The Role of the USA in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Research Paper

Introduction

The world today is full of controversial conflicts, various issues, and unsolved problems. The origin of some conflicts lies deep in the history of humanity, while others have emerged not so long ago. “There is a potentially conflictual relationship between human security and the struggles for control over land, access to mineral wealth, and justice despite the legacies of colonialism”, -these words prove the never-ending nature of the conflict. (Wenona Giles, Jennifer Hyndman, 2004, p.204) However, to solve these problems it is essential to find the real reasons and try to understand them, and then find the right solutions and apply them.

The Importance of the Israel-Palestinian Conflict

One of such never-ending conflicts is the Israel – Palestinian conflict. It is well-known fact, that the role of other countries like the United States of America, Great Britain, and many others, and even such organizations like the United Union, play a significant role in handling the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Moreover, the role of the USA is the most significant, however, the question arises: “Is the influence of the USA positive or negative in this conflict?”

“The Arab-Israeli conflict has been a notable element of the international relations of the Middle East for more than a century. Its evolution has been the subject of substantial attention and has generated numerous official and semi-official documents and a voluminous descriptive and analytical literature, both popular and academic,”- these words show the importance of the issue in history. (Reich, 1995, p. 1).

“The Jewish-Arab conflict over that part of the Middle East referred to by various people either as the land of Israel or as Palestine has been discussed and debated widely from political, social, economic, and humanitarian perspectives”- this statement in the article “Philosophical Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” again highlights the ongoing debate about the conflict today. (Kapitan, 1997, p 244).

All these articles and statements deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and show its impact on the world’s history today.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict: Understanding Historic Trends

So, it is important to investigate the history of these two countries and try to find the root of the conflict. “The Arab-Israeli conflict, the central issue of which is the status of a territory known as Palestine, has existed for more than a century. Arab nationalism began to take form in the 19th century. Zionism also had its origins as a political ideology in the 19th century, but its antecedents are in the Biblical period. The competition between Jews and Arabs can be traced to Abraham and his two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, who founded their respective lines of descent.”- The extract from book “Arab-Israeli Conflict and Conciliation: A Documentary History” shows, that this conflict is very long-lasting and the main reason of the conflict can be found in the Bible. (Reich, 1995, p. 2) So, it can be understood that the competition and misunderstanding between these two nations have been continuing for a very long time.

So, the misunderstandings between Israel and Palestine have existed from the times of the Bible, however, it became a real problem, when Israel decided to establish its country officially, demanding the territory of Palestine as the part of its land:» Since World War I the issue has been joined in terms of the future of the territory called Palestine. Theodor Herzl, as the founder and ideologue of modem political Zionism, proposed a Jewish state, preferably in Palestine, as a solution to the Jewish problem (anti-Semitism). Arab nationalist leaders saw Palestine as a component of a restored Arab world stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf”. (Reich, 1995, p. 3) Besides, the support of the USA to Israel in establishing an independent state deepened the conflict between Palestine and Israel.

Building Sovereign Country of Israel: Reasoning

There are a great number of reasons, which encouraged these people to build their country again, and it is impossible to find one main reason because it is the complicated collection of them: “Israeli emigrants rank among those contemporary groups whose motives for migration have been especially complex and ideologically loaded”. (Gold, 2002, p. 33).

So, why did the Israeli people decide to come back and build an independent state again? According to the survey, conducted among Israeli citizens, people named the following reasons:” Emigrants offered a variety of reasons for returning. However, those concerning family – especially parents’ desire for children to grow up in Israel – were the most frequently and passionately mentioned. Other reasons for re-migration included the need to care for sick or aging parents, a job offer and a simple desire to be in Israel”. (Gold, 2002, p. 217) And the desire to live in the richer or more developed country, a reunion of the nation is also in the list of complicated reasons. So, Jewish Israelis today believe that they have the right to settle on their ancient motherland and build their sovereign state of Israel. The USA has supported Israeli citizens and helped this young state in the struggle against Palestine.

On the other hand, the Arab Palestinians are sure that this piece of land, called the West Bank and Gaza Strip, historically belongs to them, and Israelis, as well as the USA, have no right to demand this territory. “It is rather rare to find open expressions by leading Arab figures regarding their interests once the Palestinian issue is resolved. There is a solid consensus among this one-fifth of the Israeli population that a Palestinian state must be established”, – this article “The Israeli Palestinians: An Arab Minority in the Jewish State” supports the point of view of the Palestinians. (Alexander Bligh, 2003, p. 294).

Israel and Palestinians: Military Actions

There were wars between these two nations, which involved many innocent victims and much violence from both sides. As a result of the Arab-Israeli War in 1948 and the Six-day War in 1967, Israel has gained control over the significant territory, building its sovereignty on the seized piece of land. Although it remains a controversial and debated issue, many historians state that without the help of the USA Israel would never succeed in these wars.

“In mid-November 1966, Israel embarked on its largest military action since the Suez war. An armored brigade of nearly 4,000 men attacked the West Bank town of Samu in the Hebron hills, methodically destroying 125 homes, a clinic, a school, and a workshop, and killing eighteen Jordanian soldiers as well”, – this article describes the military actions, taken by Israeli. (Finkelstein, 1995, p. 124).

“As a result of expulsions and mass flight, 1 only about 160,000 Arabs, who accounted for ten percent of the Palestinian population at the time, stayed in Israel after hostilities. Nearly 780,000 Palestinians became refugees in the ‘West Bank’ which was annexed to the kingdom of Jordan, in Gaza Strip, which was put under Egyptian military government and in neighboring Arab countries”,- one of the main consequences of these wars were thousands of refugees, who had to find a new safe country to live in. (Bligh, 2003, p. 243).

So, it can be outlined that the roots of the conflict lie deep in history, and the desire of both nations to build their sovereign state on the same territory played a significant role. Furthermore, American participation in the conflict did not change the situation for to better, because its measures were mostly one-sided supporting Israel only. All these factors have caused wars and hundreds of victims; however, the conflict remains of the issues of modern society.

Role of the USA in the Conflict between Two Nations

The United States of America has been supporting the nation of Israel in its desire to build its own country, with its sovereign territory. Without the significant support of the USA, Israel would not probably succeed in the struggle for independence.

Positive Impact of the USA on the Solution of the Conflict

Another positive consequence of the USA was the fact that it was one of the main countries, which initiated the negotiation between two struggling nations. There was Declaration of Principles on Interim Self Government Arrangements, which helped Israel and Palestine start peaceful negotiations: “Before the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self Government Arrangements (DoP), Israel and the PLO were enemies engaged in a mainly low-intensity, though sometimes high-intensity, inter-ethnic, existential conflict.” (Buchanan,2000, p. 336) So, the role of the United States as a negotiator is quite significant. The United States is conducting peacekeeping functions between these two nations and sending its representatives to Israel to start these negotiations.

The United States of America is supporting Israel both financially and by giving recommendations on the further actions of Israel. For example, the representative from the USA, Ms. Rice, 2007 has visited the Middle East to discuss the issue of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and its possible solutions with the representatives of the government from both sides. This is another proof of the USA’s step towards peace in Israel and Palestine.

American experts have conducted forecasts, which show that Israel has the potential of becoming a very perspective market, and the USA is on supporting Israel on the way to democracy, a stable situation, and prosperity:” Israel remains a linchpin for the region. In conjunction with, and even before, the September 1993, peace agreement, the Israeli economy was expanding at a record rate. It is expected to grow by six percent in 1994. The Arab boycott has been crumbling slowly, and the Arab-Israeli cooperation that is characterized by relations with the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and Jordan has great potential for making Israel, rather than Gaza, the hub of the 250,000,000-person Middle East market.” (Howell, 1994, p.61).

Negative Impact of the USA on the Solution of the Conflict

On the other hand, there are some significant arguments against the positive impact of the United States in this conflict. There is a statement, that such powerful countries like the United States of America or Great Britain invented this conflict. “What is beyond doubt is that the geopolitical concept Middle East was invented when thinking about and organizing action for India’s security. Then, the Middle East has its origins, via Gordon and Mahan’s descriptions, in British policy-makers security concerns and practices in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century”, – these words support the statement about the negative impact of other countries interventions. (Bilgin, 2005, p. 69).

According to the statement of historians, the “Americanization” of Israel takes place, meaning that the United States of America is trying to establish a new Israel with American traditions and an American point of view. “Americanization means a cultural change. Yet beyond the well-known and frequent referrals to the global appeal of and fascination with America in general and American mass culture in particular, Americanization takes place in distinctly local contexts and cultural settings”, – these words are supporting expressed point of view. (Azaryahu, 2000, 42),

Furthermore, the role of the United States as a negotiator is not as significant as USA officials sometimes pretend to show, because this country has its interests in the conflict and its solution.

The Declaration of Principles on Interim Self Government Arrangements has a very controversial nature, and it had some negative consequences on the development of Israeli-Palestinian relations. To prove these words, here is the article “A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements” by Andrew S. Buchanan:” How effective the DoP has been in achieving its stated objectives to date is very much open to interpretation and dependent on the positive or negative light in which events are viewed”. (2000, p. 337).

Today many people accuse the United States of America of worsening the relations and making the conflict much deeper and more significant. The United States of America is using the term “the struggle against terrorism” to explain and justify its measures and actions in this conflict.

However, the global society does not seem to believe in this statement and the words from the article «The Bush Administration, from the Very Beginning, Has Failed to Define Accurately the Conflict with Islamic Terrorists” is a good example of public point of view: “CONFUSION reigns in the “war on terrorism.” Around the globe, leaders of every sort express their indignation at the lack of understanding of what is at issue in societal, police, and military efforts against those who have been called terrorists and the acts that have been labeled terrorism.”( Howell, 2005, p. 65).

Moreover, even the citizens of the United States of America started to accuse their government of hidden motives and the fact that the USA is trying to take advantage of the conflict today. “This is what has become of America. We can march through the arches of McDonald’s anywhere but we cannot even get a single Muslim friend to walk through the arches of a Mosque for us to touch the heart of an Islamic peacemaker.”(Howell, 2005, p. 66).

Opinion about the real interests of the United States of America in Israel stays controversial and not easy to answer. The history will show the real intention of this country in the conflict. However, the number of victims and refugees is increasing and will continue to rise, until these two nations solve this conflict.

The USA has sent significant military resources to Israel; however, USA support did not help Israel or Palestine achieve any compromise. The same point of view article” Viewpoints USA and EU Must Check ‘Goliath’ Israel “reflects the same point of view about the disability of the USA to help these countries: «So, in the final analysis, we in the West have real shared culpability and, when we rightly attack Israel’s military over-reactions, we must bear this in mind. Tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians were killed in the military stage of the conflict in 1993, Israel not yet having achieved such dire results” (South Wales Echo., 2006, p.16).

Conclusion

So, judging on the results of the USA actions, or to be more precise on the lack of these results, it is obvious that the role of the USA in Israel itself may be positive, because the USA is strongly supporting this county in the struggle for land. However, the role of the USA in the conflict between two nations –the Israeli and Palestinian- is very one-sided, and even negative, since the USA is not supporting the Palestinian side.

“For as much as some would like to view it as part of the same problem, the relationship between Israel and the Arab states is a distinguishable problem from those dividing Israelis and Palestinians. And the problems dividing Israelis and Palestinians are by far the more complex of the two”, – these words again highlight the fact that it is not only the war between the Israel and Pales tines, but much more powerful countries are struggling against each other, and one of them is the USA. (Kapitan, 1997, p.297).

After the eleventh of September and its events in 2001, the USA has the right to take significant actions in the struggle against terrorism. Those events have pushed the country to take more serious and vast measures to prevent the same events.

And the problem of terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict overlaps, at least, for the USA. The official from the USA state, that after achieving peace between Israel and Palestine the problem of terrorism will not be as significant as it is today. These words can be sincere reasoning or another official statement that is not true and hides much more serious reasoning. However, the terrorist attack in 2001 had a major impact on the global society and especially the USA. Magazine “The Atlantic Monthly» describes the reaction of the global society: «Its population was more closely united behind its leadership than it had been in fifty years. World opinion was strongly sympathetic. The U.S. military was superbly equipped, trained, and prepared. For the longer-term effort against, Islamic extremism the Administration could draw on a mature school of thought from academics, regional aspects, and its own intelligence agencies. All that was required was to think broadly about the threats to the country, and creatively about the responses” (Fallows, 2004, p. 68).

“President Bush’s first major speech after 9/11, on September 20, 2001, was one of the outstanding addresses given by a modern President. But it introduced a destructive concept that Bush used more and more insistently through 2002”, – these words highlight the fact, that after the terrorist attack the position of the USA in the conflict became much more one-sided, these events made the USA harsher to its opponents, deepening its negative influence on the actual solution of the conflict between two nations. (Fallows, 2004, p. 68).

The role of the United States of America in the conflict between Israeli and Palestine is in a certain way negative. Although there are many examples of the steps taken by the USA official, which intend to represent the desire to help both sides, in reality, the USA did not manage to have a positive impact on the successful solution of the issue so far. Moreover, the USA on the way to the struggle against terrorism has done many mistakes and has gone too far in this struggle.

It would be appropriate to recommend solving the issue between the struggling nations. The recommendation is to let these two countries solve their issue on their own with no impact on other countries, which are trying to influent the outcome in terms of their interests.

The history of this conflict is very long. All the time the organizations and countries were trying to put pressure on these two nations, however, maybe it is time for these subjects to step back and let these nations find their way out.

The Israel-Palestinian conflict is so complicated, that it is impossible to find who is right or wrong today, and without knowing all peculiarities about these two cultures it is impossible to help them in solving this problem:” Conflict resolution, reconciliation, and prevention cannot begin until a lucid and comprehensive understanding of the gendered politics that perpetrate and perpetuate violence in the first instance is provided.” (Wenona Giles, Jennifer Hyndman, 2004, p. 4).

References

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