73 votes
Accepted

Why does the US block a UN statement calling for violence to stop in the Palestine-Israel conflict?

Why does the US block a UN statement calling for violence to stop in the Palestine-Israel conflict? — because the statement was not only for calling the violence to stop, but about condemning Israel'...
Be Brave Be Like Ukraine's user avatar
62 votes

Why has the Israel-Palestine conflict reignited in May 2021?

Since you emphasize the word now in your question, I'll try to answer with an emphasis on the current escalation. For the more general question asking why there is a conflict at all, I'll simply refer ...
JJJ's user avatar
  • 38.7k
61 votes
Accepted

How do Palestinian schools teach about the Holocaust?

From what I can tell, it is not part of the education in government-run schools in Gaza or the West Bank (which is not surprising, considering that the Hamas is an antisemitic, terrorist organization) ...
tim's user avatar
  • 34.9k
53 votes

Has the Israeli supreme court ever come to a decision that can be seen as pro-Palestine or pro-Arab/anti-Israel/-Jew?

Very much so. 1. Last year, the supreme court struck down a 2017 law having to do with legalization of illegal housing built in previously Palestinian areas (New York Times source). Here is a quote ...
code11's user avatar
  • 1,214
50 votes
Accepted

Why does the U.S. send foreign aid to Palestine at all?

Probably several things: Money brings influence. Without influence on the Palestinians, the US has even less leverage to shape Palestinian policy in a way that is acceptable to Israel. Palestine is ...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
43 votes
Accepted

Where and how does Hamas obtain the technology and raw material for rockets?

Quassam is an older missile design (or rather a family of missile and a generic term for Hamas homebrew rockets). The key point is (my emphasis): Design The utility of the Qassam rocket design is ...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
40 votes

What are some possible downsides about a one-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict?

In theory there could be a secular, multi-ethnic, multi-religious state. In practice that is all but impossible. After the Holocaust, many Jews vowed to live in their own state defended by their own ...
o.m.'s user avatar
  • 104k
38 votes
Accepted

How does Israel teach the displacement of the Arab population in 1948 (Nakba)?

It depends. Yes, some schools teach it, some don't, and in varying ways. First, some context. The word Nakba has a variety of uses. To some people, it refers specifically to the expulsion of mostly ...
Obie 2.0's user avatar
  • 13.3k
37 votes

Why is it important for Israel that Palestine not be connected by land with Jordan?

Following the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, Hamas gained power there. Hamas and other militant groups received shipments of foreign rockets and other weapons, largely from Iran. Such rockets ...
Colin's user avatar
  • 4,487
36 votes

Has the Palestinian Authority issued some official statement on the situation in May 2021?

The nominal leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has consistently opposed the rocket campaign of Hamas, since at least 2005, and continues to do so. This conflict underlines the extent ...
James K's user avatar
  • 113k
36 votes

How do Palestinian schools teach about the Holocaust?

Palestinian textbooks do not mention the holocaust directly at all. This is similar to other Arab curricula like in Egypt, Syria or Iraq, where a clear emphasis is put on the 'nakba', the 'catastrophe'...
LаngLаngС's user avatar
  • 5,002
35 votes

What reason would the Obama Administration have for releasing $221M to Palestine, right before leaving office?

In all likelihood, the disbursement of the funds to the Palestinians happened when it did because of politics. Many Democrats and Republicans hold Israel's status in the region as sacrosanct, ...
Jeff Lambert's user avatar
  • 15.7k
35 votes

Why has the Israel-Palestine conflict reignited in May 2021?

Seems this latest cycle between militant rocket launches from Gaza to Israel and Israeli retaliations on Gaza started on April 23 and has been on-off ever since. Palestinian militants in the Gaza ...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
32 votes
Accepted

What reason would the Obama Administration have for releasing $221M to Palestine, right before leaving office?

Basically, it's related to the US abstinent on UN Vote on Israeli Settlements (United Nations Security Council 2334). As quoted, then Secretary of State John Kerry said on the reason for abstaining: “...
Panda's user avatar
  • 46.5k
30 votes

Why is Palestine not a state yet?

Why hasn't a country named Palestine been created yet? As you alluded to in your summary, the nation of Israel was formed during WWII and it included land claimed by the Palestinians. Israel became ...
David says Reinstate Monica's user avatar
30 votes

Why has the Israel-Palestine conflict reignited in May 2021?

Why is Gaza under attack now (May 2021)? Israel is attacking Hamas targets in Gaza because Hamas fired rockets at Israel on 10th of May 2021. Hamas fired rockets at Israel on 10th of May 2021 because ...
dotancohen's user avatar
  • 1,233
30 votes
Accepted

Why does Hamas choose violence over peaceful means?

The question does not ask about what Hamas's goals are, but rather why they reject arbitration (or other non-violent strategies) as a means of achieving them. That is what this answer will primarily ...
Obie 2.0's user avatar
  • 13.3k
28 votes
Accepted

Does the BDS movement advocate sanctions against the United States?

Does the BDS movement support sanctions against the United States? Have any major organizations associated with the BDS movement, particularly the original Palestinian committee, called for similar ...
Rick Smith's user avatar
  • 32.7k
28 votes
Accepted

Has Bennett (Israeli prime minister) said what his stance on Palestine is?

Quoting the sub-heading from a Jerusalem Post article: Bennett throughout his political career has been clear that he believes that all of Area C, where all the Israeli settlements are located should ...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
27 votes

Why does Israel build settlements in Palestine?

The short answer is because the Bible/Torah states that God promised them the land. Therefore letting the Palestinians have it would go against the will of God. The rest of the world calls the area ...
Björn Lindqvist's user avatar
27 votes
Accepted

Why is it important for Israel that Palestine not be connected by land with Jordan?

The idea of Israel controlling the Jordan River valley as part of a long term peace agreement goes back to 1967, just about after the six days war. It was central part of the Allon Plan that was ...
Sharon Ben Asher's user avatar
27 votes

Has the Israeli supreme court ever come to a decision that can be seen as pro-Palestine or pro-Arab/anti-Israel/-Jew?

As the comments rightfully note, there's always a political force by whose opinion various decisions "can be seen" differently. For instance, there's a long-lasting political debate over ...
Be Brave Be Like Ukraine's user avatar
26 votes

Where and how does Hamas obtain the technology and raw material for rockets?

Not all rockets are fired by Hamas; there are several other factions in Gaza that also fires rockets from time to time. Among them, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Popular Resistance Committees (...
Björn Lindqvist's user avatar
25 votes

Why is Palestine not a state yet?

Let's begin by repeating the definitions of de facto and de jure: de facto: a) in fact, whether by right or not. b) existing or holding a specified position in fact but not necessarily by legal right....
Björn Lindqvist's user avatar
24 votes

Does Britain have de jure authority over the West Bank and Gaza?

First of all, Palestine was never sovereign British territory. It was held by the UK under a League of Nations mandate, with the responsibility to prepare it for eventual independence. UK occupation ...
Royal Canadian Bandit's user avatar
22 votes
Accepted

What is the EU official position on Israeli settlements beyond the 1967 border?

Yes, the EU diplomatic service has made a Statement: The EU reiterates its position that all settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory are illegal under international law and the EU will not ...
James K's user avatar
  • 113k
21 votes

How does Israel's level of corruption compare that of the West?

You seem to be asking several different questions. Let's address all of them in turn: How does corruption in Israel differ from other Western democracies Corruption is somewhat subjective but there'...
user4012's user avatar
  • 91.2k
21 votes
Accepted

On which basis does Israel designate NGOs as terrorist organizations?

The designation was made by the Minister of Defence in accordance with Clause 3 of the 2016 Counter-Terrorism Law: (a) Pursuant to this Article, the Minister of Defense may designate, by order, a ...
CDJB's user avatar
  • 101k
20 votes

What alternatives to a two-state solution have members of the Israeli Right proposed?

First of all, the main option the question is ignoring is that most opponents of the "standard" Arab-imposed 2-state solution idea (return to 1967 lines) are actually in favor of 2-state ...
user4012's user avatar
  • 91.2k
20 votes
Accepted

What is the current Palestinian position on the right of return?

Have any credible/influential Palestinian/Arabs indicated that that subject would be up for compromise? Even unofficially? Yes. According to this BBC article: In 2002, Sari Nusseibeh, an academic ...
Sharon Ben Asher's user avatar

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