Ch 2 - The People Without a Nation: The Palestinian Crisis
Compounded Crises
The History of the Palestinian Crisis
What is the Nakba?
As mentioned in Chapter One, the Nakba occurred in 1948 following the declaration of Israeli statehood. Alnakba or النكبة is the Arabic word for “The catastrophe” or “The disaster.” It indicates a cataclysmic devastating event. All Palestinians were affected by the catastrophe, both Christian and Muslim. Larra Diboyan summarizes the first Palestinian crisis,
Israeli forces engaged in ethnic cleansing, expelling Palestinians from their homes through violence, intimidation, and massacres. Between 700,000 and 800,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced or fled their homes, becoming refugees in neighboring Arab countries or the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The new Israeli state also passed laws that prevented Palestinians from returning to their homes or claiming their land, effectively confiscating it.[1]
Subsequent Disasters.
Since the Nakba, Gaza's history has been marred by recurrent conflict and various Israeli military operations in recent decades. Each wave of conflict has led to a humanitarian emergency, with the civilian population bearing the brunt of the crises. The Israeli settlements, internationally viewed as illegal and frequently called out by the UN and other agencies, have been a recurring source of tension and violence. Israel continues to confiscate land and occupy the few Palestinian villages that remain. The West Bank, which is landlocked, and Gaza, under a land and maritime blockade, remain isolated from the rest of the world. The blockade imposed by Israel, citing security concerns, has resulted in severe restrictions on the movement of goods and has devastated the Gazan economy, leading to widespread poverty and unemployment.[2] The infrastructure of Gaza has suffered greatly, with repeated bombings leading to the destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, and vital services. The cumulative effect of these emergencies has led to the deterioration of the societal fabric, where basic human needs are frequently unmet, and prospects for recovery and peace remain elusive.[3]
Classification of the Crisis
The current humanitarian crisis in Palestine’s Gaza and West Bank should be classified as man-made. There were no environmental factors that created this crisis. The Levant (of which Palestine and Israel are a part) is the most fertile region in the Middle East, and the Mediterranean makes it ideal for agriculture and oil extraction and virtually exempt from most natural disasters: hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes, or tsunamis. Its unique location is the prime place for a thriving society and economy. Unfortunately, the actions of individuals all around the globe, spanning a century, have resulted in significant food, electricity, health, and educational disasters, not to mention the significant loss of life from direct military action.
The current crisis was created out of a conglomeration of events:
· War, with aspects of both civil and international conflict.
· Civil strikes and disorder
· Bomb threats and terrorist attacks
· Sieges & Blockades
The Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters lays out four criteria for disaster classification. If an event meets even one of these, it is considered a crisis. (1) ten or more people reported killed; (2) 100 people reported affected; (3) a call for international assistance; (4) the declaration of a state of emergency.[4] The current and chronic Palestinian crisis meets and exceeds three criteria. (1) Between 2008 and October 7th, 2023, there have been 5,360 people killed by Israeli fire. About 1,600 of those number are women and children.[5] Between October 7th and November 6th, 2023, there have been 9,770 fatalities. 67% or 6,558 of those deaths have been women and children.[6] (2) Between 2008 and October 7th, 2023, 155,706 people have been injured.[7] Between October 7th and November 6th, 2023, there have been 24,808 reported injuries.[8] (3) Before October 7th and since, the World Health Organization, the World Food Program, the United Nations, Refugees International, and numerous other organizations have called for international assistance. (4) Unfortunately, there is no effective government in the Gaza area. Without a recognized state, an official state of emergency cannot be declared. The effective government of Gaza – the Israelis, are the ones inflicting the genocide and refuse to be held to account for their actions.
Impact
Finally, though sobering and heartbreaking numbers concluded this chapter, human nature drives people to search for solutions and, in those solutions, to cast blame. Though there is a significant level of responsibility that ought to be taken by the Israeli government for their continued determination to exterminate Palestinians, an immediate ceasefire will not resolve the complex and layered pieces of this issue. Antisemitism in late nineteenth-century Europe led to the Zionist ideology. Furthered by the atrocities of the holocaust and the colonialist and racially driven ideologies of 20th-century Europe, a Jewish state seemed like a good solution. Unfortunately, as described by Steve Corbett, broken people create broken systems, which in turn result in broken people.[9] Gaza and the West Bank are perfect examples of very, very broken systems. Without proper educational systems, work opportunities, food and water access, health facilities, or government access, how can one expect it to turn out people who can build a nation from scratch?
[1] Larra M. Diboyan, and Jesse R. Goliath. “Publicly Underrepresented Genocides of the 20th and 21st Century: A Review.” Humans 3, no. 2 (May 16th, 2023): 82–105. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/humans3020009.
[2] Sarah Raby, “The humanitarian crisis of the Israeli occupation and settler colonialism in the West Bank and Gaza,” Senior Honors Theses and Projects, (2023): 769. https://commons.emich.edu/honors/769.
[3] Elizabeth Wehbe, “Palestinian Refugee Children: A Review of the Literature,” MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL OF REFUGEE STUDIES 3, no. 1, (2018): 5-18. DOI: 10.12738/mejrs.2018.3.1.0006.
[4] Ibrahim Mohamed Shaluf, “Disaster types,” Disaster Prevention and Management 16, no. 5, (2007): 704-717.
[5] “Data on casualties,” United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Last updated October 7th, 2023. https://www.ochaopt.org/data/casualties
[6] “Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel - reported impact | Day 30,” United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Last updated November 6th, 2023. https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-reported-impact-day-30
[7] “Data on casualties,” United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Last updated October 7th, 2023. https://www.ochaopt.org/data/casualties
[8] “Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel - reported impact | Day 30,” United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Last updated November 6th, 2023. https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-reported-impact-day-30
[9] Steve Corbett, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself. (Liberty University Online Bookshelf: The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, 2014), Ch 3.