Free Sample Essays > Middle Eastern History
What Problems will need to be overcome before Palestinians have an independent state
It is common knowledge that the Palestinians would like to form an independent state in the area that is now Israel; indeed that was the very realistic aim until the six-day war of 1967. However, the conflict has been ongoing for such a period of time that Israel is now bedded down with support from the rest of the World, a stable economy and a strong military. Consequently, the destroying of Israel is no longer an option. The war of liberation in 1947 now accounts for many of the problems today because Israel effectively double booked the land, formerly known as Palestine. There can be no real peace until the two sides, Jews and Palestinians, agree to compromise, but why should Israeli people give up their homes and move away for the Arabs? Was it fair that the Arabs were forced to leave what was rightfully theirs in the first place? These factors have led to all the problems that lye in the way of a peace agreement.
There are many people on both sides of the argument who have extremist views; are only interested in an extreme result (e.g. there are Palestinians who believe in the liberation of Israel, so as to return to the old days of Palestine, allowing all refugees back to their old homes). These people are not necessarily terrorists in all cases (although it is likely that a terrorist will be an extremist), but violent or non violent, their strong beliefs cause mayhem to a peace process that is already fragile enough as it is. The extreme Zionists have caused many problems by settling, in sensitive areas such as the ‘occupied territories’ (areas conquered in the six-day war of 1967 such as the Golan Heights, which the defeated are demanding back). Very recently, Ehud Barak, the new Israeli Prime Minister hinted that he would be willing to hand back the Golan Heights in exchange for peace with Syria. However, the reaction from the extreme right wing Jews has been somewhat predictable, especially from those who face losing their homes in the process! For many years now, extremist Jews have been going to court, claiming that a particular house or property, currently inhabited by an Arab family, should be made available for them to buy or take over due to their being evidence that it had belonged to their relatives from the past. The courts are incredibly biased; often a family is forced to move out (with compensation of some sort). This Causes outrage with the Arabs, but the extremist Jews have realised that by continuing to do this it has become more and more difficult for them to be evicted from the area in ‘land for peace deals’. It could be that if Ehud Barak is willing to make this exchange, he might be willing to release other ‘occupied territories’ or areas, for instance, the ‘Buffer Zone’ in The Lebanon…
The Lebanon was at one stage a [next page]