Typical living conditions in the Middle East.
The issue of Palestine and Israel having separate statehoods has been in the news monthly for years. There is always a clash or a violation of a cease fire or another political strain that has the region on a hair trigger.
Palestine and Israel have been at odds for centuries. War, cruelty and underhandedness from both sides have forged a solid wedge of animosity. The chance of a stable and economical region lies with the leaders of these two great nations.
There are two major incidents in the past year that highlight the tension and instability of the region and could force the hand of many world leaders to a strong defensive stance.
In May 2010, Israeli commandos attacked six small Turkish flotillas supplying aid to Gaza by passing through Israel’s naval blockade. The flotillas were warned not alter their course and to not proceed to the blockade, but they continued on course.
A statement from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “Early this morning (31 May), IDF naval forces intercepted six ships attempting to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. This happened after numerous warnings from Israel and the Israeli navy that were issued prior to the action. The Israel navy requested the ships to redirect toward Ashdod where they would be able to unload their aid material which would then be transferred over land after undergoing security inspections.”
Ten died as a result of this incident and caused an international uproar.
Currently, the riots and chaos in Egypt are concerning for Israel as they face the possibility of a voiding of a 1979 peace treaty with Egypt should President Mubarak resign his post.
Should Mubarak resign, the anti-Israel Muslim Brotherhood has been eyeing seats at the government table.
Khaled Hamza, editor of the Muslim Brotherhood’s website, said that "We think Israel is an occupation force and is not fair to the Palestinians. We do not believe in negotiation with Israel. As the Muslim Brotherhood, we must resist all this. Did you see what they do in Gaza, on the flotilla? Israel is a very dangerous force and we must resist. Resistance is the only way, negotiation is not useful at all."
Should a reformation of the Egyptian government occur, Israel will be virtually surrounded by enemies vying for their immediate destruction. In this case, Israel would be forced to step up its defensive forces and respond more aggressively to threat than ever before. This scenario is damaging to Middle East stability.
Marcella Wagner, a Lance reader says, “The Israelis weren’t just coming into a land and taking it over, they came there because they were taken from the land centuries ago. The main Palestinian and Israeli problem stems from the British. When they moved out it created a power vacuum that sent everyone in the Middle East into a frenzy for the Holy Land.”
Too better-ascertain the future of this region we must understand its true history.
Both Israeli and Palestinian peoples immigrated to this region in the Middle East. The origins of both are not quite clear, but the languages and customs derive from Indo-European factions. The original occupiers of the land were the Canaanites, though they were conquered frequently. The Egyptians, Babylonians, and Hittites, then later the Philistines and Israelites as well as various smaller nations laid claim to the sacred land.
According to Wikipedia, Ramesses II, who lived from 1279-1213 BCE, signed a treaty with the Hittites after yielding the northern Levant to the Hittite Empire. He conducted a campaign throughout the territory of what was later to emerge as Israel, after the revolt of Shasu, establishing an Egyptian garrison in what was later established as Moab.
The Philistines, identified as one of the "Sea Peoples” were located in the five major cities of what is now Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath, along the coastal strip of southwestern Canaan, belonged to Egypt up to the reign of Ramesses III from 1180 to 1150 BCE. Their maritime understanding seemingly would have made them an important ally to the Phoenicians.
The Peleset, or Philistines, lost their independence to Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria by 732 BCE, and revolts in the following years were crushed with an iron fist. Later, Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon eventually conquered all of Syria and the Kingdom of Judah, consequently the former Philistine cities became part of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Eventually all traces of the Philistines as a people or ethnic group disappear. Subsequently the cities were under the control of Persians, Jews, Greeks, Romans, and other empires.
Circa 1200 BCE, the Hittite Empire of Anatolia was conquered by allied tribes from the west. The northern, coastal Canaanites, from the Phoenicians to the Greeks, may have been temporarily displaced by so-called "People of the Sea" (namely the Philistines), but returned when the invading tribes showed no preference to settle. This demonstrates that the Philistines took over the area and forced the native inhabitants, the Canaanites, to compliance.
A historical world map by Denoyer and Gepert show that Israel and Palestine were both controlled by the Turkish Empire in 1914. The Holocaust was a disaster of great proportions. One could ask, does this entitle Jews to a home in a formerly conquered Israel? Does this mean that the land is free to the Palestinians or any other culture? It is a fact that this land has been in dispute for centuries. It was only after World War II that Israel became a state. Whose demand for the land should be met?
“A common misperception is that the Jews were forced into the Diaspora by the Romans after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D. and then, 1,800 years later, suddenly returned to Palestine demanding their country back. In reality, the Jewish people have maintained ties to their historic homeland for more than 3,700 years. A national language and a distinct civilization have been maintained,” said in a statement on JewishVirtualLibrary.org
Dr. Chris Kutras, political science professor at Shasta College said many “…Middle Eastern countries are about 2,500 years behind the U.S. and other modern nations, because they lack the development of Greco-Roman attributes such as that they are non-independent thinkers, they have a limited sense of community, a limited grasp of empire expansion, they use terrorists as their main tactical striking force instead of an organized military, they have no basic police force to defend its people, and the system of government is tribal at best.”
Based on Kutras’ analysis, the land would be more valuable economically in the hands of the nation to which is best-suited to ensure it prosper financially and fully protect all civilians and officials regardless of religious belief systems, though religion plays a major roll in Middle Eastern politics.
It is well-known throughout history that land changes hands constantly. The CIA notes that “Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial… government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the US, which is its major source of economic and military aid.”
If Palestine can meet the high demand for stability in the height of hostilities and uncertainties, a separate state in the Gaza Strip is palpable. Religion is a major part of these nations. This needs to be cautiously addressed in a bipartisan agreement between the two nations. Strong leaders devoted to a realistic and equal resolution is paramount to the stability of the region.
A 2006 United Nations Conference report states that, “Setting the Palestinian economy on a path of sustained growth requires understanding the conditions that influenced its long-term development prospects, particularly the structures established after the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and the institutional set-up affecting its growth dynamics. Conditions of conflict, political instability, an elusive sovereignty and much-promised statehood have taken a growing toll on the ability of the Palestinian National Authority (PA) to ensure any governance, much less of the corruption-free, best-practice model against which the PA is often measured.”
It is apparent that both nations have persisted in preserving their individual ways of life. The economic stability and safety of the inhabitants of this region is contingent on the cooperation of these two governing bodies. When the dust settles, either or both nations may control the land surrounding Gaza.
Sources
http://www.phoenician.org/sea_peoples.htm
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USA1500.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philistines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_State_of_Israel
Denoyer – Geppert, Social Science Map, H23 Europe 1914
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/The_Jewish_Claim_To_The_Land_Of_Israel.html
Kutras, Dr. Chris; Social Science Professor, Shasta College
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html
http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/gdsapp20061_en.pdf
Wagner, Marcella; The Lance reader
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