WHERE ON EARTH?

The land that is known today as Israel and Palestine is nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. There are sandy beaches and sunny mountains that cut through the horizon. There are vibrant new cities and fascinating ancient ruins. Interestingly, nobody can agree on who owns this beautiful land.

WHO WAS THERE FIRST?

Historians believe the first people to live in this area were called the Canaanites. There is very little historical evidence of the Canaanites for us to learn from today, but we think they were an agricultural society settled in the modern-day city of Jericho.

OTTOMAN PALESTINE

The Ottoman rulers, or Sultans, were Muslim and ruled over a large empire with many different religions, languages, and ethnic groups.

By the time the Ottomans took over, most of the people who lived in Ottoman Palestine were Muslims, but some were also Christian and Jewish. 

Most Ottoman Palestinians, no matter their religion, were Arab. This means they spoke Arabic, and their ancestors were from the Middle East and North Africa.

The most famous city in Ottoman Palestine was Jerusalem. Jews, Christians, and Muslims from all around the world believe that Jerusalem is a holy city, meaning it is important for their religion.

ZIONISTS

In 1880, a Jewish man living in Europe named Theodor Herzl helped organize a movement called Zionism, which called for a Jewish national homeland.

Jews had a long history of being persecuted. In the 1880s, Jews in Eastern Europe were subjected to pogroms: violent riots that destroyed the properties of the Jews and often ended in their deaths as well.

While some Jews emigrated to other countries, others agreed with Theodor Herzl that Jews would be safer if they had their own country.

They decided that Palestine, or Eretz Israel, would be the best choice because of Jews’ cultural, religious, and historical ties to the region.

By the early 1900s, some European Jews started to move to Palestine, which was still ruled by the Ottoman Empire. Many Zionists believed that very few people lived in Ottoman Palestine. They had a popular saying, “A land without People for a People without land.” But this was not true. There were many Palestinians living on the land. When the Zionists moved onto the land, they would often have conflicts with Palestinians.

TO MANY PROMISES

The Ottoman Empire fought on the losing side in World War I. After the war, Britain and other European countries decided Britain should take temporary control over Palestine. This was a problem because Britain had promised Palestine to many different people.

In 1916, British officials secretly promised an Arab tribe the right to govern Palestine as part of an Arab kingdom in exchange for their help fighting the Ottomans. In 1917, the British also made a declaration that they would support a Jewish national home in Palestine.

MANDATE PERIOD

After World War I, an international group called the League of Nations gave Britain control over the area—a government system they called “The Mandate for Palestine.” The years between 1922-1948 are called the Mandate Period.

The League of Nations said that the British government could create laws for Palestine and made decisions without asking Palestinians for their opinion.

Under the Mandate, the British were also supposed to leave eventually, but
they stayed for a long time. During the Mandate Period, Palestinians and Zionists fought a lot. The Palestinians wanted to be able to have their own government and did not want anyone else to rule over them. They were worried that the British would give too much power to the Zionists. The Zionists thought they had the right to live on the land and also wanted to have their own government to be safe from persecution.

PERSECUTION IN EUROPE

During World War II, Jews were again persecuted in Europe. Between 1933 and 1945, over six million Jews were killed by the Nazis. Many more were sent to concentration camps where they were starved and tortured. This is called the Holocaust. Many Jews tried to leave areas under German control, but few countries would let them in.

After the war ended, many Jews had nowhere to go, which helped make the idea of Zionism very appealing. More and more Jews started moving to Mandate Palestine.

PARTITION PLAN

After World War II, Britain was weak. They had spent a lot of money on the war, and many of their citizens had died in battle. Britain could no longer rule over Palestine, so they asked the United Nations to help them come up with a plan. The United Nations decided to partition, or divide, the land between Zionists and Palestinians. The United Nations also decided they would control Jerusalem.

The new map of the area looked like a jigsaw puzzle. Palestinians were given land in the west called Gaza and an area in the east called the West Bank. The West Bank looks like it is on the east side of the territory, but because it is west of the
Jordan River, it is called the “West Bank.”

The Zionists were given the rest of the land. Palestinians and other Arab countries did not like this plan because they thought it gave too much land to the Zionists.
The Zionists hesitantly agreed to the plan because it would officially establish a new Jewish state, which they named “Israel.”

WAR OF INDEPENDENCE OR CATASTROPHE?

In 1948, the British left the land. Fighting immediately broke out between the newly established Israel and the surrounding Arab countries of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. After almost one year, Israel defeated the Arab armies.

However, Egypt gained control of Gaza, and Jordan took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Other Arab countries were still upset with Israel. They did not think Israel had the right to create a country on what they considered to be Palestinian land.

The Israelis call this conflict the War of Independence because they created their own independent country after the war.

Palestinians call it the Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic.

Palestinians call this a catastrophe because over 750,000 Palestinians were kicked out of their homes, and they were not able to have their own country.

WHO HAS THE RIGHT?

TENSIONS CONTINUE

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza were facing worse and worse living conditions. Israel built settlements in the West Bank. These settlements are towns or even cities just for Jews. Many of the settlements were illegal under international law, but international law can be difficult to enforce. Many Palestinians who were kicked out of their homes after different wars were forced to live in refugee camps. Israel also built checkpoints, so Palestinians could not travel freely.

BOILING POINTS

On December 9, 1987, Palestinian frustration boiled over. They marched down streets, went on strike, and refused to buy Israeli products. Some Palestinians turned to violence. They threw rocks and fire at Israeli soldiers and blocked off parts of cities. Israel responded by sending in more soldiers who beat, arrested, and deported Palestinians.

This period became known as the First Intifada, which means “shaking off” or “uprising” in Arabic. About 160 Israelis and 1,160 Palestinians were killed. Fighting eventually stopped with the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993.

UNCERTAINTY TODAY

Conflicts between Israel and Palestinians remain ongoing. Israelis want to make sure Israel is a safe country for Jewish people. They want to be safe from persecution and safe from other countries attacking them. At the same time, Palestinians want their own country. They want to live in the houses their families have lived in for generations, and to be able to live and travel without restrictions.

Both sides have valid claims to the land, which has led to nearly constant conflict in the region for generations.