History of Palestine/Israeli Conflict

Palestine is the name given in the 2nd century C.E. to a region of the present day middle east. The name was derived from “Palaestina” or “Land of the Philistines.” These people settled a small coastal area north of Egypt near Gaza. Palestine is held sacred by Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a dispute that is ongoing between the Palestinians and the State of Israel. This is a dispute between two national identities with claims over the same area of land. Many people believe that a two-state solution is the best way to end the conflict. Both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip constitute the area of their future state. The following are involved in this conflict: the Israeli government, the United States, Russia, and the European Union as well as the United Nations.

Palestine is at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe. It has been the battleground of great powers in the region throughout history. In the first century B.C.E., the Romans conquered the region and drove out most of the Jews in the area. Jewish immigrants returned to Palestine in increasing numbers as they fled Russian persecution. In World War II and the Holocaust, there was a surge in Jewish immigration.

It was held sacred by the great empires that came into power in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The West Bank, Israel, and the Gaza strip, as well as Jordan, Syria, and parts of Egypt were once part of Palestine.

The demography of the area is estimated at 2000 people. It was originally 1,132,063. Approximately 99.5 percent or 2,020,298 people are Palestinian Arabs. 17 percent are Jewish. Interestingly, half the population of the west bank is under the age of 15. It is situated on the Eastern middle end of the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Palestinians are a Semitic people much like the Jews, and the language of the two are very similar. The Palestinian flag consists of three bands that contain a black, white, green, and red flagstaff side pointing to the center of the white band.