Christine Drews Sieger
Do you find it hard to understand the Israel-Palestine conflict? Here’s a simple explanation of the history behind it.
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians can be difficult to understand because it is rooted in more than a century of competing claims to the same land.
Religion plays a role, but the dispute is also about territory, national identity, security, Palestinian statehood, refugees and control of Jerusalem.
The current conflict is therefore not a new one. The events unfolding today are connected to a long history of wars, displacement and failed attempts at peace.
How the conflict began
After the First World War, Palestine came under British control. During the following decades, Jewish immigration increased, particularly as Jews fled persecution in Europe and later the Nazi Holocaust.
At the same time, Palestinian Arabs were demanding independence and opposed the growing movement to establish a Jewish national home.
According to the United Nations, tensions between the two communities intensified during the British Mandate, eventually leading Britain to hand the issue to the UN in 1947.
The UN then proposed dividing Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, with Jerusalem under international administration. The Jewish leadership accepted the plan, while Palestinian Arab leaders and neighboring Arab states rejected it.
In 1948, Israel declared independence and war broke out. Israel emerged from the war controlling more territory than had been allocated to the proposed Jewish state under the UN partition plan.
The United Nations reports that more than 700,000 Palestinians became refugees during the war.
For many Israelis, 1948 represents the creation of a Jewish state after generations of persecution. For Palestinians, it represents the loss of homes and the beginning of a refugee crisis that continues today.
Palestinians refer to the mass displacement as the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” according to the Council on Foreign Relations
1967 changed the conflict
Another crucial turning point came in 1967, when Israel fought Egypt, Jordan and Syria in the Six-Day War.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, bringing large numbers of Palestinians under Israeli control. The war also displaced roughly 300,000 Palestinians.
From this point onward, the conflict was no longer simply about whether Israel would exist. It also became a question of what would happen to the Palestinian territories and whether Palestinians would eventually have their own independent state.
There were attempts to resolve the dispute. In the 1990s, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed the Oslo Accords, recognizing each other and agreeing to limited Palestinian self-government.
The Council on Foreign Relations reports that the agreements were intended to lead to negotiations over the most difficult issues, including Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, borders and security.
But those final-status issues remained unresolved, and the peace process eventually broke down.
Meanwhile, Hamas became a major force in Palestinian politics. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and seized control of Gaza in 2007 after fighting with the rival Fatah movement.
Israel and Egypt subsequently imposed restrictions on movement and goods entering and leaving Gaza.
Why does the conflict continue?
The central problems have never been fully resolved.
Israelis have long emphasized the need for security and protection from attacks, while Palestinians have sought an independent state and an end to Israeli control over territories they claim for that state.
The Council on Foreign Relations identifies several major unresolved issues:
- Borders: How should the borders between Israel and a future Palestinian state be defined?
- Jerusalem: Israel considers the city its capital, while Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
- Settlements: Israeli settlements in the West Bank are a major issue in negotiations over a future two-state solution.
- Refugees: Palestinian refugees and their descendants continue to debate the question of their right to return.
- Security: Israel wants Palestinian militant groups to disarm and a future Palestinian state to be demilitarized, while Palestinians seek an end to Israel’s military occupation and greater control over their own security.
Then came October 7, 2023.
The Council on Foreign Relations reports that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched a surprise attack on Israel that killed more than 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign in Gaza.
The attack and subsequent war became the latest and most devastating chapter in the conflict – but they did not create it.
At its core, the conflict involves competing claims over land, security, national identity and political rights.
That is why understanding the conflict requires looking beyond the latest war. The events of today are tied to decisions and grievances that began generations ago.
