Palestine has been associated with the geographical area that covers the area controlled by the State of Israel since the British Mandate. Palestine is a small region of land that has immense importance in the modern history of the Middle East.
Arab people who call Palestine their homeland have settled there since the early 20th century. Much of this land is now called Israel.
Today, Palestine includes the West Bank and Gaza Strip. While Jerusalem is divided between the Israeli forces in the west and Jordanian forces in the east.
While bloodshed is going on for decades, the crisis never came to end. However, a peace agreement was carried out between the states of Palestine and Israel but was never implemented to its true essence and many innocent people still lost their lives. Moreover, peace talks were halted due to various reasons.
A Brief Look into Ottoman Palestine
In the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire ruled over what we now call Palestine. 88% Muslims, while 3% Jews were living in that land. The Christians used to learn Quran and celebrate Eid with Muslims. Ottoman Palestine was, in short, a place in which people of different religious faiths lived peacefully together.
When World War I ended in 1918, the British took control of Palestine. In this chaotic atmosphere, the League of Nations issue a document that gave Britain administrative control over the land.
Partition of Palestine And Formation of Israel State
In 1947, the United Nations proposed a plan to partition Palestine into two sections: Jewish (Israel) and an Arab (Palestine) state. Jews accepted the proposal and declared an independent state like Israel. But Arabs saw the UN plan as just European colonialism trying to steal their land. Israelis after winning the war declared by Palestinians, expelled a huge number of Palestinians from their homes, creating a massive refugee issue. This expulsion is known as Naqbah
This was the beginning of the decades-long Arab-Israeli matter.
Religious Significance of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, one of the oldest cities in the world, is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Its importance can be recognized by the fact that during the long history of this holiest city, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.
In Islam:
Along with Mecca and Madina, Jerusalem is considered a sacred site in Islam. Jerusalem was the ‘Qibla e Awal’ (The first direction Muslims faced during prayer) in the first fourteen years of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH’s message.
The Prophet Muhammad PBUH ascended to the heavens from ‘Dome of the Rock’ in Jerusalem.
Al-Aqsa Mosque, the second mosque build on Earth by Prophet Adam, is the holiest Islamic site in Jerusalem and the third holiest mosque in Islam. When Prophet Ibrahim left his birth town and settled in this blessed land, he re-built Masjid Al-Aqsa with his son Prophet Ishaq.
It is the only mosque besides Ka’bah in Makkah which is mentioned by name in the Quran Al-Hakeem.
In Christianity:
Jerusalem is sacred land for Christians because it is where Prophet Isa was brought occasionally as a child, delivered sermons to people, and was sent to the cross for crucifixion but not crucified and was raised alive to heaven by God.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a church in the Christian quarter of the old city of Jerusalem. This is the most significant focus of Christians from all around the world. Christians believed that at this site, Prophet Isa was crucified. It is one of the main pilgrimage destinations for millions of Christians from all around the world. They visit there and seek solace and redemption in prayer.
In Judaism:
Within Judaism, Jerusalem is the holy city. For Jews, the world and faith lie in Jerusalem. Solomon Temple was the first temple built by King Solomon in Jerusalem and is very close to the hearts of Jews. If truth be told, Jews call it the ‘Holy of the Holies’. Jews believed it to be the place where God Himself was present. It is a duty for Jewish people to visit Jerusalem three times a year.
Temple Mount is the holiest site for Jews as it is the place Jews turn towards during prayer. Due to its extreme sanctity, the Jews would never walk on the Mount itself. The importance of this temple is known by a Jewish text which states that this site is one of three, about which the nations of the world cannot taunt Israel and say, “you have stolen them,” since it was purchased “for its full price” by David (Hazrat Daud A.S)
Reason of Crisis Through historical Analysis
The Israel-Palestine conflict dates to the establishment of Israel state in 1948. Both Palestinians and Israelis claim the land since both groups have religious affiliations. In fact, by 1938 Jews were only 30% living in Palestine, and with time they purchased several lands then started evicting Palestinian farmers who were living and working there. Jews did this to make a secure community with Palestine, but these practices created tensions between both groups.
Masjid Al-Aqsa has been described as the most sensitive topic in the Israel-Palestine conflict. For Example, in 1969, a Christian attempted to burn down Al-Aqsa. The Mosque compound known as Harm Al-Sharif is also a sacred place for Jews, who refer to it as Temple Mount. Due to this ownership claim made by both groups, Violence is always fuelled in this regard.
There are several events that have now led to the worst crisis going on in Palestine.
One catalyst was at the entrance to Damascus when Israeli forces forcefully blocked the steps of the Damascus gate. The Palestinians having affiliation with that place took this act as oppression and protested. In response, some Jews marched through central Jerusalem and towards Damascus gates chanting violent phrases. After a violent confrontation in East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities removed the barricades.
This trigger proved to be the most serious when Israeli police clashed with the young Palestinian and used force against worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque, injuring dozens. The police worsened matters when they closed gates for prayers on ‘Laylat-Ul-Qadr’. Then Israeli forces fired stun grenades on worshippers at Harm al-Sharif (Temple Mount). These soldiers also confiscated the keys to the Mosque’s main gate.
While 2006, 2008-2009, 2012, and 2014 wars were all focused on Gaza. Even until now, Israeli forces have done enormous damage to the buildings and civil infrastructure. Moreover, Israel has been doing airstrikes on Gaza Strip killing hundreds of people.
All these violent events have led to the worst crisis in the world. Today, Israeli forces are on a mission of ethnic cleansing and this time the whole world shook by the violent acts of the Israeli state on the Palestinians. The majority of the people are standing for Palestinians’ independence. While the UN and Europeans too can play an important role, but only the US has jumped into the matter and has become Israel’s primary backer. Israeli officials have a responsibility to combat ethnic hatred coming from the Jewish and to make sure Palestinians are protected from both police and civilian violence in the same way that Jewish citizens are.
Very Informative Blog.