Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and much more

Recently, I’ve gotten myself into some heated exchanges about Israel, Palestine, end-times theology, terrorism, and other intertwined subjects. I never ceased to be amazed how quickly people side with Israel in any conflict, assuming they bear little if any fault for the situation. On the other hand, some people are quick to assume everything is the fault of Muslim or Arab extremists, and it perpetuates an image of Arabs or Muslims who are only a step above monsters bent on destroying everything right and just in the world.

To try to help people see the bigger picture, I’m trying to get a better handle on the history of the Middle East. I’ve studied it extensively in school, but I can’t recall enough details to really lay it out for anyone in conversation. I wrote the following summary of the conflicts between Israel and Lebanon in response to an online discussion on related themes. I hope the exercise will help me be more prepared to discuss the matter in detail with people when the subject comes up.

You asked how much further I want to go back [in Israel's history] in order to justify current attacks on Israel. I have no interest in justifying attacks on Israel. Instead, when you know the historical record, you can see how predictable last summer’s conflict [with Lebanon] was. It doesn’t justify any of it, it just explains some of why it happened and gives insight into what will continue to happen if we stay on the same path.

Jews began migrating to Palestine (and other areas) in the 19th century as persecution increased and they were thrown out of England, France, and Spain. At the time, Palestine was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. By the end of the 19th century, about 25,000 Jews lived in Palestine, and a move to establish a Jewish homeland in the area was growing in strength.

The Ottoman Empire was on the wrong side of WWI, and Britain took control of the Palestine region when the Empire was dismantled. Those desiring to create a Jewish state in the Palestine region (Zionists) worked to get Britain on their side, and they succeeded. Balfour, Britain’s foreign minister, convinced Britain to support Zionism since doing so would make America more likely to enter WWI. At the time however (1917), Britain did NOT support the formation of a Jewish political state.

WWII and the Holocaust increased the Jewish desire for their own homeland. As Jewish survivors began coming to region in greater number, Britain tried to turn them away, but Zionist soldiers began attacking the Britains. America began criticizing Britain’s position and calling for the formation of a Jewish state. Deciding they could no longer control the area, Britain pulled out of the region and left it to the United Nations to come up with a plan (1947).

In 1947, 31% of the population in the area was Jewish, 69% was Arab (both Muslims and Christians). 94% of the land was either owned or settled by Arabs. Yet, the UN’s plan called for more than HALF of the land to go to Israel, with the Arabs retaining just under half.

What does that have to do with Lebanon? As time passed, Israel took even more than half the land, creating a massive refugee population. Over 100,000 Palestinians fled to Lebanon, and once there, Israel refused to let them return home. Refugee camps sprang up in southern Lebanon; the refugees living in the camps were obviously angry with Israel. By 2003, nearly 400,000 Palestinian refugees lived in Lebanon; about 215,000 of them lived in refugee camps.

As people lost their land, their homes, their families, they formed groups to resist those they saw as thieves, murderers, and occupiers. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed and based in Lebanon. Repeated conflict between the PLO and Israel led to Israel driving the PLO out of southern Lebanon (Lebanon’s southern border is with Israel). Israel’s at-times brutal occupation of the region led to the formation of Hezbollah, which finally forced Israel out in 2000 after 20 years of Israeli occupation. Since then, Hezbollah has controlled southern Lebanon.

That’s the environment that led to last summer’s conflict. It may not be, in your opinion or mine, justifiable. But it is predictable. You say it’s reasonable for Israel to refuse to negotiate with its enemies because of how they have responded to negotiations in the past. In 1947, there was no negotiation – although they owned and lived on 94% of the land and constituted 69% of the population, the Palestinians were offered less than half the land by the UN, largely because of American pressure. The particular ways Palestinians have chosen to respond may not be justifiable, but is predictable.