On almost every social media platform, news and info graphics about the “conflict” between Israel and Palestine is the main topic of discussion. However, this enduring conflict has been going on for over 100 years, and the issue has only exploded in the past few weeks. Why is that?
On the 13th of April, which was the first day of Ramadan, Israeli police forces raided Al-Aqsa Mosque (the furthest Mosque), cutting the wires and cables of the microphones and speakers for the President’s speech to not be heard. Shortly after this incident, the Israeli police closed off a plaza outside of Damascus, which is a common place for Palestinians to gather. This only angered Palestinians, leading to more protests and arguments with the police in local neighborhoods. The last trigger for what caused the HAMAs (a militant group in control of the Gaza strip) to retort back, was during a protest at the Al-Aqsa Mosque when Israeli policemen injured hundreds of protestors through using tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades on the 7th of May. Moreover the fact that Israeli police forces were evicting Palestinian families out of their homes. However, Israel did not stop with these actions. As a result, Gaza, Palestine-dominated land, launched a rocket towards Israel. From this point onwards, social media posts began flooding.
Most of the info graphics and Twitter threads we see on our SNS accounts are either pro-Palestine or pro-Israeli; and of course, this will all depend on the news and updates you consume, as this is how we usually form our opinions on an issue. Because the Israeli-Palestine conflict is such a complex geopolitical issue, foundational information and basic analyses will be provided from an Israeli and Palestinian standpoint.
Israel thinks Palestine are the terrorists
If you take a look at Israel and Palestine’s map, it is actually quite interesting. Within Israel as a whole country, there are bits and pieces of land spread throughout the entire land that are dominated by Palestinians, as well as the Gaza strip located in between Egypt and Israel. Right-winged Israeli Jews believe that East Jerusalem, which is dominated by Palestinians, should be eliminated to maintain “one ethnic group.” Taking into the consideration of recent affairs, the Israeli governments attacked Palestinians because they reported that Palestinians were throwing rocks at them, starting riots and protests, and sending rockets where many families live. We also cannot forget that the HAMAs group, which is considered to be a terrorist group by Japan, USA, the UK, Israel, and the EU, uses the budget they receive from outside countries to create weapons and rockets as means. Not all Palestinians support this group, but from the HAMAs’s perspective, they believe that they represent the entirety of Palestine when in reality, they only have control over the Gaza strip. Looking back at history, it was Palestine who attacked Israel first— which led to a never ending cycle of attacks from both countries. In the Israeli government’s eyes, they are protecting themselves from the Palestinian violence.
Palestine thinks Israel are the terrorists
Palestine believes that the actions Israel conducted are against the international humanitarian law, and the same beliefs were also stated by the United Nations. In the past few weeks, Palestinians experienced violence from the Israeli police forces such as gun attacks, evictions, as well as the recent airstrike in the Gaza strip, resulting in 212 deaths which consisted of children and women. Palestine, specifically the HAMAs, attacked Israel for banning them from gathering at Damascus, cutting the microphone wires during Ramadan, evicting them out of their homes, and for physical beatings due to discrimination. Palestinians say that they are suffering from the violence and restrictions Israel placed upon them. Even from international observations, what Israel has done to Palestine was seen as something against human rights.
What can we take from this?
This is more than just a conflict. It’s ethnic cleansing, discrimination, and genocide. It’s a historically interlinked, deep issue that is equally as tragic and enduring. The Israel-Palestine situation has been rooted back during the Biblical times, and it is evident to say that this issue simply cannot be solved by violence or discussions. It will take much more effort, patience and education for this issue to hopefully resolve, and finally let both Israelis and Palestinians be at peace.
This geopolitical complex dispute has been highlighted majorly on social media, and although there has been a generous amount of information to absorb, the depths of this problem cannot be compiled into one post. We are all still educating ourselves about this issue, and as of now, the best we can do as outsiders is to donate, spread awareness, and support those around us who may feel more close to this issue.