History

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has been going on since the recreation of Israel in 1948. Thousands of Palestinians were killed by the incoming Zionists, and hundreds of thousands were forced to flee their homeland as refugees. In the Deir Yassin massacre of 1948, over 100 Palestinian civilians in the small village of Deir Yassin were murdered. In 1967, war broke out again and thousands more Palestinians were killed. It has been estimated that since 1948, 1.5 to 2 million Palestinians have been killed. Upon Israel’s recreation, Israel would occupy 57% of Palestine, and Palestinians would occupy 43%. Today, Palestinians occupy only 21% of their original homeland: the West Bank and Gaza. Most of this land is under occupation by the Israeli military.

An Independent State

Despite numerous tragedies, hope is on the horizon: On November 30, 2012, the United Nations voted overwhelmingly to recognize Palestine as a state in its own right. Palestinians, led by PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas, appealed to the United Nations to recognize them as a state independent of Israel. While it is the suicide bombers that catch media attention, this appeal was the epitome of the nonviolent movement in Palestine to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Nonviolence was practiced by Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Desmond Tutu; the result was freedom for India, blacks in America, and black South Africans. Soon Palestinians will be added to the list. I am anxious to see the leaders that emerge.
Recognition of Palestinian statehood is not merely a victory for Palestinians. It is a victory for the entire world. We all share the same planet, and what affects one person, affects us all. When Palestinians are suffering under an oppressive apartheid, we all suffer. We have suffered from terrorist attacks, organized by men who are trying, through unacceptable means, to make us aware of the suffering of Palestinians. We have suffered from not recognizing and appreciating the intrinsic value and gifts that every Palestinian holds — what if the person who would have discovered the cure for AIDS is languishing in an Israeli prison without any charges brought forward?
Many of the woes that we face as a society will begin to end when Palestine is a free nation. An important step towards that goal has been taken, and the precedent of nonviolence was firmly established. We recognize and congratulate Palestine on its victory. Now we must all work together to help build peace in Israel and Palestine, and help rebuild a nation that has been crippled by 65 years of war.

About the author

I grew up in conservative Christian circles in the American South, and majored in theology at an Alabama Southern Baptist college. Without really understanding why, I believed that Muslims were to be avoided at all costs, and we have to unilaterally support Israel. Like many young adults, after college I wasn't sure at all of what I wanted to do with my life, so I traveled to the Middle East for a year and a half. Most of the people I met were descendants of the Palestinian refugees forced out of their homeland in 1948, when Israel was recreated. I fell in love with Arab culture, and realized that on the world scene, Arabs have no voice. Living in the Middle East gave me fresh new eyes to read the Bible, and interacting with Arab Christians, especially Palestinian Christians who live in Jordan, caused me to question all the dogmas regarding Israel with which I had grown up.

Living in the Middle East also gave me the courage I needed to pursue my lifelong dream of being an author. My first book, A Theology of Chaos, will come out this next spring. I plan to use the profits from it to support organizations in the Middle East that are fighting for justice. I have written some short stories as well, which you can find on smashwords.com under my full name, Margaret Elysia McColley.

I now live in New York City, where emergency procedures for a potential terrorist attack are constantly updated, and where the sharp divide between Christians, Muslims, and Jews can be clearly seen on posters in the subways. My goal in life is simple: to end terrorism in my lifetime, by giving a voice to social injustices that compel terrorists to violence.

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The British made a pact that they would resolve the Palestinian Issue during the World War. Britain secretly supported the Jewish party and developed allies to split up the Ottoman territory with Palestine, making it part of the British Empire. In the mean time, Arab leadership was hoping the land would be independent. Palestine belongs to the Palestinians by every right, and the British people had no right to allocate it to someone else. In the late 19^th century, anti-Semitism emerged in France after being potent in Russia. Jews thought they only be safe in a Jewish country, giving rise to the Zionism. Many Jews rejected the idea of living in a separate state and opted to solve the problem via radical politics or adaptation. Some local Jews in Palestine believe that the state could only be created by the God, not by humans.

There are two main issues getting in the way on this topic. First, there is unavoidable weakening occurring, which is creating an ethically privileged state, mainly of foreign origin. The population consists of 96 percent Muslims and Christians. These refugees are not allowed to return back home in the self-claimed Jewish state, and they are targeted by the methodical discrimination.

Israeli forces started military capturing and exclusion of the West Bank, which was owned privately. The control over Gaza is highly  domineering as the Palestinian men, women and children have been held in prisons in Israel for the trial of physical abuse and torture, which could leave Muslims oppressed.

Western Media has portrayed the Palestine-Israel conflict as a rivalry among the two on the security of the border and terrorism. They try to show Israel as the innocent party. The media has misused terminologies and demonstrates false facts regarding even the basic nature of the conflict; which is based on colonialism, discrimination, and uneven distribution of power. International Media has the power to demonstrate the truth, but unfortunately it has been focusing on just one side of the story. The story where Palestine is the colonizer, and Israel is the one being colonized. However, the situation is the other way around.

The main reason why the world is not taking strong steps against the brutal Israel attacks on Palestine is the ignorance of the Muslim world. It has been noticed in the last few decades that there is a lack of unity among the Muslim world. They ignore the violence that occurs on each other. The interests of Muslims have now changed, and they are working on the same agenda as America. As Muslims, we can’t blame the Americans, if someone is to blame, then surely its Muslim world.

About the author

Jawad Ahmad

Passionate about writing, Muslim academy is perfect platform to get knowledge and Experience. Looking Forward for your feedback on my work.

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