We often hear that the conflict between Israel and Palestine is impenetrably complex, a narrative that suggests it is an ancient, unsolvable feud. But what if the core issues are not as complicated as they appear?

By looking back just over a century, a clearer picture emerges. This isn’t a story about a simple real-estate dispute or an age-old religious war. It’s a modern history of broken promises, colonial decisions, and the displacement of a people. To understand the headlines of today, we must first understand the history of how we got here.

Let’s trace the key events that set the stage for the ongoing conflict.

A Broken Promise: Seeds of Conflict in World War I

Our story begins in 1916, with the First World War raging and the 600-year-old Ottoman Empire on the verge of collapse. To gain an edge, the British and French made a crucial offer to Arab leaders: help them defeat the Ottomans, and in return, you will be granted independence and sovereignty over the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant (a region including modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine).

The Arab forces agreed and were instrumental in the Allied victory against the Ottomans. They expected the promise of an independent Arab state to be fulfilled.

However, a secret pact had already been made.

The Sykes-Picot Agreement: A Secret Betrayal

Unbeknownst to their Arab allies, British and French diplomats had met to carve up the Ottoman territories for themselves. This secret 1916 deal, known as the Sykes-Picot Agreement, planned to divide the region into spheres of European colonial influence:

  • France would control southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
  • Great Britain would take control of Palestine, Jordan, and Southern Iraq.

When the agreement was revealed, Arab leaders were shocked. They had fought to overthrow their non-Arab Muslim rulers, only to find themselves under European colonial rule. This act of betrayal laid a foundation of deep mistrust that would shape the region for decades to come.

The British Mandate and a Fateful Declaration

With Palestine now under its control, Britain made another pivotal move. The Zionist movement, a political ideology advocating for a Jewish state, had been gaining influence in Europe. They lobbied the British government to support mass Jewish migration to Palestine and to recognise a Jewish claim to the land.

In 1917, Britain issued the Balfour Declaration, a public statement announcing its support for the “establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.”

This declaration was a turning point. At the time, Palestine’s population was over 90% Arab (both Muslim and Christian), with a Jewish population of less than 10%. Yet, a foreign power had effectively promised its land to another group.

Demographic Shifts and Rising Tensions

Under the British Mandate (1922-1948), the British administration facilitated the mass immigration of European Jews to Palestine.

  • Between 1922 and 1935, the Jewish population in Palestine grew from under 10% to approximately 27%.

As more immigrants arrived, more land was acquired, often leading to the displacement of Palestinian farmers. The native Palestinian population grew increasingly alarmed and protested to the British authorities, but their concerns were largely ignored.

When Palestinian resistance grew, Britain proposed partitioning Palestine and even advised the “forceful removal” of the Arab population from their homes to create a viable Jewish state. The Palestinians rejected this and launched a major revolt against British rule from 1936-1939, which was violently suppressed, resulting in the deaths of thousands.

The UN Partition Plan: A Controversial Proposal

By 1947, unable to manage the escalating violence, a weary Britain handed over the “Palestine problem” to the newly formed United Nations.

The UN proposed Resolution 181, a plan to partition Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states, with Jerusalem to be administered internationally. The details of the plan were highly contentious:

  • Jewish people, who constituted about one-third of the population and owned less than 7% of the land, were allocated 55% of Palestine.
  • The Arab population, which made up two-thirds of the inhabitants, was offered the remaining 45%.

Feeling the deep injustice of the proposal, Arab leaders rejected it. The Zionist leadership accepted the idea of a state but not its proposed borders, openly campaigning for more territory.

1948: The Nakba and the Birth of a State

As the British Mandate neared its end, Zionist militias launched a coordinated military campaign to seize as much land as possible. They captured and depopulated major Palestinian cities and villages, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

On May 14, 1948, the day the last British forces withdrew, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. The United States and the Soviet Union immediately recognised the new state.

For Palestinians, May 15, 1948, is known as the Nakb, or “the catastrophe.” It marks the moment they lost their homeland, with consequences that were devastating and immediate:

  • Over 750,000 Palestinians (out of a population of 1.9 million) were forcibly displaced or fled their homes, becoming refugees.
  • Israel seized 78% of historic Palestine, far more than the UN plan had proposed.
  • More than 530 Palestinian villages and cities were destroyed or ethnically cleansed.
  • An estimated 15,000 Palestinians were killed in a series of mass atrocities.

The Nakba was not the end of the story, but the beginning of a new chapter of occupation, displacement, and conflict that continues to this day.

History Shapes the Present

Understanding the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict is not about assigning blame; it is about seeking clarity. The events of the last century, from the Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Balfour Declaration to the 1947 Partition Plan and the 1948 Nakba, are not distant history. They form the direct foundation of the current reality.

The narrative of a “complicated” conflict often obscures a clear history of a people who have been systematically dispossessed of their land and denied self-determination. By understanding these foundational events, we can engage in more informed, empathetic, and productive conversations about a just and peaceful future for everyone in the region.

What You Can Do

Support Humanitarian Aid: Consider supporting reputable organisations that provide aid to civilians affected by the conflict.

Educate Yourself Further: Read books and watch documentaries from both Palestinian and Israeli historians to gain a broader perspective.

Share This History: Help others understand the historical context by sharing this article.