The Influence Of Israelis On Palestinian Nationalism

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Introduction This essay will aim to answer the question: How did the presence of Israelis in Palestinian territory shape Palestinian nationalism? Before one can answer the question, the definition of nationalism must be defined in terms of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Nationalism is generally known as the patriotism or loyalty that one may have towards their country. It includes identifying with a certain nationality and expressing that pride through social and political manners, such as culture and political party. However, in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it adopts a slightly different meaning. Palestinian nationalism is defined as the struggle against Israeli colonialism of Arab land and fighting to re-establish Palestine through political, …show more content…
However, it can also be seen that the displacement of Palestinians further shaped and contributed to the increase of nationalistic sentiments.

Background The Arab Israeli conflict began as a result of increased tensions between the Arab states and Israel. It is founded on the ideological differences between Muslims and Jews, particularly in the claiming of the land of Palestine. The Jews had been subject to anti-semitic feelings for most of their existence, facing persecution in different countries around the world. Jews were considered to be outsiders, and were treated harshly by the people around them, as evident through the pogroms The massive persecution felt by Jews led to the rise of the Zionist movement, founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897. It called for Jews to return to the promised land of Zion, to create an independent Jewish state that would belong to them. (Corm 72) As Zionism began to grow among the people, so did the number of Jews who were beginning to live in Palestinian territory. This contributed to further tensions between the Arabs and Israelis, who felt