Israel, Palestine and the Middle East
Poli. Sci. 310
Dr. Foley
5/12/10
The Middle East has been in the eyes of the international community for decades now. The region seems to be prone to conflict over religion, political aspirations, oil, etc. Because of the swiftness of conflict, many nations have developed a no negotiation policy when dealing with Middle Eastern. This begs the question of how does one negotiation with a nation and a territory that have a history of not listening to one another. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been the foundation of many issues regarding the Middle East. The conflict between Israel and Palestine has generated many debates and has led to the establishment of many United Nations committees. In a time in which religious tension is significantly high, I will show the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not religiously bound, but it rather stems from British politics in its historical context.
English: Portrait of Lord Balfour, along with his ...
English: Balfour declaration
Boycott Israel-posterAlthough these English mandates passed some 90 years ago, these effects are still felt; it will not cease until something gives and the United Nations' resolutions are executed. This must begin directly where it started: with the British Parliament.
For decades, the Palestinian's have fought to restore land for their own country, lands that would enable them to develop a government and economic system that would allow them to join the international community. The history of Palestine has roots within the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire occupied, at one time, lands from Romania to Asia to Northern Africa. However, when the Empire began to decline, it lost lands significantly after the death of Suleiman the Magnificent, due to debt. Before the First World War, the Ottoman Empire occupied only the countries of the Middle East, Turkey to Iraq. During the years of the Ottoman Empire, they allowed Jewish immigrants...