The Palestine Israeli Conflict Cause and Cost

A conflict hijacked by national and international interests. Who funds it and to what end?

The Israeli state has recently succumbed to mass bombing from the Palestine capital, Gaza, while Palestine has suffered bombing that translates to war in the Middle East. The inextricable beliefs of both Israelis and Palestinians' project incompatibility that has grounded the two groups in a constant conflict over territories, political sovereignty, and resources. The subtle nature of dynamics and differences between the Palestinians and Arabs have often construed assumptions that have favoured one group against another resulting in periodical conflicts and tension.

And what is the cause of this bloody feud and fray?

The prevalent chaos between the Israelis and Palestinians began over a century ago. In her controversial book- "Word Crimes: Reclaiming the Language of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." Divine Robinson asserts that once a trope for self-sacrifice and solidarity, a testament to the redemption of a bruised and battered people, the Jewish state, today, stands accused of practicing apartheid, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and of sustaining itself as a remnant of an outdated and thoroughly delegitimized colonial order. In the 1850s, the rise of anti-Semitism forced many Jews to seek refuge in the Ottoman controlled Levant- the land east of the Mediterranean. At the start of the twentieth century, the Zionist movement was formed to counter anti-Semitism. The group helped push for Jewish land in Palestine, which was granted through the League of Nations. However, the formation of the Israeli state compromised the liberties, sovereignty, and territories of the natives, who included Palestinian Arabs and Christians.

The move to create an Israeli state was also opposed by other Arab states resulting in the 1948 war between Israel and Arab forces. Israelis won and occupied much of the enemy’s territory, which included the Palestinian land. However, Israelis lost East Jerusalem to the Kingdom of Jordan. Later in 1967, another war broke out between the Arab and Israeli states. The latter won and occupied East Jerusalem. Palestinians and other Arabs already occupied the land in East Jerusalem. This meant the Israelis only occupied much of it politically and theoretically. The tension between Israelis and Palestinians was perpetrated by the Israeli control of the West Bank and parts of Gaza as Israeli forces pushed for more land.

In 1987, Hamas was formed as an armed and political movement for the Palestinians. This movement began random attacks on Israeli to what it called the genocide and colonization of Palestinians. The 1993 and 1997 Oslo Accords granted Palestinians the right to form their government and reduce Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Both Hamas and radical Jews opposed this. This culminated in the assassination of the Israeli prime minister- Yitzhak Rabin by Yigal Amir, a radical Jewish student. Nevertheless, Shimon Peres-the next Israeli prime minister, took power and continued with Rabin's peaceful concessions on the Oslo Accords.

In 1996, Benjamin Netanyahu won the elections through the Likud party and began questioning the Oslo Accords. In 2000, the relations between Israel and Palestine were torn by the Al-Aqsa- Intifada. The conflicts ranged until 2005 when peace was achieved and Israeli settlements were lifted from Palestinian lands. In the 2006 Palestinian elections, Hamas won many seats and became more effective in power. However, the western powers refused to recognize it and cut all funds, as it also failed to recognize Israel. Since then, Hamas has constantly shot rocket bombs into Israel, and Israel has continued its occupation of the Western bank. In April 2021, Israelis began occupying East Jerusalem following the Jewish law that allows any Jew that had prior rights to land in East Jerusalem to return to their land. Currently, the fighting is mainly due to the occupation of East Jerusalem by Israeli settlers and the continued rocket attacks by Hamas from Gaza.

And how does Israel fund itself?

The Israeli state has often been perceived through the historic Christian prism. It is viewed as the land originally owned by Jews, and therefore, it receives massive aid from many countries, including the United Nations. According to Pillay, “Since 1982, the United States has vetoed 32 United Nations Security Council resolutions that were critical of Israel, a number greater than the combined total of vetoes cast by all the other Security Council members.” The vetoing of the United Nations resolutions has often protected Israel from sanctions that might have prevented consistent retaliatory acts against Hamas in Gaza. Besides using Veto Power, the United States has employed the bankrolling paradigm that has concisely maintained the Israeli war coffers. Pillay notes that since the formation of the Israeli state, the United States has provided approximately $130 billion-plus while other estimates range from $200 billion plus. The funds are employed in arms purchase and loans to Israeli war industries and infrastructure developments. Israel receives $3 billion annually from the United States as direct foreign assistance, more than a fifth of the American foreign aid budget. In 2018, the United States signed a $38 billion military aid package over a decade which will start in 2018. This is aimed at improving Israeli military training, weapons, and defence systems. Ideally, most Israeli weapons are provided by western nations that feel threatened by the Middle East powers and terror groups. Nevertheless, the United States remains the primary provider of weapons and funds to the Israeli Defense Forces.

And what of the Palestinians, how do they raise funds?

Military arsenals such as arsenals are subject to funds such as taxations and exports. However, there are limited economic actions perpetrated by Hamas. Initially, Hamas used to acquire its rockets from Arab countries in Africa, such as Sudan, before the ouster of Omar-al-Bashir. However, after the signing of the Abraham Accords by Arab states across the Middle East with President Trump, most of the financial support provided to Hamas has deteriorated. Currently, only the Qatar emirate and Turkey provide support to Hamas. Qatar has provided $1.8 billion to Hamas, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has consistently expressed support for Hamas's actions and sovereignty in Palestine. Iran has also been known to provide rocket expertise and shells to Palestinian fighting groups. Ostensibly, Palestine acquires its rockets from local manufacturers with rocket expertise, using fertilisers and medical equipment. Besides that, they receive ammunition from funds accumulated through sympathisers and Qatar.

And now what?

Palestine has been a point of contention and concession in the last century. The states- Palestine and Israel receive support from sympathisers and those with a strategic interest in the area, such as the United States. The American government often pursues peace when the conflicts are projected to compromise global interests such as trade. The conflicts between the two states were caused by territorial disagreements resulting in land annexation and perpetual bombing. Israel is funded by the United States, while the Emirate of Qatar majorly funds Palestine. The solution to the ongoing conflict lacks a definitive solution, but the necessity of a truce is essential to find peace.