To understand the recent conflict in the Middle East, one has to first understand what is Israel, and why was it created.
The notion that the brutalities meted out to Jews by the Nazis justified the establishment of Israel is widely held. The horrors of the Holocaust provided a compelling narrative for the creation of a safe haven for the Jewish people.
But the Holocaust was committed by Germans and their European collaborators, not by Palestinian Arabs. Why should the latter have been punished for crimes committed by the former ? The establishment of Israel led to the Nakba–an Exodus and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, who were subjected to horrible atrocities
The idea that Jews longed to return to Palestine, their ancient homeland which they had left 2000 years ago, is absurd and a fantasy.
Drawing a parallel, I, a Kashmiri whose ancestors had left the Kashmir valley 200 years ago, find no connection with today’s Kashmir, and I will be miserable if I am made to live there. Though by blood I am a Kashmiri, by culture I am a UPite, as I have lived almosi my entire life in UP.
Similarly, the Jewish diaspora spread over 2000 years, saw many Jews settling in Europe, and becoming an integral part of its social and cultural fabric. The sudden alleged urge in Jews to return to the Biblical land is a figment of some people’s imagination.
So what was the real reason for creating Israel in 1948 ?
The real reason was that vast oil reserves in the Middle East were discovered during the first half of the 20th century, and these were necessary for the growth of the industries of Western countries. So Israel was created as a Western military garrison, to ensure control over this crucial resource. Backed by Western weapon supplies, Israel became a military outpost to ensure the safety of supply of middle East oil to Western countries, and this was the real reason for its creation.
Before 1948, the people living in the territory of Israel were 90% Palestinian Arabs. Today only about 21% of its population is Palestinian Arabs
So where have the remaining almost 70% Palestinians gone ? Some, including women and children, were massacred, while hundreds of thousands ( some estimate a million ) fled out of fear and terror to Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, etc ( an Exodus known as the Nakba), where their descendants are still living in horrible conditions, with massive poverty and unemployment, lack of proper housing, food, medicines, healthcare and education.
The Hamas attack on Israel on 7th October, 2023 must be understood in this background. Instead of just blaming Hamas, as Western countries have been doing, one must understand the historical setting and backdrop
The recent statement of some Western leaders that all Palestinian Arabs will be removed from Gaza, which will be turned into a French Riviera, is totally unrealistic. Where will these 2.2 million Palestinians living in Gaza go ? No country is prepared to accept them. Should they suffer another Nakba ?
So, what is the solution to the problem ?
In my opinion, the only just solution lies in forming a secular, unified Palestine, encompassing Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights. This would be a state where Jews, Arabs, Christians, and others can coexist and live in peace and harmony.
However, the path to this solution remains challenging, and fraught with extreme difficulties and complexities. There are powerful vested interests which will oppose it tooth and nail
