This essay gives an overview to its readers about the present social and political

situation in the Middle East, particularly in Palestine.

It will approach the causes and consequences of the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the
West Bank based on opinions of Palestinians and Israelis (the acts perpetuated by both
sides, due to the imposed presence of Israeli settlements and military control of the
region) and point out the cry out of both people for reconciliation and peace, as the
existence of committee and organizations denote.

To comprehend the extension of the problems in the Middle East one must first
enlighten the readers about the historical event that changed life in this area for ever:
Since the end of World –War II Jewish immigrants have been arriving to the region now
known as Israel (the state of Israel was established in 1948) and claimed it to be their
homeland regardless to those who lived there before them, who had to flew from their
land to the neighboring Arab states or to the West Bank and Gaza. But the
“colonialism” continued and 1967 marks the year of the invasion by the Israelis and
subsequently occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights, regarding the
captured land as their own.
The occupation was not only military but Israeli civilian population began to be
deported or transferred to the once Palestine land. An action prohibited by the Fourth
Geneva Convention, to which, ironically, Israel is a signatory.
This continuous appropriation of Palestinian land implied demolitions of Palestinian
houses, farms, infrastructures for new constructions for the settlements.
Obviously, those strategies were seen by the Palestinian people as a hostile act, a hostile
takeover. This settlement policy, the military infrastructures present in the occupied
region trapped Palestinians in their own homeland or worse forced them to abandon
their homes to flee to Arab neighbor land. The ultimate mission of this “colonization” in
the Twentieth Century was to scare away all Palestinians, the legitimate owners of those
territories. Israel transformed intentionally the life of the Palestinian people into a
nightmare, intending to make them leave their homeland by choice. The Israeli
authorities denied Palestinian people the same social conditions as the Israeli settlers:
investments in the occupied territories only benefit the settlements, some Palestinian
households don’t have connection to pipe water and those who have pay much more for
domestic consumption, 60% of the Palestinians are unemployed, their average annual
income is much less than that of the Israeli …their infrastructure and educational,
health, cultural and welfare institutions are frequently devastated by military attacks.
Wealth and poverty and powerlessness collide in very close proximity and this level of
inequality is a matter of daily friction as are of course the military structure, the road
blocks, the army bases and border controls or checkpoints where Palestinians are daily
humiliated, tormented and even killed.
Israel defends its actions in the name of security and fighting terrorists yet for some
those checkpoints of death provide precisely the fuel for radical and fundamentalist
Palestinians to fight back.
The people of Palestine grow ever more desperate and suicide bombs ensue. Thus,
Israel’s security pathology instead of ending with, as they call it –Palestinian terrorism-
they stimulate the suicide bombers. The Israeli army retaliates and innocent people die
on both sides, over and over again. The cycle of violence escalate dramatically with
work and travel restrictions, house demolitions, village closures and assassinations.

But the world is slowly becoming aware of the urgency to bring this crisis to an
end. Some politicians, soldiers, Israeli and Palestinians, common people refuse to
continue to participate in this endless war. There are already Israeli soldiers forced to
defend the occupation and to protect settlements begin to refuse their assignments,
potential new settlers choose not to settle as a sign of their disapproval of the settlement
policy. In spite of the ongoing violence some people choose not to be enemies and
participate in committees against housing demolitions and other restrictions of human
rights. Public opinion makes pressure to stop the injustices perpetuated in the Middle
East and force those who are responsible to seek for a peaceful solution: ending the
occupation and allowing the Palestinian to live in dignity in the land of their ancestors.
As Israel is supported by US government in its security and the so called “war on
terror” policy, the withdrawal of this Us support would necessarily force the search for a
peaceful solution.
When Palestinians live as equals with the people of Israel, then and only then, will the
fighting end and they will no longer fear each other.
The immediate departure of Israel from the occupied territories will guarantee a
peaceful live to Israeli and Palestinian.