The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: Human Rights and the Quest for Peace

Abstract

Nationalism's effect on the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict will result in a never-ending cycle of human rights violations. This conflict over legit claims to the land began with the declaration of an Israeli state in 1948. Two peoples, with both similar and different backgrounds, are often the center of the current conflicting claims of jurisdiction over the same land. The aim of this thesis will be to focus on how the continuation of division between these two groups will lead to an endless war. This will be done by looking at and comparing the different arguments for peace. I will use the history of both "people" in an attempt to distinguish that nationalism is being used in a means to divide. Ultimately, the question is whether nationalism and modern ideologies of statehood can resolve the conflict while adhering to the tenets of human rights. The continuation of this conflict ignores basic human rights and is close to the definition of apartheid. I am hoping to identify how nationalism causes a divide between two different groups of people and how this division results in human rights violations. My main goal is to have my audience see that nationalism does not mean the different people living on the land are any less than. Both have fair claims, both deserve human rights. The persistence of this conflict has shifted over time. The claims over this land have shifted from being historical and religious to political and powerful. When it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, nationalism has become the poster child for the extremes. Nationality has trumped human rights.