaza and Israel. More than 1,000 Israelis were killed in the attack, with 240 taken as hostages. In response, the Israeli government violently and massively retaliated. At the time of writing, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed—over 12,000 of whom being children. 84 journalists have been killed, 94 hospitals and healthcare facilities in Palestine have been attacked, 370 schools have been damaged or destroyed and 1.1 million Palestinian children have been denied access to adequate humanitarian aid. Although while reading, it can be easy to reduce these people to numbers or statistics, the numbers represent real people: men, women, and children have had their lives violently taken away. 

In two separate cases presented to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), South Africa has accused Israel of genocide and apartheid. Hearings are ongoing and over 50 countries are presenting arguments on the consequences of Israel's occupation. 

The United States government has done nothing to end this conflict or call for a ceasefire and has continued its financial aid directly funding the Israeli military. Most recently, the house passed a bill to provide $14.5 billion  in aid and is awaiting Senate and White House approval. 

This article is in no way a comprehensive recount of the entire history of this nuanced conflict. This is not an attempt to change nor attack anyone, less their personal ideologies, opinions, or beliefs. It is important to remember that people are not their government. Using a tragedy to justify antisemitism or islamophobia only creates increased divide and violence. 

Fighting ignorance can be just as important as fighting violence. Educating yourself and staying informed is always the first step to meaningful change.