As anti-Semitism broke out in Europe in the 1800s, a minority of the Jewish population, known as Zionists, started to migrate to the country known as Palestine. Palestine was British-controlled and populated mostly by Muslims. Hundreds of thousands of Zionists moved to Palestine with the intent of making the nation their own Jewish state. The natives of the country grew more and more concerned, and the tensions eventually escalated to violence.

The United Nations tried to solve the problem in 1947. They created a land deal that designated 55% of the country to the Zionists. The Palestinians weren’t pleased, since the Jews only consisted of 30% of the population. The natives of the country were forced into war in 1948 after the Zionists committed 16 different massacres of Palestinians. Israeli forces won, conquering 78% of the land formerly known as Palestine and destroying as much of the native culture as they could.

Another war broke out in 1967, in which Israel claimed the last 22% of the land, areas known as the West Bank and Gaza strip. This land technically doesn’t belong to Israel under international law, which states that no territory can be acquired during war. The Zionist forces also attacked the USS Liberty, a US Navy ship, during this conflict. More than 200 Americans were wounded or killed, but the United States did not retaliate since Israel was an ally.

Palestine’s first uprising, called an intifada, occurred in 1987. This event led to the formation of the militant group Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the US, Canada, and Egypt, among others countries. Since the 1990s, Hamas has conducted attacks on Israel using improvised explosive devices, bombs, rockets, and other weapons.

Members of Hamas won the elections in Gaza in 2006, giving the militant group control of that region. Israel set up a blockade, denying the entrance of food and medicine into the area. The West Bank was under Israeli occupation, unlike Gaza. Violence ensued between Hamas and Israel on and off for years, but total war broke out in July 2014 when Israel invaded Gaza. The fighting was sparked again after three teenagers were kidnapped and killed while hitchhiking through the West Bank, ending peace talks. Israel withdrew their troops by August of that year, damaging Hamas’s tunneling project from Gaza into Israel. However, it is unclear whether Israel actually won, since Hamas’s control over the region has not changed since.

Possible solutions to this conflict include the one state and two state proposals. The one state idea would result in Israel, the Gaza strip, and the West Bank becoming a single, unified region. Either the Muslim majority would end its status as a Jewish state, or the Israelites would force out the Palestinians. This “solution” would create more problems for one of the groups, likely leading to more violence.

The two-state solution suggests that Israel and Palestine would be their own sovereign nations. Unfortunately, this plan does not seem feasible, even though polls show that both sides are in favor of the two-state solution. The UN’s land deal from decades ago led to a war, and current neither side is speaking of peace at the moment.

Many Americans have picked a side, proclaiming their views on social media, in bumper stickers, or even on shirts. But I have chosen not to root for one country or the other. I see no “good” or “evil” side in this conflict. The Israelis and Palestinians both seem to be looking out for their own best interests, which is simply human nature. Both groups have wronged each other. However, as the body count continues to climb up the thousands, with violence continuing to this day, I think this conflict will only result in years more of bloodshed if Israel and Palestine do not compromise. And I believe that that’s something everyone should support—finding a solution instead of bickering over which country is guiltier.

Works Cited

Beauchamp, Zack. "What Are Israel and Palestine? Why Are They Fighting?" Vox. Vox, 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 02 Aug. 2015.

"A Synopsis of The Israel/Palestine Conflict." If Americans Knew. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2015.

"Hamas." National Counterterrorism Center | Groups. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2015.

"Timeline: From Independence to Intifada." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 8 May 2008. Web. 02 Aug. 2015.