 |
| Reads 'Palestine'; Picture by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona |
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict (I would prefer to call it settler colonialism of Israel but let's just give up on that to settle the collective conscience of those who would find it offensive), a sour and longstanding feud, has left a path of devastation, claiming millions of lives and displacing hundreds of thousands. Its origins can be traced back to a century when a colonial act laid the foundation of the turmoil we witness today.
Now, this has once again grabbed the world’s attention, as Israel has lately waged a war against the Gaza Strip after an unforeseen attack from Hamas. An unmistakable appeal to our communal values lies in the flood of images and videos streaming through social media platforms. It makes us stare into the face of a shocking fact that it doesn’t matter who is on the right or wrong side, such bloody events must cause pain in any moral person’s heart. It’s like we are suddenly taken back thousands of years into a barbarian era when no one cares about what constitutes the principle of proportionality and the rights of civilians in warfare.
The phrase “Hamas is a terrorist organization” and the question “Do you denounce Hamas?” sound repetitively everywhere – on the screens of TV debates or headlines. However, the exceptional number of killed civilians, whether in Israel or Gaza, usually goes unaddressed. Nevertheless, many significant historical happenings lie at the root of what we are witnessing today.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been characterized as intractable, complex, impasse, etc., by the Western media, scholars, military gurus, and world leaders for many years. Therefore in this blog series, we venture into an exploration of this complex matter as much as possible. We will try to look at the historical roots of this story revealing the deep and more complicated truth behind the world-famous tale.
The Balfour Declaration (1917): A Landmark Document that changed the scenario
Let’s rewind to the year 1917 when World War I was soaring all-time high, The Allies emerged victorious with a British mandate over Palestine after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire. The Balfour Declaration was at the heart of the creation of the Jewish State of Israel in which it was explicitly promised to make a "national home for the Jewish people". This was quite contrary to what the Palestinians claim to be the promise made in Ḥusayn-McMahon correspondence- A series of correspondences exchanged from July 1915 to March 1916 between Sir Henry McMahon, British high commissioner in Egypt, and Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī, then emir of Mecca. In these sets of letters, the British had made certain commitments to the Arabs in return for their support against the Ottomans during the war, one of which was independence. Consequently, Arthur Balfour - British secretary of state for foreign affairs in a letter addressed to the Zionist leader Lionel Rothschild declared his full support for the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine on the specific terms that “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine” (sounds ironic, right?). This was endorsed by the League of Nations- the predecessor of the United Nations. So to get a grip on this, EUROPEAN powers promised ZIONISTS a homeland in a country where the INDIGENOUS ARABS constituted 90% of the population. A promise from someone who does not possess to someone who does not deserve. There could be nothing more illogical than this.
The British Mandate (1923-1948): Demographics Shift, Tensions Rise
The British mandate was in full swing and about 62,000 European Jews poured in from numerous parts of the World fleeing the Nazi persecution taking the earlier percentage from 7% to 28%. This led to escalating tensions between Arabs and Jews ultimately culminating in the Arab Revolt. The Arab Revolt called for a total boycott of the people to pay taxes, widespread strikes and demonstrations and a boycott of Jewish products which was met with harsh suppression by British colonialists by arrests, summary killings and home demolitions and widespread village bombings. So you now know where the Israeli inspiration comes from!
The year was 1936 and the uprising was referred to as the Great Revolt which even though overshadowed by the Nakba of 1948 was significant in the sense that it was the first intense and large-scale opposition to the anti-colonial mobilisation. It was ultimately crushed owing to Zionist conspiracies, severe repression from the British and some internal conflicts as well.
The British in collaboration with the settler community of Jews established an armed counterinsurgency group of Jewish soldiers which killed about 5,000 Palestinians in the 3 years of revolt. Now this is justified when dealing with the “HUMAN ANIMALS” and is a part of their practice of “MOWING THE GRASS”.
The UN Partition Plan (1947): Seeds of Discord
As the year 1947 dawned, the international community decided to step in with the United Nations proposing its historical partition plan to partition the former state of Palestine into 2 - Palestine for Arabs and Israel for Jews. But wait here is the catch! The Proposed Jewish land was awarded more than half of the territory despite the Arabs being in Majority. The Jews comprising 32% of the population were awarded 55% of Palestinian territory while the Arabs were allocated 43.5% of the land, which had a population of 818,000 Palestinian Arabs and 10,000 Jews (Source: BBC News) The Palestinian territory is by the way reduced to less than 15% as of 2020 (Source: PCBS). Today, with over 2 million Palestinians squeezed within roughly 140 square miles, Gaza has somehow managed to earn the title of "one of the world's most densely populated territories" (Source: NBC News) It's like the real estate equivalent of fitting an entire circus into a Mini Cooper. The result? A place where half of the population is under the age of 19, and they aren't exactly spoiled for choice when it comes to career opportunities. Imagine being a young Palestinian in Gaza, eagerly looking out into the world, only to find that the view is mostly obscured by political barricades.
 |
| Source: BBC News |
While the ink of the Partition Plan was still wet, Al Nakba, or the "Catastrophe". began ethnically cleansing and displacing about 700,000 Palestinians from their homes and killing about 15,000.
The Nakba: A Tale of Tragedy and Displacement
Now this wasn’t a run-of-the-mill tragedy; it was a heart-wrenching saga of displacement and despair.
This operation culminated in April 1948 when it claimed the life of Deir Yassin, a village near Jerusalem. A terrible incident that led to more than 100 dead Palestinians; men, women, and children. This set the precedence for what came after in that more than 500 Palestinian villages, towns and cities were destroyed between 1947 and 1949 which was aptly dubbed the Nakba by the Palestinians – meaning catastrophe.
A staggering toll – approximately 15,000 Palestinian casualties of which a significant number were victims of horrific slaughter operations. Through the Zionist movement, it took control of 78%, while the rest are today known as the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Over 750 thousand Palestinians were uprooted from their houses in total. Today their descendants account for over 6 million Palestinian refugees in about 58 refugee camps in Palestine and neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt.
The State of Israel was proclaimed on the 15th of May, 1948 and the first Arab-Israeli war started and ended with the signing of an armistice agreement between Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria on the 7th of January.
In December 1948, the United Nations adopted Resolution 194 with a call for the restitution of Palestinian refugees.
Such transformation brought about great change in the Arab way of life. Many rich traders and urban notables of towns like Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem, had to flee to neighbouring states, whereas a great number of members of the lower-middle class took shelter in Arab municipalities such as Nazareth and Nablus.
Upon establishment of the Israeli state, around 150,000 Arabs were living in Israel making them just one-eighth of the Palestine population which is also an equivalent percentage of the Israeli population.
Most of them lived in village settlements in western Galilee and they were deprived of their land, thus forced into the menial category.
The following year saw the emergence of the PLO in 1964 and the subsequent formation of the Fatah political party in 1965 kickstarting an era in the ongoing Palestinian–Israeli saga.
The Naksa - For Israel Size Does Really Matter
On June 5, 1967, Israel threw a small party and went on invading the rest of historical Palestine; Gaza strip, West Bank, east Jerusalem, Syrian Golan Heights and just the fun of it, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula (Yom Kippur War). The question is, what were the occasions? So it was the Six-day War and Israel said to themselves “Triple is possible why not?”
 |
| Source: Al Jazeera |
They did not spare Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria – they went for them in a pre-emptive manner. Then, as if buying supplies at a grocery shop, Israel nonchalantly bagged East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights, and the Sinia Peninsula after wiping out its air defence systems.
Twenty years ago, having been recognized as an independent state upon the ruins of historic Palestine, Israel started all over again grabbing more land! On this occasion, they grabbed hold of the remaining 22 per cent of historic Palestine that Israel was unable to acquire in 1948. Size indeed matters in geopolitics because, you know.
This remains the black chapter of Palestinian history and is referred to as “Naksa”. It is when Egypt and Syria were defeated by Israel resulting in Israel expanding its territory by a factor of three leading to the displacement of almost a million people. Their problems were compounded further since some of these persons had sought refuge in Israel following the 1948 war. It’s like being thrown out from home only to be told that one is not even allowed to sleep over at a friend's place. Even more Palestinian Refugees were added to UNWRA camps located in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon following Naksa. The displacement is like an endlessly recurring process.
Oh yes, and should I also talk about the birth of the Marxist-Leninist Palestinian Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in December 1967? Truly, they had ways of attracting attention through a series of attacks and air-captions. However, as the saying goes, if necessary, then necessary!
All of that happened when Israel decided it was the right moment for it to begin developing settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. There they instituted a dual system whereby Jews became Israeli citizens getting full rights as such while Palestinians just suffered under military rule without any civic or political representation. Fair, right?
With US support Israel dropped an occupation military bomb on the West Bank & Gaza and then casually annexed East Jerusalem as it happens even today. But wait, there's more! The “Palestinians” were thus afforded the thrill of seeing their territories occupied by the cruel Israeli army, as well as the “charities”, namely, the armed activities of right-wing Jewish settlers. Now, take note that victory for Israel was nothing short of winning the golden ticket to claim ownership over what they perceived as the land promised to them alone by their God. Talk about divine real estate!
The First Intifada: Stirrings of Resistance (1987–1993)
Okay, let’s turn down the clock to Gaza in December 1987 and see how we got started with the First Palestinian Intifada. An Israeli truck collided with two vans that were carrying Palestinian workers, killing four of them. This was like the last drop of a bucket.
The protests engulfed like wildfire and spread into the West Bank. Many young Arab Palestinians went on the streets fighting Israeli army units using just stones while standing against Israeli army tanks and soldiers.
The First Intifada was not only a protest but also the parent of the Hamas Movement. It was an offshoot and a more active part of the Muslim Brotherhood movement resisting Israel in an armed way.
Israel's response to this uprising? Well, it wasn't exactly subtle. During this time “break their bones” policy, led by Yitzhak Rabin became standard. They did everything, summary killings, closure of universities, deportation of activists, destruction of houses – anything you may think about.
The Intifada revolts were organized mostly by some youth groups but a group called the “Unified National Leadership of the Uprising” constituted all Palestinian factions that aimed at ending the Israeli occupation as well as establishment of Palestine nationhood.
Popular mobilisations, mass protests, acts of civil disobedience, organized strikes and community cooperatives characterized the Intifada. It was a time when Palestinians united and fought against exploitation.
However, the price of this success was not cheap though. B’Tselem is an Israeli Human Rights Organization which has indicated that, at least, 1070 Palestinian civilians were killed by Israel in different ways, with over 200 children included. Over one hundred and seventy-five thousand Palestinians were incarcerated.
The PLO's Diplomatic Endeavors in the 1970s
Turning to another dimension, we will look at one aspect of this battle: “The PLO’s diplomatic road in the 1970s.” To use an analogy, this was chess played with skilful moves that brought about several important advances within international relations.
By the end of that decade, the PLO had representatives in more than 80 countries. They went on very extensive campaigns as far as international diplomacy; to make sure the entire world was aware of the plight suffered by the Palestinians.
The pièce de résistance? The United Nations General Assembly demonstrated its courage on September 22, 1974. Thus, they took up the “Palestine Question”, to discuss it as a distinct topic of discussion separately. It was the end of the era when the Arab world was relegated to being a footnote in the Middle East drama. The time had come for the illumination of the Palestinian people’s national entitlements.
Finally, after thirteen days of sessions, the assembly listened to no other than Yasser Arafat arguing for the rights of the Palestine nation. It felt like a courtroom scene where people were called upon to deliver their testimonials, and Arafat was giving his verdict. 🎤
Indeed, this marked a watershed moment in the narration of the conflict. The Palestinian people moved from being a footnote to centre stage. This was a diplomatic dance that served as foreplay to other talks and solutions towards the Israel-Palestine dilemma.
The Oslo Odyssey: From Accords to the Palestinian Authority
The Oslo Years – a chapter marked with high hopes and tears for the crisis of Israel and Palestine. The first intifada ended in 1993, with the signing of the Oslo Accords. This gave birth to the PA (Palestinian Authority), a provisional government with partial self-rule in some regions of the Occupied territory of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In certain aspects, the Oslo Accords were revolutionary. By virtue of the two-state approach, PLO also agreed to negotiate with Israel, thereby recognizing Israel. These deals also resulted in Israel taking possession of about 60% of the western side of the country including vast swathes of land and water. It felt like someone eating more than half of a split pizza.
To set up the first elected government in Palestine, PA was envisioned as a precursor to an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with east Jerusalem as the national capital. However, this dream has not yet surfaced, like an awaited movie in the theatres.
The PA however has its opponents. To them, it is somewhat of a dishonest subcontractor to Israel’s occupation. In turn, the PA is commonly accused of being a willing accomplice in the joint effort by the Israeli army to suppress opposition and anti-Israeli politics. It is as if there is a complex affair that creates despair among most Palestinians.
However, in 1995, while the international attention was still on, Israel went ahead and completed their project which involved constructing an electronic fence and a concrete wall around the Gaza Strip. The action of separation fragmented exchanges across the previously broken down Palestinian territories, just as severing a dialogue between distant buddies.
The Second Intifada: A New Uprising, a Familiar Struggle
Let’s now skip to early 2000 and discuss the second intifada that once again fuelled up the flames of resistance and conflict.
In a very provocative way, the Second Intifada began on September 28, 2000. Ariel Sharon, the leader of the Likud opposition, decided to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, with thousands of security forces in tow. However, this supposedly ordinary visit sparked a series of violent confrontations involving five killed and 200 injured Palestinian protesters against Israeli forces over merely two days.
This incident was as a torch in a tinder box which created an explosion of an armed revolt all over. However, differently from the First Intifada, it became violent and more destructive this time. During the Second Intifada, Israel caused unparalleled damage to the Palestinian economy and infrastructure, resulting in tremendous destruction.
This led to worsening political tensions with violence that culminated in Israel building a West Bank separation wall in response. However, these were illegal settlements that sprouted further. For decades, more than half a million Jews settled on confiscated Palestinian lands. Settler-only roads and infrastructure were being created, the space for Palestinians was shrinking, and the Palestinians’ cities and towns became disconnected — very much like apartheid-era South Africa.
There have been several peace initiatives and proposals over the years. United Nations Security Council confirmed their vision of a two-state solution to include an Israeli and Palestinian state living in peace side by side. In 2002, the Arab League proposed the Arab Peace Initiative which provided a way towards peace.
In 2003, Quartet comprising the US, EU, Russia, and UN, put forward a road map for a two-state solution. These signified moments of hope in what looked like an eternal fight.
Divisions, Blockades, and a Struggle for Control
The Israeli-Palestinian saga is more than a story of conflicts with outsiders. It is also characterized by internal rifts, power contestation and strife that has greatly influenced the lives of most Palestinians.
It was after the death of PLO chairman Yassir Arafat in November 2004 which led to a change. The year following was marked by the termination of the second Intifada, and the withdrawal of the army along with its settlements from the Gaza Strip. This was one of the key moments, although it did not automatically bring about peace.
In 2005, Palestinians participated in general elections for the first time in the history of their lives. It saw Hamas, a Palestinian political and military organization win in majority. The outcome, however, sparked off a months-long Fatah-Hamas civil war which left behind hundreds of Palestinian corpses.
The repercussions of this conflict were extensive. Finally, Hamas forced Fatah out of the Gaza Strip, and Fatah representing PA took back control of parts of the West Bank. The Palestinian territories were separated, the administration of Hamas in Gaza and Fatah in the West Bank.
However, the population of Gaza experienced the most difficult and tragic circumstances during this crisis involving internal struggles. In June of 2007, Israel imposed a total economic blockade on the strip of Gaza arguing that it was imperative since Hamas allegedly participated in terrorism.
The blockade included restricting movements in air, land, and sea and greatly affected the ordinary lives of the people of Gaza. This hindered the movement of human beings and products, causing socio-economic difficulties and humanitarian problems.
Wars on Gaza and The Years Ahead
Efforts were made such as the Annapolis process (2007-2008) for a final status accord which eventually came to no avail. In late 2008, rockets intensified as well as air strikes which ended with Israel’s “Cast Lead” on Gaza. In response, the United Nations Security Council enacted Resolution 1860. Also, the UN investigated violations of international law during the Gaza conflict and released the “Goldstone Report” highlighting the appalling war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.
For the last decade itself, Israel’s four long-drawn-out military operations in Gaza have been quite a lot. It is like a cursed tradition no one likes and yet cannot do away with. These assaults have been followed by trails of tragedies and the numbers are alarming.
In the 2008 assault, which the Israelis so aptly named "Operation Cast Lead," internationally banned weaponry like phosphorus gas made an appearance. The use of white phosphorus in Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, magnifies the risk to civilians and violates the international humanitarian law prohibition on putting civilians at unnecessary risk. White phosphorus is considered an incendiary weapon under Protocol III of the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons. The protocol prohibits using incendiary weapons against military targets located among civilians, although Israel has not signed it and is not bound by it. (Source: Reuters) Thousands of Palestinians were killed along with several innocent children, and millions of houses, schools and businesses became ruins.
The Palestinian Authority started building state institutions in 2009 and it received wide international community support. Negotiation was reinitiated in 2010, but it did not bear fruit after the end of the settlement agreement moratorium.
Justice and recognition still remained on the Palestinian agenda. In 2011, Palestine applied for UN membership, and UNESCO welcomed it as a member. The exploratory Israeli-Palestinian negotiations took place in early 2012 in Amman.
The cycle of violence pitting Israel against Gaza was ended by a cease-fire brokered by Egypt in November. The Palestinian recognition by the UN as a non-member observer state on November 29, 2012, represented one of the most important events in the country’s diplomacy.
Support for the Palestinian people was still ongoing by the international community as it declared 2014 as the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
But wait, there's more. Where is your “Operation Protect Edge” which sounds like the title of an action movie? However, the movie was not quite entertaining. Of the 2,100 Palestinians that died during this period, about 1,460 were innocent civilians, with almost half being children. The innocent always bear the highest brunt of such a continuous nightmare.
But let's not forget the cherry on top of this grim situation: the Gaza siege. Shouldn’t the rebuilding be simple? Wrong. Steel and cement were not allowed into Gaza in the course of the siege. How can you create a castle out of air?
The ensuing years witnessed further talks and unrest. About settlements, in 2016, the UNSC adopted Resolution 2334. Following this, in 2017, the US government acknowledged that Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel which triggered heated debates and consequences in the international scene.
However, the U.S.-mediated Abraham Accords in 2020 normalised the relationship between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.
The UN General Assembly requested the ICJ in 2022 to give an advisory opinion concerning the prolonged Israeli occupation started in 1967 and its effects on States.
In 2023 however, there was a fresh round of hostilities between Israel and Hamas. This conflict continued, and the United Nations marked the 75th anniversary of the Nakba on 15 May 2023 for the first time in history. Tensions erupted once more in Gaza and Israel in October 2023, reflecting the ongoing intricacies involving the Israel-Palestine crisis.
Beyond History: A Deeper Dive
So there is a lot of heated debate over how there was at some point in history a Jewish presence in the area around Jerusalem and that technically does not make Israel a coloniser. Well, let’s dig deeper into this apologetic argument:
For roughly 3500 years in what is called the Proto-Canaanite period, Jerusalem belonged to the Canaanites who worshipped many gods and goddesses. It wasn't until 2000 BC that scholars found a reference that debatably refers to Jerusalem. The word is "Rusalimum" in texts of Egypt's Middle Kingdom. Scholars believe that the name is a consecration to "Shalim" a Canaanite deity of the netherworld from Ugaritic scriptures. Reference is also made to “Urusalem”
In 2150 BCE, Abraham was ordered by God according to the Bible, to move from his birthplace (Ur Kasdem in Southern Iraq) to Canaan. He and his family were never rulers in Canaan. They first pitched a tent in Bethel, then moved to Egypt ruled by Pharaohs, then lived in the Negev desert and moved back to Bethel. Meanwhile, Lot moved away to live in the Kingdom of Sodom. Abraham then lived under the various Canaanite kings of the time, including Abimelech the King of the Philistines.
The territory passed from the Canaanites to the Egyptians, ultimately. So here we have Egyptians and Canaanites being the original inhabitants of Jerusalem for 3,500 years. The Israelites lived under these authorities. Eventually, a famine in Canaan led them to move to Egypt. They lived in Egypt, away from Canaan for 430 years before they became enslaved by the Pharaohs.
After Exodus, Jerusalem was finally taken by King David in 1010 BC. This was the first time the Israelites ruled something. It was very short-lived, however. They lost the city to the Egyptians in 925 BC. Jehoash of Israel briefly recaptured it in 786 BC but then lost it to the Assyrians in 740 BC. So they intermittently ruled Jerusalem for just 131 years.
For 600 years the Israelites did not rule Jerusalem. The Jewish Hasmoneans finally re-took it in 140 BC under Simon Thassi but then lost it to the Persian Seleucides in 134 BC. That's 6 more years of Jewish rule. Due to a Seleucid civil war, Judeah incidentally became independent in the chaos in 116 BC. In 87BC the Jewish Hasmonean king executed 800 Jews for sedition. In 47 BC they lost Jerusalem again, this time to the Romans. That's 69 years of rule.
In total, off and on the Jews ruled Jerusalem for approximately 206 years.
Comparing successive rules thereafter:
The Pre-Constantine Romans ruled it for 250 years.
The Christian Byzantines ruled it for 304 years.
The Arab Muslims ruled it under the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid Empires for 332 years.
The Egyptian Muslim Fatimids ruled it for 129 years.
The Crusaders took it from the Muslims and held it for 88 years.
The Muslim ruler Saladin conquered it in 1187 and his descendents held it for 63 years.
The Egyptian Muslim Mamluk Empire ruled it for 236 years.
The Ottomans ruled it for 401 years.
So in summary:
That's 3500 years of non-Abrahamic rule Canaanite and Egyptian rule, 206 years of Jewish rule, and 392 years of Christian rule. And over 800 years of Muslim rule, which includes 395 years of specifically Arab rule
So who has the best claim? If we go by original inhabitants or length of rule, then it’s the Canaanites and Egyptians. Egyptians still exist today. Canaanites, although mostly wiped out by Biblical orders, still exist in Lebanon today. The Lebanese are descendants of the original Canaanites. In any case, however, both Egyptians and Canaanites including Philistines, lost control of the land over 3000 years ago. So they are out. They don’t even care to rule the land and don’t make any claim for it anyway. In any case, the Jewish claim to being the original inhabitants is very easily thrown out.
After Canaanite and Egyptian rule, the Israelites (Jews and Samaritans) ruled intermittently for 206 years. Not a long time, and not a stable rule. Neither were they the first inhabitants nor did they rule for very long. Pagan Romans thereafter ruled longer than them. Thereafter, Christian Romans ruled longer than them.
Then came Muslim rule. They are of course the last to the party, but in recent history, they’ve ruled the longest. This includes 395 years of stable Arab Muslim rule and 400 years of stable Turkish Ottoman Muslim Rule.
So, between Palestinians (Christian and Muslim) and Jewish Israelis, who has the better claim?
History tells us that Jews ruled Palestine for barely over 2 centuries. The Christians ruled it for nearly 4 centuries, double that time. the Muslims ruled it for over 8 centuries, more than doubling the time the Christians ruled and four times as long as the Jews ruled. And as the Palestinian people are a religious confederation of Christians and Muslims, both consistently at peace with each other, that puts their birthright to it at 1200 combined years. Nearly a thousand years longer than Jews ever reigned over Jerusalem.
And like it always has been throughout Islamic history, the Jews are welcome to stay there, but as co-inhabitants with their Christian and Muslim neighbours. No barb-wired walls, no soldiers shooting little kids, no stealing people’s homes like bandits, no apartheid separating Palestinians from Jews.
If you've made it through this blog, I genuinely appreciate your patience and your pursuit of the truth. I'll be continuing this blog series with another instalment next month, so please stay tuned. In the quest for justice and a better world, I leave you with the timeless sentiment of Remi Kanazi, “Jews and Muslims’ dialoguing’ has nothing to do with Palestine. The problem is settler colonialism, apartheid, and occupation, not religion.” Thank you for your engagement.
References
https://www.britannica.com/place/Palestine/World-War-I-and-after
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2003/12/4/the-second-intifada
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/9/whats-the-israel-palestine-conflict-about-a-simple-guide
https://cartagocat.wordpress.com/2021/06/08/the-original-inhabitants-of-jerusalem-and-palestine/
0 comments:
Post a Comment