Middle East Post

            Many people from both sides of the conflict prefer not to admit that religion is behind the Israeli-Arab Conflict. Both prefer showing other reasons in order to keep God away from the conflict. One can notice that it is even preferred to call it the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the Israeli-Arab conflict instead of calling it the Jewish-Islamic conflict.

            Palestinians say that in 1948 they were obliged by force to leave their homes and lands by the Jewish movements in order to establish the Israeli state in their lands. At that time the United Nations said that the land of Palestine should be divided into two states: an Israeli and an Arab state. However, the Arabs refused this proposal because they considered Palestine an Arab land and that the United Nations’ decision came after turning the Palestinian people who used to live in these lands into Refugees who went to live in other countries such as Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

            The Jewish people say that historically they used to live in the land of Palestine before the Palestinians. They also say that it is their right to come back and live in the land of their grandfathers. The majority of the Jewish people came back to live in the land of Palestine after the establishment of Israel. However, the borders of Israel did not stay within the 1948 lands and turned later to include the 1967 occupied lands of Palestine. Since 1967 the conflict started to become more serious between the two peoples and today after several attempts to solve the conflict through peace still both peoples cannot solve the conflict. As I mentioned before, both Israelis and Palestinians prefer to say that the reason of the conflict is related to the land itself, patriotism, and history.

            The reason that it is not preferred to include religion in this conflict is that it will only make it worse and unable to be solved. In order to understand the real reasons behind the conflict, one should go back to what both Judaism and Islam say about the holy land and the two peoples. Jews believe that God promised them the land of honey and milk (Palestine) after they were liberated from slavery. Beside that the Jewish people believe that their holy temple was located on the Holy Mountain in Jerusalem where the Aqsa mosque now exists. The roots of the conflict can be connected to the struggle between the children of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael who are the fathers of both nations: the Jewish and the Arab.  However, according to Judaism the land of Palestine is given to them by God.

            The Islamic point of view completely differs in which it says that Jews disobeyed God and his teachings. Islam also says that God made it clear to the Jewish people that a new religion and new prophet will be sent by him in the future. Beside that the Aqsa and Haram mosque come in the second place after Mecca in which Prophet Muhammad flied into the heavens to meet God from it. However, Muslims are supposed to stay in a state of war until the judgment day in the holy land. These beliefs are not found generally in the whole Arab society since lately the majority of the Arab countries suggested a solution for the Arab – Israeli conflict in which the latter is supposed to withdraw from the 1967 occupied lands, and the Arabs are supposed to start complete diplomatic relations with Israel and admit its existence as a neighboring state beside a Palestinian free state that includes East Jerusalem as a capital, and a fair solution for the Palestinian refugees case.

            The Israeli current government refused the Arab’s offer as it is introduced and wanted to negotiate on it. However, future Israeli administrations may refuse it at all. The Arabs refused any change in their suggested offer since they consider it the minimum they can ask for especially that they already accepted to disclaim their right in the 1948 lands.

            Eventhough both sides showed that they are ready to disclaim some of what they consider a holy right for them, still they cannot let it go easily. The religious beliefs that both peoples have make it harder on the leaders to take hard decisions for the sake of peace, security, and a better life for both sides. Here comes the turn of the great powers in the world to make pressure on both sides to reach peace. The Holy land is a place that millions are supposed to visit because of its religious importance and amazing history. The current conflict that to my mind is built on religious beliefs prevents economical prosperity in the whole region and can turn the whole area into a war state easily.

            I wonder whether God and Abraham the father of both peoples really want to see them fight with each other for their sake. Religion came to be a way to reach God, but it seems to be that it is used as way to show who is closer to God. That’s why this conflict cannot be solved easily.

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International Concerns, Palestinian, Israeli Conflict abu, Conflict, east, Gaza, israel, khalil, middle, palestine, post, zayyad, ziad