ISRAEL-PALESTINE | A Preventable Conflict?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 4 чер 2024
- The Israel-Palestine Conflict is considered to be one of the deepest and most intractable conflicts in the world. It is also one of the most emotive. But while people often assume that it has its roots in ancient hatreds, this isn't the case. Far from stretching back to time immemorial, the conflict has surprisingly modern roots. It is centred on the legacy of colonial rule. So, how did the conflict between Israel and Palestine emerge?
Hello and welcome! My name is James Ker-Lindsay. Here I take an informed look at International Relations with a focus on territorial conflicts, secession, independence movements and new countries. If you like what you see, please do subscribe. If you want more, including exclusive content and benefits, consider becoming a channel member. Many thanks!
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE ua-cam.com/users/JamesKerLind...
JOIN THE CHANNEL / jameskerlindsay
The are few conflicts that stir up such heated emotions as the issue of Israel and Palestine. International opinion is sharply divided. This has led many to regard it as somehow rooted in deep history. In truth, it isn't. The reality is that it is shaped by colonisation and self-determination. During the First World War, Britain essentially promised the land to both Arab and Jews and then spend decades dealing with the fall out of that decision after it was awarded the Mandate for Palestine by the League of Nations. However, it was the United Nations' decision to partition Palestine (following an earlier British proposal to do the same) that set in train the current conflict. While the Jewish people went on to declare independence, on 14 May 1948, proclaiming the State of Israel, the Palestinians and their Arab allies unsuccessfully fought to prevent this. By the time the first Arab-Israeli War emend, the following March, Israel had become an establish reality, and was soon afterwards admitted to the UN. But rather than end the issue, it marked the start of a conflict that is still ongoing to this day.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction and Titles
0:53 Ancient hatreds and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
1:51 Background to Israel and Palestine
2:34 The Emergence of Jewish and Arab Independence Movements
4:55 Britain and the Mandate for Palestine
8:44 The Path to Partition and Independence
12:22 The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict reconsidered
RELATED PLAYLISTS
Current Issues and Disputes • CURRENT ISSUES AND DIS...
Secession and Independence in History • CONFLICT AND STATEHOOD...
Secession and Independence in the Middle East • YEMEN | How Did It Fin...
=========================
FURTHER READING & USEFUL SOURCES
League of Nations Mandate avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_cent...
British White Paper 1939 avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_cent...
UNSCOP Documents www.un.org/unispal/document-s...
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: What Everyone Needs to Know amzn.to/3vbrgyT
The Palestinian-Israeli-Conflict: A Very Short Introduction amzn.to/3u9cHuu
=========================
MY BOOKS
Secession and State Creation: What Everyone Needs to Know amzn.to/2MPY3W2 [PRE-ORDER]
The Cyprus Problem: What Everyone Needs to Know amzn.to/2FaaBU2
Kosovo: The Path to Contested Statehood in the Balkans amzn.to/35jiBN2
The Foreign Policy of Counter-Secession amzn.to/2Qinm5t
My other books amzn.to/2MlP13u
===================================
MY PROFILES & SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Twitter / jameskerlindsay
LinkedIn / james-ker-lindsay-b31b...
Academia.edu lse.academia.edu/JamesKerLindsay
Research Gate www.researchgate.net/profile/...
=======================
EQUIPMENT& TOOL USED TO MAKE THIS VIDEO
Camera: Canon M50 amzn.to/35Hqc9y
Microphone: Røde VideoMic NTG amzn.to/2MAHBZj
Key Light: StudioPRO 1050W Softbox amzn.to/2okZAKW
Fill Light: Viltrox L116T amzn.to/2Mia86y
Teleprompter: Parrot 2 amzn.to/2VLcRsm
Tripod: Geekoto 79" Carbon Fibre amzn.to/2wWMNT1
Channel Analytics: TubeBuddy www.tubebuddy.com/JKL
Channel Images: www.istockphoto.com
Channel Graphics: motionvfx.sjv.io/NKB34O
=======================
KEYWORDS
#Israel #Palestine #Conflict
#InternationalPolitics #InternationalRelations
#Secession #Statehood #Independence
#InternationalLaw #InternationalHistory #MiddleEast
DISCLAIMER: Some of the links above are affiliate links. These pay a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps to support the channel and will be at no additional cost to you.
Credits
King David Hotel Gordon Trevor Moore, CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
I realise that this is a particularly emotive issue, and more than ever I would ask people to watch the video in full before commenting. But I would be particularly keen to hear if anyone feels that their views on the conflict have changed knowing the background. And, if so, why?
Thank you for covering very informative and neutral unbiased video. The conflict has much more to it than I initially thought. Could you possibly do a video on Transnistria.
Thank you so much. I’m glad you found it useful. It stirs up such emotions that it is very easy to overlook the roots of the conflict.
Great suggestion. Yes, I really plan to do one on Transnistria. It is long overdue as well.
A good video even if I think you repeated yourself a bit in the middle, but sadly it was less new things for me in this video than I'm used to from your videos. That is not at all your fault, it is just that this conflict has been studied so much more by everyone than any other conflict, and I'm far from an expert on international relations. So no it did not change my mind much, I still think we need to make a 2 state solution work if we are to get a permanent solution. Still look forward to part 2. Thanks.
My views havent really changed but the point that they both have national identity struggles is great.
Would you do a videos on the circassians ?
Thank you so much James. I am so appealed in your analysis. Your videos are asset to UA-cam and we are lucky we access them freely.
This is an outstandingly objective and well-researched video. It's like a breath of fresh air at a time when social media is overflowing with disinformation about this conflict.
I would like to point out one possible error. Generally, the term "Palestinians" in pre-1948 contexts should be used with caution. At the time "Palestinian" meant anyone who was native to Palestine, whether Arab or Jewish. Most Arabs in Palestine identified as "Palestinian Arabs" or "Arabs of Palestine" (عرب فلسطين). It was only after the Nakba (1948), when the Palestinian Arab refugee population formed intense interactions with non-Palestinian Arabs in neighbouring countries, that modern Palestinian (as opposed to Lebanese, Egyptian, etc.) identity formed.
5:43 is a great example of why this is problematic: in the 1929 riots, perpetrated by Palestinian Arabs, most victims were native Palestinian Jews, from the ancient communities of Hebron, Safed, etc. and not newcomers from Europe. So characterizing that event as "rioting by Palestinians" is misleading. (For further reading on both the formation of Palestinian identity and the 1929 riots, I suggest Hillel Cohen.)
Amazing work so far and please keep making these videos!
Thank you so much. And you make an absolutely excellent point, which is very well taken. You are right. I thought I had managed to keep the terms Arabs and Jews to identify the different communities prior to 1948, precisely because technically they were all inhabitants of Palestine, ‘Palestinians’, at this point. But one or two might have slipped through the script editing. Thanks so much for highlighting this really important point.
The population of Jews in Historical Palestine was about 3% in the 19th century. ( 56,000 in 1918 to about 88,000 Jews in 1922 Palestine, UN stats). The overwhelming majority of the population were Palestinians Arabs, Muslims and Christian Arab Palestinians.
Great video, as per usual!
The people often overlooked in this conflict are the over 800,000 Mizrahi & Sephardi Jews, who fled or were expelled from Arab and other Muslim-majority countries and today make up around 60% of the Jewish Israeli population, but get little attention since they only started arriving from the mid- to late 1940s onwards.
Thanks so much for raising that excellent point. I will try to address this in a future video.
Not all necessarily "fled or were expelled". Isreal wanted them to immigrate to increase their population. Calling it expulsion is dishonest.
@@aksmex2576 many of them lost citizenship and properties , so yes its expulsion
@@aleatoriocaio9702 no, it was a way to prevent them from leaving actually, so they stay. I know Isreal wanted them to move gain population. They sent agents trying to convince people to move.
Don't say "many" when you don't have an actual statistic. Stop trying to spread nonsense.
Some of them (need to research further to see the exact estimate) may have been expelled but to say all 800k people were expelled is entirely dishonest. Don't be dishonest.
@@aksmex2576 holy muslims, always the good guys, remember farhud in iraq( and the many others )and the arab allying with naz1s, i'm not the one who is dishonest
AKA how Britain screwed up yet another region and then pretended to be a neutral observer.
Surely the arabs had their motivations and the jews had theirs and what the British promised or did made little difference. The realities on the ground would remain the same. Zionism would exist because of anti semitism and Palestinians would want the same homeland.
@@stevenrickett4333 Zionism would be little more than a theory in the West without it being facilitated by the British.
It would hsve been better if it was still british teritory then
@@UnipornFrumm Is that an excuse though? If somebody demands from you to be his slave, and you refuse, and then he kills you, you would also have been better of if you were a slave rather than being dead.
Agree, 100%
One reaps what one sows
Finally... a non-biased report as to what really happened. There's still hope for peace between these 2 peoples. Salam Shalom!
Thank you so much! And I agree. Let’s hope there will be peace one day.
@@akuheikeiserllen3078 Salam Shalom!
Really enjoyed this video James. Examining the Israeli-Palestinian relations through a lens of colonialism and self determinism gives clarity to an emotional contemporary conflict. I would love to see a video on British decolonization - this video has had me think about the similarities to the partition of India and Pakistan. Or perhaps a video on differing approaches to declonization between European powers, Portgual, UK, France.
Thank you so much! I’m really glad it helped. Sometimes it really is just about finding the right way to look at an issue. Sadly, history and prejudice often gets overlaid on conflicts that are actually far more readily understood in other ways. Remove the worst aspects of the emotion attached to this conflict, and it really isn’t so different from so many others I cover. But I do hope to cover back to other aspects of the conflict in future videos. In the meantime, thanks again!
And great suggestion about the different colonial powers. This has been something I have been thinking about for a while. It is fascinating to look at their different records of colonisation and decolonisation.
This video is almost perfect ! It is one of the most unbiased coverages of the conflict, that I have ever seen : You really managed to show the historic facts, without taking sides ! I think that some things are missing, but, nonetheless, it gives a pretty good and accurate picture of the history of the conflict, especially for all those millions of people who usually learn about it from the nonsense of the media and the social networks.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate the extremely kind words. You are right. Some things had to be left out. Unfortunately, this is always the way. But I hoped it would give a broad overview of the situation in a generally balanced way. So it was obviously really nice to read your comment. Thanks again.
As Israeli, I might have my biases, but I still firmly believe peace can be reached one day. And seeing that some people are still willing to discuss this neutrality and fairly without it falling to deaf opposing shouts is another thing that gives me hope I might even get to see it soon enough.
While there are a few things missing, this is a wonderful educational video to teach anyone not familiar with the region's history. Thank you for your commitment to showing all sides.
I would love to see a second part retelling the history after 1948 up to modern day.
Thank you so much. I was obviously really hesitant to make it. And I well remember my nervousness when I uploaded it. But I have been really pleased that it hasn’t descended into a flame war. I tried my best to look at it as fairly as I could. I would certainly like to follow it up when I can.
I do hope as a Palestinian we can come to peace in our holy lands one day, a land were Christians Jews and Muslims living side by side in a situation like the Scandinavians where you could come in and out each country easily in this day and age sounds far fetched but I’d like to dream haha
@@crusty_twig exactly 👌🏻
Loved your video. As the son of an Israeli, I of course have my biases but I think you did a wonderful and objective job in condensing a nauseatingly complex issue. I love that you even threw in the bit of a Jordan and Egypt retaining the West Bank and Gaza respectively following the conclusion of the Nakba/War of Independence-which is often overlooked as well.
Thank you very much indeed. I did take a deep breath before making this video. It is obviously an incredibly sensitive and complex topic. But I do hope that I made sense of it in a fair way. Thank you again.
@@JamesKerLindsay I dont blame you. Of all the land/border conflicts, this issue has to be most incendiary.
As an aside, (and I know I'm going down a complete rabbithole) I personally think it's too easy to blame the British only for this mess (addressing some other YT comments). This removes agency from the Non-Palestinian Arabs, Palestinians and Israelis themselves which also should be blamed for not finding a peace-able way to co-exist.
Additionally hindsight is 20/20 but the real root of the conflict in the mid-east (including Israel/Palestine) in my opinion can be traced to the multivariate outcomes of WWI. Many criticize Sykes-Picot, but this was no different than Germany trying to instigate revolution in Russia in 1917. Weather or not it was the right long-term moral move or a good international policy, Sykes-Picot was primarily a military tactic to dislodge the Ottomans. It's also worth noting that Arab leaders at the time enthusiastically joined this agreement to overthrow their Ottoman overlords. Personally, I think the British tried to arrange this mess on their way out but as the old yiddish adage says "man plans, god laughs".
Great video can't wait for part 2
Thanks so much. At the moment I think it will have to run to 4 parts!
@@JamesKerLindsay That's even better. I'd love to see all of them.
Thank you for the non-biased report .
Thank you. Not easy to approach this issue. But I hope I was able to cut through some of the emotion.
Thanks fo this amazing video. I finally understood the history. I had no idea about this. A great neutral and informative video as always
Thank you so much! I knew this was going to be a very difficult issue to tackle, which is why I held off doing it for so long. But I’m so glad you found it useful!
Although I find this video to be pretty objective, it's worth noting that it fails to mention the majority Israeli population of mizrahi Jews (Arab Jews). There were 900k of us ethnically cleansed into Israel during this period. The focus is generally on our European brothers but fails to see the injustice done to us after the British occupation was finished on the peninsula.
Thank you. It is always really difficult to fit in every aspect of a conflict. There is so much to cover and so often I have to leave out parts of the story. But thank you so much for raising this. It is important. I hope to do more on the conflict and so will try to bring this up in future.
Yes, Nobody talks about the jews who were expelled from the Arab lands.😴
@@educationmatters3291 no jew was expelled from arab land before the creation of israel
Reading your post reminded me:
In Switzerland I rented a flat from an elderly Jewish lady who had been a refugee from Egypt. She talked to me a little and took a shine to me, driving me one day in her luxury Jaguar which was a really scary experience. She told me how things had been better under the British Empire "organised, the Americans were children" which IS unusual to hear. In particular it surprised me as the lady's family had a thriving business and had done well in Bern, which is a great place to live. Something must have deeply affected her.
I can only assume they had to flee when Egypt was de-colonised.
I almost didn't take the flat as she had asked me if I were black on the phone. Ironically she turned out to be extremely dark complexion but N.African racially and as accommodation was short I hid my scruples.
Not everyone ethnically cleansed went to Israel. I personally find the WW1 mendacity abhorrent.
Ethnically cleansed into Israel. This is nonsensical, you are misusing the term ethnically cleansed. Under the British mandate were Arab Jews, ethnically cleansed, under the Ottomans were they? What are you talking about? Arab Jews continue to this day. There has been no ethnic cleansing of this group in Israel, though it has happened elsewhere in the Arab world.
Another excellent video James. Stating just facts with no inclination towards either sides.
The amount of reserch which goes into making this videos is commendable.
More of these please!
Thank you so much! Yes, I really try to put in a lot of effort with all my videos. But this was particularly challenging as I know the deep emotions attached to it, not just by Israelis and Palestinians but by so many people internationally.
So well researched, and a wonderful use of motion graphics. Very impressive.
Thanks so much! I’ve been trying to work on my editing and experimenting with different techniques here and there. It’s great to see how we’ve both come along since early days. 🙂 I hope all is well with you.
This is a great video, James! It explains the origins without emotions and presents arguments from both sides of the conflict. Thank you!
As a British diplomat ones said " we sold the same horse twice" isn't it maid blowing how people couldn't see that it will come to the hound them in the future?
I hadn't heard that one. But it is a rather good description of what happened!
Good video. You filled in some of the blanks that were missing from my chronology of events.
It left me with a few questions which may be answered in your future videos on this topic.
Your channel has been another reason for me to look forward to a Friday evening. A great, balanced video and I would be looking forward to future videos on the same topic.
You maybe covering this in your future videos - what is international community's consensus on population exchanges (I presume not very favourable considering past events)? And given that, is it likely to implement any agreed upon border in this situation?
Thank you so much for the incredibly kind comment! That so nice to know! I certainly hope to come back to it. There’s plenty more to cover.
And thanks so much for the brilliant suggestion! Popular exchanges is a fascinating topic. I was always really interested in this from the Greek-Turkish perspective. I’ve marked it down on my list!
As I hoped, this video is quite objective. By the way, wasn't Siam already known as Thailand back in 1949? If it has changed its name in 1932, how come 'Siam' abstained in UN General Assembly Resolution 273(III), as mentioned in 11:59?
Thank you so much! I’m glad you found it objective. Obviously, there will be things both sides will disagree on, but I hope the main points were fairly tackled. I also think it’s important for people to understand that this is not about ancient Jewish-Muslim hatred, as so many now believe. This is about a conflict that has rather more modern and familiar roots.
Great point about Siam/Thailand! I just checked it. You’re not going to believe it, but it actually changed its name on the same day as the vote to admit Israel. This was its last vote as Siam!
www.un.org/en/about-us/member-states/thailand
3:58 is the blue part the Imperial Russian area? I thought it was smaller as they were mainly interested in the shipping route between the Black Sea & Mediterranean?
Very informative video there James, and a lot to cover in a short time on one of the world's most complex political situations, look forward to other videos on the issue 👍
Thank you so much Dave! I certainly hope to come back to it. I have about four further parts to this by my current reckoning.
Excellent introduction! Really quite well put
Thank you!
Interesting video as always, James! Glad to see you have almost 20k subscribers, when I first started following you you had about 6k subscribers. I love that you're unbiased in your presentation, always trying to present the data as impartial as possible and present both sides of the conflict. Most news agencies have an agenda, and would often ignore, twist or distort information to suit their agenda and make the public agree with their views. You do not, in all your videos, you seem to be as objective as humanly possible. Because you seem to understand that the No.1 enemy in these conflicts is the conflict itself. And the best way to fix the conflict and heal the situation is to tell the truth, tell the situation as accurate as possible and also present the narratives of both sides as accurate as possible, only in making people engage with the real information we can find an end to this conflict. Thank you for being a reliable source of information.
Thank you so much. That was a really nice comment. It means a lot. I hadn’t really thought of it that way, but that’s such a great way of putting it. The real enemy is almost always the conflict. As time passes, people lose sight of the roots if the problem and the hatred feeds itself. Sometimes it is important to take a step back and look at the origins of a situation. In any case, it is really nice to hear from you! I hope all is well at your end.
It really is amazing that anyone could look at the 1947 borders and think "Yep, that looks stable." I have to assume that someone intended for the region to remain in permanent conflict.
Also, you cannot maintain intellectual honesty without acknowledging two major problems posed by the Islamic religion: 1) It _explicitly_ states that people who've converted to Islam, _and_ the territory they inhabit, must never be allowed to revert. 2) It _explicitly_ states that Muslims must never accept rule or judgement by non-Muslims -- those who do are neglecting their religious obligations for the sake of convenience. That's why there are separate courts and governing bodies for Muslim populations in secular nations all across the world.
Indeed. But never underestimate the ability of policy makers to look at a tough situation and optimistically think, “yeah, that could work.” :-)
Well it looks like the religion was right all along, you look at India and Muslims are persecuted, you look at China and Uighurs are being persecuted just look at Palestine children are being killed while European and Americans watch and support Israel. Look at France and they are banned Hijab although it affect most Muslim women in France. Muslim values and Western ideals are not compatible, Western ideals change through time and their values isn't defined concretely, they tell you that they stand for human rights but the reality is their definition of human right abuses change depending on who is committing.
Thank you for this clear explanation.
Thank you. I’m really glad you found it helpful. It’s amazing how little of this is covered usually. People have strong views on the situation but often don’t actually know the events behind it.
James, thank you for another great video! Would be great to see more about this and the Cyprus issue in future content.
Thanks so much. I certainly hope to do more on Cyprus in future. It’s an issue that is particularly close to my heart.
Bravo James, what an excellent work you have done!
Thank you so much!
An excellent unbiased discussion of the conflict's origins in just 14 minutes. Well done.
Thank you very much indeed.
Very constructive and educative video. I have been watching many of your videos and apart from your consistency in quality, there is a sense of clarity attributed to your professionalism in every single one.
Thank you so much! Really appreciated. I’m so glad you found it useful. I really did want to provide an account if the problem setting out the facts as they unfolded. I hope to follow it up with more videos on his the conflict evolved from 1948 onwards.
A very careful video, very interesting. Great lesson
Thank you so much for the kind comment. You know it’s always appreciated! I hope you are well. Have a great weekend.
@@JamesKerLindsay much love, great weekend to you as well.
👏🙂
This is the best explanation I've seen on this conflict yet
Thank you so much!
Hey James, question unrelated to this video, but did you ever see my reply, when you asked why I don't think statehood for PR will ever happen and why I'm against it? It was under the video you did about Hawaii.
I’m so sorry I didn’t see that. I try to reply as much as I can, but it is getting harder and harder to keep track across so many videos and as the number of comments increases. Many apologies. Let me see if I can find it.
@@JamesKerLindsay It's alright. I understand you're busy, this is a great channel. Thank you. 👍
Well detailed descriptive video presentation
Thank you. Not an easy situation to cover, and I had avoided it for a long time, but I hope this helped people understand the background.
For such a complicated situation this is a very balanced video that does a good job at showing the narrative of both peoples.
Professional analysis that maps conflict events and triangulates viewpoints in a neutral manner. This conflict is not going to fade out and there is not enough space for withdrawal or separation of parties. But your approach does allow rational perspectives to develop, which can be incentivised by unbiased external engagement and aid. Another very good video! 👍
Thank you so much. It isn’t always easy to take a step back and find another way to look at these situations, but it is so important to give it a try. Sadly, the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict has been loaded with layer upon layer of emotion and propaganda, and yet underneath it all is a story that I think is readily understandable, and which does contain moral ambiguities that both sides try to cover up or use against the other side. In any case. Thanks again for the very kind words. I really appreciate it.
@@JamesKerLindsay I lived out there for a few years and have to say all your videos are top notch
Great presentation as always 👍
Thank you very much indeed!
Once again, a great analysis 👏👏
Thanks so much. I hope all is well on the island! I’ve really missed it recently. (I always do at Easter and May. The migrating swallows are lovely at this time of year.)
@@JamesKerLindsay All is well, the lockdown was lifted, the Easter was definitely better than last year although there were still some necessary restrictions. Indeed, the ''wildlife'' thrives around this time and like always... the heat just started kicking in 😅 (I don't personally enjoy that last part but I got used to it). We won't go anywhere so no pressure, visit whenever you like 👍
Hey James,
How are you? I just wanted to say thanks for this excellent part 1 analysis on this complicated topic. Israel/Palestine. I hope you don't mind if I use this as a source for my own brief overview of the conflict. I just uploaded the video today actually. And watched your video beforehand to help make my analysis of the conflict.
Keep up the good work.
I have shared it with a few friends including a Luxembourger you know.
Asa
been waiting for this video for a week, finally! Really sad to see innocent civilians lost their lives over the conflict. I was wondering, if you have any plan do talk about events where similar conflicts were resolved or mitigated by collaborations from both sides? Or perhaps examples of decolonization and self determination that lead to peaceful transition to modern states, and factors that helped with their peaceful transition? For example, I don't remember hearing about south American countries having similar issues as frequently despite them being colonies of Spain and Portugal previously. It's also rarely seen in European countries that had previously under occupation of other more powerful kingdoms, is there any underlying reasons other than Europe being richer and within NATO? Hope it will shed some light on possible ways to avoid future conflicts and promote mutual understanding among people sympathizing with opposing sides.
Thank you for this great episode. May peace be with you all!
Great content, very balanced take on the issue.
Thank you!
Great video
In your opinion, what do you see as the/any potential solution? Do you think an end to the conflict is reasonable?
Must be tough on you being an English and covering all of these events that has the hand of the English establishments in it. How beautiful the world who look today if the horrible English establishments has not turned it upside down decades ago for their selfish interest? But great job as usual on this video. I learned a lot. Thank you James
Thanks. Yes, the more it goes, the more I realise that Britain had a hand in a lot of issues. But I think it is important for countries and peoples to be able to acknowledge their past and not try to cover it up or paper over it. I’m always keen to stress that raising these issues is not about being anti-British. It is about recognising the past, and accepting that alongside the many good things that have come from these shores (and there are many, just think of all the great inventions) there is a darker side too! I think more people should be able to talk in this way. It also helps when I criticise others to be able to point out that I’m just as able to do it with my own country as with theirs!
@@JamesKerLindsay That self-examination is the mark of someone who is truly thoughtful. Thank you.
Surely the arabs had their motivations and the jews had theirs and what the British promised or did made little difference. The realities on the ground would remain the same.
as an israeli, very nice review - i hope we will see the end of this conflict and a move to the two state solution in our life times.
I had a loose idea which proved fairly accurate but really appreciate such detail very well delivered in short summarisation, so objectively as to be self evidently concise the way an engineering blueprint is concise and unbiased. So often the trouble with third party summarisation or documentary of political affairs is ideological bias, with depiction by characterisation feeding into this narrative bias and dozens of subjective conclusions inferred and elicited. You simply delivered an excellent summation involving remarkable volume of casual point matter in a very absorbable manner. Well done sir.
Thank you so much! I hadn’t thought if it in that way, but I really like that analogy with the blueprint. :-)
Here is the most important question!!! Is the word 'conflict' really relevant to the situation? Should we call it more like ' apartheid' , ' no respect for dignity of humanbeing' or 'war crime'?
Thank you. This is an interesting point. But it is also a very familiar one. Very often in conflicts one side or another will try to frame the debate by using particular words and terms. I see this a lot. So, for example, in the case of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots will say it’s an occupation not a dispute and Turkish Cypriots use the term 1974 peace operation, rather than invasion. I understand the point that they are making, but using particular words to describe a situation is actually taking sides. What happens within the context of a conflict is something else. But this does constitute a conflict - albeit a rather asymmetrical one now (although don’t forget that in 1948 the Palestinians were supported by the might of at least five neighbouring countries) - and is widely accepted as such.
You clearly miss my point. I stated that language defines where you stand. So, sometimes you need to use terms that are generally accepted - even if contested by those involved - to be able to approach a subject without being automatically accused of bias.
While some people might have responded to a video entitled ‘How did the Israelis start oppressing the Palestinians?’ or ‘How did Palestinians try to destroy Israel?’ It would automatically have meant that my efforts would have appealed to one side or another. And most moderates, or those seeking to understand the situation, would probably just skip it for being overtly partisan. I would drive away just the viewers I am trying to talk to. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t have strong views on a situation.
Also, I was merely using Cyprus to illustrate the point, not to draw a parallel. I could have used any other conflict. This is just one that I know particularly well.
I appreciated this video. My feelings are that I am sympathetic to the idea of a Jewish State due to the Shoah.
But I think the British were right it shouldn’t have happend without the Arabs population agreement. I actually think it was very reasonable for the Arabs to take issue with a group of People coming into an area they were already living in and announcing they wanted it for themselves. That’s where I feel for the Arabs they were living there.
I am not sure how any area can truly be a safe haven if it’s created that way.
What a delightful topic, the comment section must be nice to read.
5:47 is the Ha'avara Agreement pertinent at this point?
Very balanced
Thank you!
Kudos for having the courage to tackle this issue, and doing so in a fair and balanced manner. You have earned a sub from me, looking forward to seeing other such videos! I would love to see a deeper dive into the International Law behind Israel's borders in 1948. Given that the Partition Plan was not implemented, from a legal perspective, what borders were recognized at the time? If a state can not acquire territory by war, it seems inaccurate to base the borders on the armistice lines of the 1948 war?
Thank you very much indeed. I appreciate it. I certainly hope to return to the issue at some point. There are obviously all sorts of important legal and political issues at play.
Thought this was a really solid explanation video one small thing I would say is that there were Jewish people inhabiting parts of what is now Israel before even those first migrations pre WW1/2. There’s pretty solid evidence for Jews living in the lands pretty much since the exile.
Thanks. Indeed. I certainly wouldn't want to have given the impression that there were no Jews in the Holy Land prior to the end off the nineteenth century, let alone before the inter-war period.
Hi, James. A fascinating video, as always. I look forward to hearing you speak more on this issue!
I only discovered the channel recently but I have been binge-watching it at every opportunity!
I was hoping to ask you a few questions. Don't worry if you're too pressed for time, it'd just be great to get your thoughts/advice.
1 - I was wondering if you would consider doing a video specifically on West Papua? I didn't previously know anything about the situation until I saw your video on some of the world's leading independence movements and I have found myself becoming really intrigued what is going on there.
2 - If such a thing existed, do you think West Papua and/or Xinjiang would be a candidate for remedial secession? Are there any other cases that would stand out as particularly strong candidates to you?
3 - Finally, how do you stay so up-to-date on all international news? I have turned on notifications from numerous free, reliable and fairly thorough news outlets but there often seems to be innumerable things that slide under their radar and - consequently, unfortunately - my own. Any advice you can give me in this regard would be extremely helpful.
Thanks so much for your videos and for always doing your best to answer our questions, you're building a really nice little online community here!
Hi Ben, thanks so much for the message. So glad you found the channel! Great questions. I certainly want to do a video on West Papua. I touched on it in one of my videos on the main independence movements. I also see it as the third part of my Indonesia trilogy, after my videos on Aceh and East Timor. As for whether it is a case for remedial secession, there is certainly an argument for this; although technically it wouldn’t be secession if one believes that it was incorporated into Indonesia illegally, or at least illegitimately. But the problem is that remedial secession only means something if countries are willing to act on it. As for keeping up with the news, this is always difficult. I obviously keep a close eye on news developments from the usual sites, like BBC. But it is really worth following DW, France24, Aljazeera, etc. Often other countries have a different focus. France has a long standing interest in Africa. And Radio New Zealand is brilliant on the South Pacific. Reddit also has some great groups. But interestingly enough, more than a few of my videos have come from subscribers. There have been many occasions when someone has said what do you think about X. Actually this happened very recently. The video on Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan came from a viewer suggestion! This is part of why I love doing the channel. :-)
@@JamesKerLindsay Thanks for such a detailed response! That's all really interesting. I'll certainly keep more of an eye on those sources. If you have any links for those reddit groups you mention, I'd appreciate it, too!
Out of interest, what term would be used to describe West Papuan independence if secession were not an adept term? Could the fact that it may not technically be secession work in its favour?
It's fascinating that independence and secession are so complicated. The sheer simplicity of the Montevideo Convention just goes to show that it takes a lot more to become a country than to be one!
Timor Leste fascinates me, too. A country still very much still finding its feet but - with so much natural beauty - I find it's lack of tourism astounding. I'd definitely be keen to venture over there and experience it first hand.
Hi again Ben, your search history is not going to like it, but pull up Anime Titties on Reddit! :-) (Long story but there was a great Reddit on World Politics that was hijacked and so had to find a new home at short notice. And this is where it ended up.) I often post my videos on the video page. But it is well organised and clamps down on US politics, which all too often can dominate on other pages. Give it a look through. It is SFW, despite the amusing name! 😀
Regarding West Papua, I would consider it a case of thwarted post-colonial self-determination. It is a rather complex case. Perhaps more so than East Timor and Western Sahara, which have so much in common.
God bless you my dear
Very brave to tackle this topic! It is getting hard to imagine that there will be a diplomatic solution any longer. Do think a two state solution is still possible?
Israel is 22k km2 (tiny), occupied territory is 20%.
In that territory lives 7M Jews, and 7M Arab Muslim, majority of them born in Israel or Palestine.
Jews speak Hebrew, Palestine speaks Arab.
Each group wants the other 7M to live.
Go back to any proposal map and try to find a geographical solution.
You are best your information 👍👍
Thank you so much!
And this is why I really enjoy your channel when it isn't about us or a conflict we are involved in, your videos are always amazing. This one was no exception even considering the highly controversial topic. I can't wait for the 2nd part, take as much time as you need and try not to rush it although I do think you should try to focus on this next week as well tbh.
On another note I would recommend deleting those crypto bot comments. I have seen people fall for these before and it's a scam and is completely unrelated to your video, so I would ask please James if you would remove their comment there and on your Ukraine video for the sake of your audience not falling for it and for the comments to be just on this topic! I do agree in freedom of speech just like you, but not in people deceiving people in an attempt to take money. Anyways, keep up the great work! Another video of yours I clicked the like button! I wish you a good weekend! 😊😉
Thanks, as ever! I certainly hope to follow up with more on the conflict. I won’t return to it next week, but I will try to return to it soon.
And good point about the bot comments. It seems this is a new spamming technique that emerged recently.
@@JamesKerLindsay Thanks for your reply! Do you mind removing a comment from a "person" called "Seth's Leonard" as well? He is another bot scammer/spammer. I can send you a video of the scam so you can understand it if you want. Just please do remove it. All of the replys are bots as well and I don't want any of your audience to fall for it. 🙂
Anyway I'll be looking forward to your next video. I wonder what it will be on? 🤔
Careful.
NO, people are allowed to have an opinion on this topic.
As a Muslim this is a great video.
Thanks for the information , from somaliland.
Somali not Somaliland
Professor, as someone who lived in the Middle East for 15 years I believe you ignore the religious aspect of Arab v Jew dating back 1300 years to the Prophet PBUH
Feedback on camera: the image is way overexposed (too much white/ too bright)!
Can you please adjust that for your next video? Thanks. (Also I suggest a bit of color correction & grading).
Thanks. Lighting has always been a problem. I have a big window and have tended to like using natural light. But British weather is so changeable. This creates challenges. I am trying to work on it. But I does obviously need improvement. But the biggest challenge on the colour grading is that I am colour blind. I mess with colours at my own peril. Seriously, I could end up with a rather green tinge!
@@JamesKerLindsay Oh I did not know that. In that case, don't worry about the colour grading, just work on the lighting like you said. Really appreciate you listening to feedback, great content otherwise :)
For accurate info on this issue go to: if americans knew dot ....
unable to type full website name, it’s being actively blocked.
If there is nothing to hide? Why block it?
?
While you got most of the historic roots correct - today (and actually since 1967) the conflict has morphed from one of simple colonizalism and self-determination to one that is dominated by religion. Jewish Israelis see the re-emergence of Israel as a story of redemption, with the Jewish settlers in the OPT fulfiling their divine commandment to settle the land gifted to the Jewish people by God. On the Palestinian side, the conflict has taken on a pronounced Islamic tone, with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, ISIS, Hizbollah, all seeing their roles as the saviors of the holy mosque in Jerusalem from the infidel Jews. Now that religion is the driving force there is no way a compromise can be reached and this is no longer a conflict that can be solved by mediation.
The problem at Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India are also cause by the British.
Imagine I came to your country and took part of it, and then just gave it to whomever I wanted.
One thing is for sure, before, during and after the establishment of an independence Jewish State, many challenges will continue to emerge ahead with occasional war breaks out in a foreseeable future. It is still not anyway near the end of an old story on Israel-Palestine!😎
When all is said and done, there’s only one side that publicly demands the destruction of the other side. We all know what side that is.
History has /will always dictate the present while shaping the future.
Two questions though...(1) why did the Jews leave, what they claim to be their homeland, in the first place?
Were they expelled? By whom and why?
Secondly, when Israel was founded/created on 14th May 1948 did it have a well defined,formal frontier/border as well as an army?
Who did arm the de facto new country Israel, in 1948?
Never seen this presented from an UK/Colonial perspective! This was very interesting.
Could you also cover Cyprus and the Pakistan-India partition in the same manner?
I'm saying this because these issues too are usually presented from a very one sided nationalistic "mythical" lens' with big historical & religious justifications, and almost no details on treaties, colonial powers or the logic behind the drawn borders. Take for example the fact that the idea of P.A.K.STAN has it's origins in the UK, or the details of Mountbatten dealings in India, or the fact that many of the intuitions of the Republic of India have their origins in pre-independence times: Madras High Court, IPS & IAS, The Congress Party - some of it's most influential founders being Brits: Allan Octavian Hume and William Wedderburn. Then there are also 'national heroes' such as Bhagat Singh that are neither purely Indian nor purely Pakistani... or the fact that many Pakistani Prime Ministers were born in India and vice versa. Today, when secularism and intellectualism is under sever stress in India (and in Pakistan since an even earlier time), all of the nuanced history is presented as a battle against outsiders - almost like a story from the Mahabharata. The same can be said of Pakistan - it's origin story being presented as: We are Muslims, all others out! Both countries national curriculums heavily 'revise' history, and although IGCSE and IAL are a bit more nuanced, a lot of it is left out... Would love to see that covered in great detail from the most unbiased perspective possible.
Great analysis again, James. Thank you.
Maybe it’s why politicians might need to heed true academic objective information and analysis.
(As an Irishman I could have easily gone with my gut and react, ‘Oh, the Brits again!’ 🙏
Thank you so much Jim. :-) By the way, do keep an eye out for this week’s video. I’m actually returning to the Israel-Palestine issue. There’s been a potentially big development that I’ll be discussing.
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar commented that Israel-Palestine conflict is a clear indication that Cyprus Problem, if not solved with the two-state solution, would lead to a similar state as I-P conflict. Would you agree?
No, not at all. The two situations are very different. The bizonal bicommunal format provides a high degree of protection for the TCs. This argument is just scrambling around to latch on to any old justification to press for a two state solution.
Let’s be honest here…who would you rather have as a neighbor, Muslim or Jewish?
I think what makes this analysis of the history so interesting is that it’s not from the side of an Israeli or a Palestinian, pro or against, but from the point of view of a Brit who’s clearly washing his hands of the mess that his people made. 😂😂
Wading my hands? Do explain? I clearly make the point about Britain. So, what am I supposed to do about it? Really, I’d be interested to know.
@@JamesKerLindsay As your channel grows and you become even better at what you do as a content creator, you will gain more skill for identifying and ignoring thoughtless, trollish comments.
Your channel is amazing, by the way. It's wonderful to have access to your wealth of knowledge and sound analysis.
Have you considered creating a Patreon? People seem to be very receptive to Patreon in the case of very high-quality niche content. I think you might be surprised at the uptake. Thank you for all the great info. Be well!
@@Kitties_are_pretty Hi Joshua, thanks so much! I know what you mean. I think the problem is that UA-cam is a platform where too many people just post throwaway comments with no real thought. I see it on many other channels. The thing I really like here is that there are so many brilliant comments and suggestions. I’ve certainly tried to cultivate that and make it something better and more engaging for people. More like a seminar session, if you like. And call it the academic in me, but I can’t help but challenge lazy thinking! Interestingly, with a few people it has actually worked. I’ve had them really think about comments that they’ve made. But sometimes it’s no good. Some people just make mindless comments. :-)
And thanks so much for the really great suggestion about Patreon. I have been thinking about this (in fact UA-cam membership might work a bit better for me), especially as the time and cost of doing the channel has gone up.
Greetings, nice video. Apparently Russians had their own Nazis , known as Black Hundred. It was reactionary, ultra-nationalist and monarchist group who persecuted Jews in the early 20th century. Including pogroms. Also Kurdish people were also denied their right to have , their own country Kurdistan like Palestinians.
Why is it always Britain and France?
On another level, it comes from the splits in the Genesis narrative. The line Abraham to Isaac and Jacob illustrates one line. Yet there is a heavenly 'Israel' which includes the former line and another which integrates the outcast, the heavenly 'Israel' in 'Christ' which includes the outcast in Ishmael-Hagar and Esau. Jesus is referred to as 'Israel' in Isaiah and the split in 'Jacob' and 'Israel' is mysterious. Yes, 'salvation is from the Jews' (John 4) but it includes a compassion in Abraham which seeks inclusion of 'Ishmael' ('Oh, that Ishmael might live in thy sight!') and in 'Esau' (Mary wipes Jesus feet with her 'hair' and Jesus 'lays aside his 'garments''. From the beginning, some have sought to adjust the Genesis narrative, demonizing 'Esau' and strengthening the favor of 'Jacob-Israel' in embellishment (Book of Jubilees). Hopefully some day, the sons and daughters of Abraham will indeed be re-united and a story of love, justice and reconciliation will bring peace on earth.
Might need to be said that descriptions of the area at the time were of a barren wasteland, which was not as coveted as it was when the idea of a jewish state became clear.
Such a large area was divided, yet that simple piece of land was so problematic...
James. Who is internationally concerned. Latin American countries, Sub Saharan African Countries, India, China, Japan, Central Asia, south East Asia? I don’t think so. The Middle East and the Anglo-sphere appear to the only nations most concerned about the question of Palestine.
At 2:22, Gaza is not under the Palestinian Authority (Fatah), it is under Hamas. And although Palestine has been recognized by the UN, in 1988, it had no land for that "state".
Excellent video! Very well done and well made in being neutral! Keep up the good work! I personally think Israel should remove all its settlements from the West Bank and leave East Jerusalem and the west so it can become a UN administrated city. I think this would be the best option for peace. Can't wait for your next video James! Part 2 will be interesting. Remember to mention the Golan Heights in the north, that's disputed as well with Syria.
Thanks a lot (as ever)! Certainly not an easy subject to tackle because it is so emotive and highly charged, but I hope I managed to present the situation fairly and that it will be useful for people who might not know much about how the situation emerged.
So, another European lay person (at best) is telling me, I should leave me home for I am an obstacle for "peace" in the region.
And yet, what you deem as "peace" is the inhalation of the Jewish homeland.
Well, here's a message for you and your ilk: we are here, and we are not going anywhere.
We're ready for our enemy with weapon in one hand, other extended in peace.
Why don’t you have more subscribers? Ever since I watched the Bosnia video you have continued to impress me
Thanks so much! UA-cam is a strange beast. Anyone who has a channel will tell you. I’ve been fortunate. I could be bigger, but I’ve also got a brilliant community who contribute with so many great comments. It is rather different to many of the bigger channels. And actually my views to subscribers is excellent. Much better than many channels. Essentially, it seems that UA-cam thinks I appeal to a particular audience. It may not be as big as some channels, but it is informed and engaged. It’s actually rather nice when you think of it in those terms. It really is quality not quantity here. 🙂
@@JamesKerLindsay I thank you for providing non biased videos even on controversial topics. This is really what people need, and in this instance I find the opposing sides have a lot more in common than you would think from what the media often portrays. It isn’t all black and white.
would you say the real issue is the arabs countries including palestinians were fully against the partition of the country? it seems like the jews accepted partition and the arabs were fully against it.....each could of had their own state if partition was acceptable to arabs
4:09 at least Britain & probably France had made specific promises to the local leaders in return for their assistance against the Ottomans & Germany. These promises were later dropped.
I enjoy these videos but I have to ask..."Who hasn't heard about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict"? and who doesn't have a "set-in-stone" opinion about it ?
I always stick with the Hasedic Jews of London. They may live a closed life, but boy their Rabbi taught me the difference between Zionism and Judaism. Plus what is classed as Anti Semitism.
I can tell you that the Jews of Iran live a better life than the Jews of Europe in last 100 years. No anti Semitism and not even a security guard outside a Shul in Tehran.
Can you imagine if the British had made a Jewish homeland in Uganda. It could have been a Rhodesia Beta
Great video, although I'd say that the hatred between Jews and Arabs pre-dates the Balfour Declaration, with Jews being second class citizens (dhimmis) and facing pogroms from the Arabs (of course worse happened in Europe).
Also, to chalk it up to the legacy of Colonialism removes Agency from the equation. The Arabs didnt care when it was Turks or Brits ruling them, but as soon as the Jews came that's when they decided to riot. Similarly the Palestinians didnt complain when Egypt or Jordan ruled Gaza and West Bank, respectively, but as soon as Israel occupied them thats when they complained.
Also Israel offered peace and territory in exchange for recognition, and each time the Palestinians told them no.
Sorry about the essay, I cover this and more in my video on Israel/Palestine. In my own video I tried my best to be neutral and unbiased, but an honest look at the history of the last 3000 years of history (dont forget the Kingdom of Israel) instead of the simplistic starting point of 1917 leads one to only one conclusion: the Palestinians have never compromised and if they had the same strength as Israel has, there wouldn't be one Jew left in Israel (look at Gaza). Both sides are at fault, but one side is more at fault than the other.
The Arabs didn't care who was ruling them (relatively) until the rise of nationalism which of course comes with the rise of Jewish Nationalism. I agree he is really shoehorning in colonialism its not like it was British Jews moving into the region to support their colonial nation. The only argument is that a sovereign Arab State could stop the Jews from flooding in the the 1st place. A peaceful solution is a pipe dream look at Lebanon. In the reality the rise of industrialization led to a rise in Nationalism which lead to a group of people flocking to their religious homeland resulting in conflict with the people who lived there.
Imagine if the Vikings came and said that they are taking back part of England? So England was partitioned. Israel is a colonial settler state. The "continuous Jewish presence " in the Levant was only a few thousand people......
There is a "Jewish Autonomous Oblast" in Russia. Jews could have moved there and solve the issue of finding a place to live, peacefully, but they selected to move to the Palestine and face endless problems.
This problem is really complicated. I don't expect to see a peaceful solution that pleases all sides.
Lol that place is in the middle of Siberia
Thanks Athanasios. Apparently, there were all sorts of offers. Uganda and Western Australia were two others that I have heard mentioned. It's fascinating to consider how things could have been so very different if that had happened. But it was never going to be feasible. The attachment to the land and the holy sites was always a the heart of the movement for a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Yes, well there is that!
@@simbamartens7192 at least they can self govern and be free there without the expense of others
Why did the Jews have to give up their indigenous homeland and establish a state in the Russian Far East instead, a place to which they have no ties at all?
4:34 Rothschild was specifically a leading Zionist not just Jewish.
Háblanos de Ceuta entre Marruecos y España
Thank you. I am actually considering this for next week.
How does Israel have UN seat while Palestine doesnt while both Palestine and Israel aren't fully recognized by all 193 UN member states.
The poor father escapes from the Nazi camps to Palestine as a refugee, then gives birth to his beautiful gentle son Jacob, who surprises us with his famous saying
If I don t steal your house, someone else will"
Thank you Jacob, you shortened the whole story was reduced to one sentence
Alright class, who can think of a war in the modern world that was not a direct result of our redrawing of the lines on the map or our bungling after the world wars? Ill wait...
"They gambled on the destruction of Israel, and lost."
It’s incredible how West biased this video is. It’s ok though, people grow up in this story and can’t shed the influences of history washing done in the last half a century.
Another important point is the Ottoman Land Registry of 1858- 1871, showed only 13% of the land privately owned.
The British Land Survey of 1945 shows the Palestinian (Arab) farmers owned 3.3% of the land, the wealthy Arab land holders (absentee) owned 16.5% of the land, the Jews owned 8.6% of the land. And 70% of the land was State Land (uninhabited), transferred from the Ottomans, to the British and then the Israel. Israel was created by almost 80% of non-Arab owned land.
People always say it was Arab land (s), the land was controlled and owned by the Ottoman Turks, not Arabs. The Muslim land registration was very different in its set-up, Deeds were not issued unless the lands were registered and taxes were paid. There were 5 different classifications of land holdings. From State land, religious land, farming landm etc.
Good overview James - very balanced. Here's a little vid which I think goes very well with your.
ua-cam.com/video/8tIdCsMufIY/v-deo.html
Amazing! Thanks so much. :-) I did start trying to do a bit of the ancient history, but gave up. It was just too complex. (And ultimately, as I said, it didn't actually matter.) But when one delves into it, it is just incredible how many civilisations have been through that small piece of territory!
Russia (or the international community) had better not let Azerbaijan take over the rest of Nagorno Karabakh, otherwise Azerbaijan will immediately recognize the Turkish occupied Cyprus. What do you think about it, James?
Would AZ retaking Nagorno Karabakh embolden them to recognize Northern Cyprus?
@@ProudRegressive Definitely. There's been intense pressure from Turkey on Azerbaijan to do so even before the war.
@Shokeen Singh / 2405 I don't think so. Turkey and Azerbaijan are extremely close linguistically and ethnically, so it's only natural that Turkey supports Azerbaijan. But I do think that as soon as Az. has full control of the whole Nagorno Karabakh, it will be only a matter of weeks before it recognizes Northern Cyprus. Even the ordinary Azeris have been wanting and pressuring the state to do it as a favor for their "brothers".
Not likely
If the Jewish People had the right to establish the State of Israel in Palestine then Hawaiians certainly have the right to re-establish a Hawaiian State in their ancestral homeland of the Hawaiian Archipelago. The executive branch of the United States can and should simply issue a document similar to the British Balfour Declaration.