Brief Explanation of the Israeli-Palastinian War

The conflict between Palestinian Arabs and Jews is a modern phenomenon. Although these two groups have different religions, religious differences are not the cause of the conflict.  It is essentially a struggle over land.  Until 1948, the area that both groups claimed was known internationally as Palestine.  But following the war of 1948-49, which was known by the Israelis as the War of Independence, the land was divided into three parts: the state of Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Jewish claims to this land are based on the biblical promise to Abraham and his descendants.  Palestinian Arabs’ claim to the land are based on continuous residence in the country for hundreds of years and the fact that they represented the demographic majority.  They do not believe that they should forfeit their land to compensate Jews for Europe’s crimes against them, such as the Holocaust in Germany.

For decades, the United States and Israel have maintained strong bilateral relations base on a number of factors, including strong domestic U.S. support for Israel; shared democratic values; and historic ties dating back to U.S. support for the creation of Israel in 1948.  U.S. economic and military aid has been a major component in reinforcing these ties.  U.S. military aid has helped transform Israel’s armed forces into one of the most technologically sophisticated militaries in the world.  U.S. military aid for Israel has been designed to maintain Israel’s qualitative edge over neighboring militaries.  Critics of U.S. aid policy, particularly those in the Middle East, argue that U.S. foreign aid exacerbates tensions in the region.  Many Arab critics insist that U.S. assistance to Israel indirectly causes suffering to Palestinians by supporting Israeli arm purchases.

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Alyanna Balanay

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