The Israel Palestine conflict dates back to the end of the nineteenth century. It is one of the world's most ongoing conflicts, with  Israel's occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Israel and Palestine conflict is complicated. It's embedded in national, territorial, political, cultural, and religious aspects. The core problem is not just about the land; it is about having the liberty to self-determination

The history of the Israel Palestine conflict UPSC goes back more than 100 years. It started with the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The Israel Palestine conflict UPSCis a topic relevant to the UPSC CSE context under General Studies Paper II. It is a basic topic for aspirants to understand the dynamic aspect of the Israel Palestine conflict UPSC. The Israel Palestine conflict upsc is an important topic for UPSC Civil Services because it highlights the Influence of Israel-Palestine Conflict on India and International geopolitical scenario, which are frequently discussed in the exam. Join UPSC Coaching today to boost your preparation. 

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Israel Palestine Conflict - History

The Israel Palestine conflict originates from related historical assertions, nationalist aspirations, and religious importance in the Middle East, centered on identity and territory struggles. Beginning with the rise of Zionism in the late 19th century and mirrored by the rise of Arab nationalism, the dispute escalated in the 20th century, particularly after Israel's establishment in 1948. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim rights to identical lands, resulting in warfare, uprisings, and peace talks. This area is essential to the three major world religions, which adds to the intricacy of this constant political conflict between Israel and Palestine.

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The Israel Palestine conflict is a century-old struggle over land, identity, and sovereignty. It began after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and continues today with ongoing wars, displacement, and political unrest. This long-standing issue shapes Middle Eastern geopolitics and global diplomacy.

• After World War One, Britain took control of Palestine from the defeated Ottoman Empire, which increased the Israel Palestine conflict tensions in the region.
• A Jewish minority and an Arab majority occupied the land.
• Pressures between the two peoples evolved when the global community gave Britain the duty of establishing a "national home" in Palestine for Jewish individuals.
• For Jewish people, it was their ancestral home, but Palestinian Arabs also asserted the land and disagreed with the move.
• Between the 1920s and 1940s, the number of Jews reaching there expanded, with many fleeing from persecution in Europe and searching for a homeland after the Holocaust of World War Two.
• Tensions between Jews and Arabs grew, and opposition to British rule also intensified.
• In 1947, the UN proposed dividing Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem designated as an international city.
• Palestine is a geographic province in Western Asia usually thought to include Israel, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and, in some descriptions, parts of western Jordan.
• In 1948, Israel announced itself as an independent state. Arab countries attacked Israel, supporting Palestinians. The war led to thousands of casualties and refugees. This observed the start of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

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The creation of Israel and the ‘Catastrophe’

The creation of Israel in 1948 was shown to be a celebration of Jews but was seen as the 'Nakba' or catastrophe by Palestinians. It marked the beginning of mass removal and the Israel Palestine conflict.

• In 1948, incapable of solving the problem, British rulers left, and Jewish heads announced the creation of the state of Israel.
• Many Palestinians opposed it, and a war followed. Armies from neighboring Arab nations intruded.
• Jerusalem was separated between Israeli forces in the West and Jordanian forces in the East.
• Since no peace agreement was ever reached, and both sides blamed each other, wars and fighting continued for decades.

Israel Palestine Conflict - The Map Today

Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestinians consider East Jerusalem the capital of their future state. The United States is one of the few countries that acknowledge Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In the last 50 years, Israel has constructed many settlements in the occupied areas, where more than 600,000 Jews now live. Palestinians consider these settlements as unlawful under international law and as essential barriers to peace. However, Israel strongly denies these claims and continues its settlement policy.

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Israel Palestine Conflict - Main Problems

The Israel Palestine conflict revolves around key issues like land ownership, refugee rights, Jerusalem’s status, and mutual security concerns. These unresolved problems fuel ongoing tensions and violence. There are several problems that Israel and the Palestinians cannot compromise on, and these include:

• Future of Palestinian refugees
• what if Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank should stay or be removed forever
• what will be the result if the two sides share Jerusalem
• And perhaps the most complex issue is whether a separate Palestinian state should be established alongside Israel.
• Peace talks have continued on and off for over 25 years, but they have failed to resolve the conflict so far.

Current Status Of Israel Palestine Conflict

Tensions remain high between Israel and Palestinians in East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank. Gaza is governed by Hamas, a Palestinian militant group that has engaged in multiple conflicts with Israel. To prevent weapons from reaching Hamas, both Israel and Egypt maintain strict control over Gaza's borders. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank say they face hardships due to Israeli restrictions and military actions. On the other hand, Israel states that its actions are necessary for self-defense against Palestinian attacks.

World’s View of the Israel Palestine Issue

The world stays separated on the Israel Palestine conflict topic. Western countries often support Israel, while many Asian and Arab countries back Palestine. International calls for peace continue, but solutions remain doubtful.

• While Non-Muslim nations acknowledge Israel’s legitimacy and maintain diplomatic connections with it, most are critical of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and continued occupation of the West Bank.
• Most of the world thinks that Israel’s restarted control of the West Bank is an illegal military occupation.
• The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which merged in 2005, aims to capitalize on global anger with Israel.
• The movement plans to create costs to Israel’s Palestinian policy through boycotts of Israeli goods and institutions, divestment from Israeli firms, and sanctions on the nation itself.

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Israel Palestine Conflict - Future of the Issue

The future of the Israel Palestine conflict depends on political will, global support for peace, and mutual dialogue. Without lasting solutions, tensions may continue to affect global and regional stability. These are the two broad ways the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might end

Two-State Solution

• This aims to establish independent states of Israel and Palestine and is widely seen as the main solution to the conflict.
• The idea is that Israelis and Palestinians seek to govern separately—Israelis want a Jewish state, while Palestinians want their independent nation.

One-State Solution

• This would merge Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip into one big country.
• It comes in two versions.
• One idea, supported by some leftists and Palestinians, suggests forming a single democratic nation. In this setup, Arab Muslims would become the majority, which could end Israel’s identity as a Jewish state.
• The other idea, supported by some right-wing Israelis, proposes that Israel annex the West Bank and either displace Palestinians or deny them voting rights within the state.

India's policy on Israel and Palestine issue

India's policy on the Israel Palestine conflict reflects a detailed balance. It supports Palestine's statehood while keeping strong relations with Israel. India promotes dialogue, peace, and a two-state solution.

• India'sIndia's statement at the UNSC seeks harmony between its old relations with Palestine and expanding relations with Israel.
• India's stance on the world's longest-running conflict shifted from strongly pro-Palestine in the early decades to carefully balancing ties with both sides. In recent years, India's position has often been seen as leaning towards Israel.
• In 1948, India was the only non-Arab country among 13 nations that voted against the UN partition plan for Palestine, which eventually led to the creation of Israel.
• Scholars link India's stand to several reasons: its own Partition on religious lines, support for displaced Palestinians, and the aim to counter Pakistan's efforts to isolate India over the Kashmir issue.
• India began balancing its position by normalizing ties with Israel in 1992. This move came after the Soviet Union's collapse and major geopolitical shifts in West Asia following the 1990 Gulf War.
• The opening of the Indian embassy in Tel Aviv in January 1992 ended four decades of limited engagement, marking a new chapter in India-Israel relations.
• From 1992 onward, for over 25 years, India-Israel relations grew steadily, mainly through defence, science, technology, and agriculture. However, India did not openly acknowledge the full extent of this partnership during that time.
• From 2018 onwards, India " "de-hyphenated" the Israel-Palestine relationship and would deal with each separately.
• At the same time, India has strengthened its relations with Arab nations, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE. India also sees support in the recent decisions of some Arab states to establish better ties with Israel.

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