Last Name, First Name, M.I.
The Palestine-Israel conflict refers to the ongoing dispute between the Palestinians and the State of Israel. The central problem of the conflict is the basically land, or, more specifically, the competing claims of the Arab and the Jewish to the land in Palestine. While the conflict has a long history dating back to the late 19th century and the creation of a Jewish State in the Palestine in the 1940’s, it has been renewed in the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank (5). While millions of Jews have come from different countries to settle in, millions of Palestine natives had been expelled or have fled and cannot return to their country (2). The Palestine natives, refugees who live in camps, lack basic comforts such as clean water and electricity. Their children walk to other villages because they don’t have schools of their own and are bypassed by state-provided benefits such as road access and eligibility to enter high school (18). Adding to this conflict is the apparent support of the United States of America to the Israel State, a support that translated to the U.S. opposing United Nations resolutions that condemn the unhumanitarian actions of Israel as well as condemning other countries for “allowing” publication of news articles that allege war crimes on Israeli army (42-50).
We could take for example the U.S. veto of the U.N. resolution declaring Israel settlements illegal, defending the legitimacy of Israel state at the United Nations (21). While Israel relies on the 1950 Israeli Law of Return that states that “every Jew has the right to come in this country,” Israel state is denying the Palestine-natives their right to return to their country, which is stated in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which state that “everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country” (7). One illustration of the extent of the United States’ support for Israel and, in connection however direct or indirect, the oppression of the Palestinians, is the 9/11 attacks on the United States, by Muslims (19).
There have been many causes to this conflict for the past many years, and while there have been a few times of peace, there would also be times when conflicts would rise up again. On the side of Israel, it is their belief that the land is really theirs. On the other hand, the Palestines believe that they have the right to return to their homes. Israel’s claim is based on history, while the Palestines’ claim is based on how they are currently living. While it is helpful for the United Nations to intervene, it is important that they do s to lift the quality of life and protect the rights of all the people involved, and penalize those who doesn’t.
The resolution to this conflict is a long and laborious road but it can be achieved if the United Nations, as well as other countries, takes into account basic human rights. A two-state solution, meaning an Israel state and a Palestine state, may be the best solution, only if both parties come up with an agreement that is fair to both and they stick with it. It would also be beneficial if the United Nations and all its member countries, the United States in particular, respect the Universal Human Rights Declaration in connection to both the people of Israel and Palestine, working toward a creation of a non-oppressive, non-discriminatory agreement between the two.
