Arab and Israel Conflict Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Arab and Israel Conflict - Article Example According to Antony Best, the real causes of the Arab-Israeli conflict were the product of distinct historical developments of the late-nineteenth century and early twentieth century which include European anti-Semitism and the rise of Zionism, the emergence of Arab nationalism and the quest for Arab independence, the Ottoman defeat in the World War I, the British mandate in Palestine, the World War II, and the Holocaust. In a reflective analysis of the pre-partition period of Palestine, it becomes lucid that the colonial influence has been a major aspect of the conflict, although there is the difference of opinion about the role of colonialism in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The World War I offered an essential opportunity for the Arab nationalists to insist on the independence of the nation through a military alliance with the British, just as it provided the opportunity for the Zionists to obtain international recognition of their aspirations in Palestine. Therefore, the Western colonial rule has influenced the emergence of Arab nationalism as well as Zionism in the Middle East which ultimately contributed to the conflict between two sides. Although there were important expectations for independence among the Arabs as well as the Jews at the end of the war, their hopes were dashed when Britain became first de facto and later de jure in control of Palestine. â€Å"Indeed, the Arab territories of the Ottoman Empire were divided up and placed under French and British mandates awarded at San Remo in 1920 and ratified by the League of Nations in 1922, a territorial division†¦ Yet, while Britain, on the one hand, was clearly expanding its power in the Middle East, on the other, it continued to back Arab, Jewish, and Armenian claims for independence, often as to undermine rival European Powers, particularly France.† (Best 2008, P. 113). It is important to realize that the British policy was mainly driven by European factors or imperial considerations which placed the British authorities in an awkward position in Palestine when the Arab-Israeli conflict escalated. With the expansion of Jewish presence in Palestine, the Zionist demands for the land increased and worsened the struggle for work. The increased Jewish immigration into Palestine due to the development of Nazism and Fascism in Europe in the 1930s also caused the Zionist demands for the land.