The question ‘how did it start’ is one that may be difficult to answer exactly, as many people have different opinions on how and why ‘it’ started. Some say that the Palestinian/Israeli issue springs from something deep, from religion. It is well known that Muslims and Jews have had a tumultuous history – some of it good, some of it bad, all of it based on religious differences as well as commonalities (for example, Jerusalem being sacred to Muslims, Jews, and Christians, although Christians don’t really have much to do with the issue at present). I shall, insha’Allah, elaborate on this later. Others say that it is a more nationalistic issue, because Israel basically stole the land from the Arabs who were already there.
I say that it is both! Why? Because for the Jews who began to immigrate to Israel after the Holocaust, it was a religious issue. They believe that God gave them the right to Palestine for all time, that Palestine (or rather, Eretz Israel as they call it) is their homeland and that finally, they would be able to establish themselves as a proper entity as foretold in the Scriptures. They also thought that if there had been a Jewish state before the Holocaust, the Holocaust may not have occurred, for all the Jews would have been safe in Israel.
But for the native Arabs who lived there already, it was largely an issue of property – after all, the Arabs had been living there for a long, long time, had settled down and established themselves, had tilled the land and farmed it and given it their blood, sweat, and tears. They felt that they were being alienated and displaced, that they were being threatened indirectly by the Zionist Jews who wished to turn Palestine into Israel, the Jewish Homeland. So at first, it was an issue of nationalism. But then, as time went on, and more blood was spilt, and more gross injustices committed on both sides, the issue evolved into a more religious conflict, one between Muslims and Jews. However, this does not mean that it is only religious, because nationalism continues to be a very important aspect of the issue.
Today, the issue continues to be portrayed mainly in a religious light, especially when it comes to the 'suicide bombers' who are so often said to be killing themselves 'in the name of God'. Again, though, it's not only religious - there are many, many non-religious people who support and fight for the Palestinian cause, in the name of freedom and justice, and they have contributed a great deal of good towards it.
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