Transformation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and future perspectives
Joe MAKHLOUF1, Feras Salloum2, Raymond H.A. Carter3, Tony Wehbeh4
1 Lebanese University, Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies – Paris, France
2 Belarus State University – Minsk, Belarus
3 Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies – Paris, France
4 Lebanese University
Correspondance: j.makhlouf88@gmail.com Tel : + 961 78 896 726
Abstract
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has undergone significant transformations over the decades, with profound implications for regional stability and the potential for broader conflict. A critical dimension of this transformation is the increasing prominence of religious aspects, which have intensified the dispute and complicated peace efforts. Initially focused on territorial disputes and national identities, the conflict has seen a growing emphasis on religious narratives and sacred sites, notably Jerusalem and its holy sites, which hold deep significance for Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike. The rise of religiously motivated political movements, such as Hamas and the Israeli settler movement, has further polarized the conflict. These groups often frame the conflict in existential and divine terms, reducing the potential for compromise. The involvement of regional powers like Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have vested religious interests, exacerbates these tensions. This religious dimension not only deepens local hostilities but also risks catalyzing a wider regional war, as it mobilizes broader sectarian support and intervention. Understanding these religious transformations is crucial for assessing future scenarios and developing strategies for conflict resolution and regional peace. Thus, this article aims to explain the evolution and transformation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a struggle for national identity to a religious identity conflict, and how this transformation has impacted the entire Middle East region.
Keywords: Palestine, Israel, Conflict, War, Religious Dimension, Ethnicity differences.
1. Introduction
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, historically rooted and constantly evolving, has drawn international attention and concern for decades. This dispute, centered on claims to land, self-determination, and security, has led to numerous negotiations and agreements, as well as changes in leadership, borders, and strategies. Peace efforts, such as the Oslo Accords, have alternated between hope and failure, while religious, cultural, and historical narratives have further complicated the situation. Since the wars of 1967 and 1973, the conflict has taken on a more religious dimension (MOSTAFA, 2018), influencing the geopolitics of the entire Middle East. Despite the lack of a definitive solution, the impact on the region and its inhabitants remains profound, necessitating constant international engagement for a lasting peace.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is one of the most intractable and long-lasting conflicts in the contemporary international political landscape. Despite the wide range of violent and non-violent tools used by both sides in the conflict, a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains elusive. Both sides to the conflict share a fundamental feeling of victimization: The Jewish people have traditionally been victims of anti-Semitism. Dispersed as a people for over a thousand years, it is only with the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the granting of the Palestine Mandate to the United Kingdom that the dispersed Jewish people are able to reverse the tide of history and reconstitute their long-lost rights (HODGE & BODDIE, 2021). For the Palestinians, the Nakba in 1948, or catastrophe of displaced and dispossessed people flowing from the establishment of the Jewish state, is only the latest in a series of attempts to expel them from the land - the Palestinians being indigenous people (UN, 2024). What may once have been a historical debate - the land was inhabited by Jews two millennia ago, but was under Muslim rule for the millennium prior to World War I, and was inhabited by a people who may be the descendants of the people who lived in the land since ancient times - has taken on a contemporary aspect, with Muslim gain and Jewish loss vying for attention. Such are the differences in ethnicity, history, and perspective that society is motivated, from time to time, to believe that no resolution to the conflict is possible (PAPPE, 2020). It’s important to say, that the idea of a Palestinian identity didn’t really occurred in the mind of the people before the declaration of the state of Israel in 1948 and the expulsion of the Palestinian from their land (Al Ju’beh, 2009), in fact, It would seem that after the Arab conquest and the spread of the Islamic religion over most of the geography of Palestine and the establishment of multiple Islamic caliphates from the Umayyads to the Ottomans, the Muslims who formed the majority of the population in the land of Palestine considered themselves to be Muslim citizens living in the land of Islam in the shadow of the Islamic caliphate, which is their own state. Therefore, the search for a national identity was not one of their primary concerns, as they did not feel they needed a national identity of their own, since they were Arab and Ottoman Muslims (KHALADI, 1991).
2. The transformation of the conflict from national identity to religious identity
The religious conflict between Judaism and Islam predates the issue of Jewish occupation in Palestine and is rooted in historical animosities. Numerous Hadiths describe hostility between Muslims and Jews, including one in Sahîh Muslim narrated by Abu Huraira: "The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews."(Sahih Muslim, 2922).
This Hadith therefore foretells a time when Muslims will fight the Jews until they hide behind objects, except for the Gharqad tree. This religious tension has infused the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a deep religious dimension, in order to take control of the sacred land (LANDAU, 2003). As a result, the conflict has evolved from a struggle for national identity to a fervent religious confrontation, complicating efforts at political resolution and lasting peace. We can therefore affirm that several religious factors related to Islam and Judaism play a fundamental role in giving a religious dimension to the conflict that exists today in the land of Palestine (MITCHELL, 2017). Indeed, the two parties are fighting over a land considered holy for each of them (LITLLE, 2023), and therefore religion appears to be the main factor in the conflict, especially with regard to the sacredness of the places (ALKADIRI, 2023) as well as the stories of the end of the world told by the two religions. These factors have led, over time, to the transformation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a struggle over national identity to a fierce religious conflict, and this issue would be able to spoil all possibilities for a political settlement and lasting peace between the two sides.
2.1. The transformation within the Israeli Society
In the genesis of Zionism, religious fervor played a peripheral role. The founding figures of modern Zionism, despite drawing inspiration from religious concepts and scriptures, were largely secular or religiously indifferent. Yet, they strategically employed religious rhetoric to garner support from both Jewish and international communities for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The Zionist movement adeptly reinterpreted the rich religious history of the Jewish people into modern, secular ideals conducive to their vision of a national home (HALPERIN, 2015). While secularism dominated the early Zionist project, religious currents still influenced its trajectory, giving rise to diverse political, religious, and cultural trends within Zionist thought.
However, the landscape shifted during the 1948 war, as extremist Jewish factions mobilized based on religious texts promising the Holy Land (BEININ, al, 2014) to the descendants of Abraham. Some religious movements hailed the creation of Israel as a divine fulfillment, legitimizing participation in its governance and defense (DIECKHOFF, 2015). The transformative moment came with Israel's decisive victory in the 1967 war, which saw the nation extend its control over historic sites like Jerusalem and Hebron. This victory catalyzed a shift in Israeli society from secularism to religious nationalism. The belief in divine intervention bolstered confidence, particularly among young religious Israelis, in reclaiming the ancient lands of Israel (DIECKHOFF, 2015). The ascendancy of the Likud Party in 1977 after the war of 1973, further propelled this trend, as religious Zionists sought to assert their influence within the Israeli state (DIVINE, 2014). They strategically occupied key positions, notably within the military, to advance their messianic perspective in the conflict with the Palestinians. Thousands of graduates from religious institutions joined the military, maintaining close ties with their religious upbringing. This melding of religious ideology with state apparatus underscores the evolving nature of Israel's ideological landscape, from secular beginnings to the ascendancy of religious Zionism (PELED, 2019).
Since the Israeli victory of 1967, religious extremism has developed in Israeli society to such an extent that Israeli Prime Minister Isaac Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by a messianic religious fundamentalist called Yigal Amir (GHANEM, 2018), in response to his signing of the Oslo peace agreement with the Palestinians. After the Oslo Accords, and the seizure of power by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the various wars that followed between Israel and Hamas since 2003 to now, led to an increase in religious radicalization in both societies.
2.2. The transformation within the Palestinian society
The conflict between Judaism and Islam is not new. This conflict began at the beginning of the Islamic call when the Jews of Yathrib refused to recognize the message of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam (MNEIMNEH, 2019). Jumping ahead to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, a time marked by the rise of Pan-Arabism in the Arab world, advocating for a unified Arab nation. Initially, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was driven by nationalist fervor, with Palestinians asserting their right to national identity and land (BENJAMIN, 1973). However, the involvement of the Muslim Brotherhood, a prominent Islamic movement, introduced a religious dimension to the conflict (KNUDSEN, 2003). A pivotal moment arrived with the Six-Day War of 1967, which saw Israel secure a significant victory. This win triggered a shift in Palestinian discourse. The failure of the Pan-Arab coalition to secure Palestinian liberation prompted a reevaluation, refocusing the conflict as a religious struggle for Muslims rather than solely a secular pursuit of Palestinian identity (HAMED, 2008). By 1971, with Anwar Sadat assuming the presidency after Nasser, under his rule, the support for the Muslim Brotherhood surged as they actively assisted Palestinians against Israel (MERIAM, 1982). With increased influence, the Muslim Brotherhood played a crucial role in reshaping the narrative of the conflict, placing greater emphasis on its religious dimension in the struggle for Palestine.
In the early 1980s, the Muslim Brotherhood expanded its influence in Gaza and the West Bank, particularly in Palestinian universities, aiming to counter the secular approach of the PLO and leftist factions. It encouraged young people to embrace religion as a key part of social construction and opposition to occupation (POLITICAL SYMPOSIUM, 2000). However, the group remained relatively inactive in confronting the Israeli occupation until the outbreak of the Palestinian Intifada in December 1987. During this time, the Brotherhood focused on preparing the Islamic generation to lead society towards an Islamic state (POLITICAL SYMPOSIUM, 2000). Their efforts included building 140 mosques and deepening Islamic beliefs to resist the Zionist project (ABU AMER, 2018).
Since its establishment in 1987, Hamas has been entangled in successive wars, with tensions escalating notably after the Oslo Agreement in 1993. The ongoing conflicts between Hamas and Israel since 2008 have increasingly emphasized the doctrinal rhetoric and ideological stances of both parties, particularly within the religious dimensions of the conflict. More recently, since October 7th, there has been a noticeable escalation in the radicalization of rhetoric from both sides.
3. What future perspectives for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
The new war that started on October 7th between Palestinians and Israelis, following the Hamas-led operation Al-Aqsa Flood, marked a significant escalation of tensions in the region. Firstly, it is noteworthy that the operation conducted by Hamas engaged all three conventional components of armed forces - Land, Air, and Sea. Two key points arise from this operation: firstly, no group akin to Hamas can execute, train, and coordinate an operation of such magnitude without tactical support and financial backing from certain states. Secondly, regardless of Hamas' significance, it is crucial for military headquarters and ministries responsible for defense and security to scrutinize the technical aspect of this operation. For both the Israeli state and the Palestinians, both societies are convinced they are fighting in the context of an existential war (ZONSZIEN, 2023).
The current status quo in the Levant is insufficient to allow viable political solutions. The involvement of religion, from all sides and in all aspects of the conflict currently prevents finding a political solution. Israel must recognize that it cannot prevail in the long term, with demography playing a crucial role. Thus, to ensure its survival, from the authors point of view, it has only two options: either recognize the State of Palestine by respecting its borders and the self-determination of the Palestinian people, or trigger a major war in the region to reshuffle all the cards and obtain a compromise and recognition of its state by neighboring countries.
4. Conclusion
The transformation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a religious conflict between Jews and Muslims has allowed for the involvement of foreign parties and countries. This involvement, as we can see, leads to an increase and intensification of the conflict without pragmatic political solutions. The growing presence of religious discourse within the Israeli and Palestinian societies risks pushing the region towards total conflagration, with the likely involvement of third-party countries supporting either side of the conflict. Various agreements such as Oslo or Camp David have not yielded the expected results. The lack of pragmatism and understanding of the geopolitical realities among the parties involved in the conflict, along with their religious convictions, will drag the Levant region into a large-scale war that could potentially be the last. To avoid a major conflict, it is crucial to find political solutions. However, the entrenchment of religious ideologies in political discourse makes achieving these solutions increasingly complicated. The return of Israeli and Palestinian societies, as well as neighboring countries, to secularism is the only way to open up pragmatic and real political solutions. Unfortunately, this solution is not possible for the time being. In the current state of affairs, the involvement of religious factors and increasingly harsh rhetoric from both sides will directly lead us to a regional conflict that will reshuffle all the cards in the region.
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