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Friday | 17 January 2025 | Epaper

A new twist in thedecades-long Israel-Palestine conflict

Published : Tuesday, 28 March, 2023 at 12:00 AM  Count : 927
Nur Ahmed
The Israel-Palestine conflict is a long-standing dispute between Israelis and Palestinians over the land they both claim as their own. The conflict has its roots in the late 1800s, when Jews began to immigrate to Palestine, which was then under Ottoman rule. After World War I, the land became a British mandate, and Jewish immigration continued to increase, leading to tensions between Jews and Arabs living in the region.

In 1947, the United Nations proposed a partition plan that would divide the land into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem as an international city. The plan was accepted by Jewish leaders but rejected by Arab leaders, who felt that it did not give them enough land. The following year, Israel declared independence, and Arab countries invaded in an attempt to prevent the formation of a Jewish state. Israel won the war, and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced to leave their homes.

Since then, the conflict has been marked by cycles of violence, with both sides engaging in acts of terrorism, military action, and political maneuvering. The issues at the heart of the conflict include control of land, access to resources, and the status of Jerusalem, which both Israelis and Palestinians consider to be their capital.One of the main points of contention is the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which is land that Palestinians see as part of their future state. Israel argues that the settlements are necessary for security reasons and that they have a historical claim to the land. Palestinians see the settlements as illegal and a violation of their rights.

The issue of illegal settlement had been augmented by the repressive policies and activities of Israeli defence forces. However, the recent attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus can be seen as a new tactic of the Israeli authority. The incident has been labeled as one of the worst settler acts of violence in decades, where thirty homes and cars were set ablaze in the town namedHuwara of Nablus. The images of the rampage are horrific, which is hard to believe to be done by civilians. It has to be noted that Israeli military raids killed eleven Palestinians days before the rampage in Huwara.  

The introduction of settler violence has some significant implications in the decades-long conflict. First of all, it will provide leverage for the Israeli authority to divert the responsibility of violence and thus create a diversion among the international community regarding the conflict. Secondly, the involvement of Israeli civilians in the conflict will further complicate the hostility between the two nations. The Israeli authority always accuses the Palestinians of harboring terrorist activities, and any response to the violence incited by the Israeli settlers will also be labeled as the same. Thirdly, the Palestinians will continue to be the scapegoat in the coming days as the Israeli inciters might not be brought under any kind of legal action. Thus, international observers will find it difficult to distinguish between a purely civilian violence and a state-sponsored one.

The conflict has also been marked by human rights abuses on both sides, including the use of excessive force by Israeli security forces and attacks on civilians by Palestinian militants. The situation has been further complicated by the involvement of outside parties, including the United States and other countries in the region. The issue of settler violence will influence the narrative of human rights abuse by Israeli forces. It might be followed by a linguistic diversion where inciters will merely be seen as responders to violent attacks.


Efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict have been ongoing for decades, but so far, a lasting agreement has proven elusive. The Oslo Accords of 1993were intended to establish a framework for negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians and create a pathway to a two-state solution. However, the agreement has been marred by violence and political upheaval on both sides and progress toward a lasting peace has been slow. The issue of settler violence has the potential to stall the process of any political resolution in the near future. If the Israeli authority does not want to find a sustainable solution to this decades-long bloody conflict, then it will continue to linger the conflict and mistrust in the region.

The Israel-Palestine conflict is a complex and difficult issue with deep historical roots and significant political and cultural differences between the two sides. Despite numerous attempts at mediation and peace negotiations, a solution has yet to be found that satisfies both Israelis and Palestinians. The international community must continue to support efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict and promote understanding and respect between both sides. Only through dialogue and compromise can a peaceful peace be achieved in the region.

The writer is a research officer, Bangladesh Institute of Maritime Research and Development (BIMRAD)


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