Did the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict start from cultural differences?

Answer 1

Yes and No.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict has its origins in the confrontation between immigrant Zionist Jews or Yishuv in the Mandate of Palestine and their interaction with the indigenous Settled Arabs or Fellahin in the 1920s and 1930s. Before that point, the Immigration into the land had been a small trickle and Fellahin were not terribly concerned. However, the Jewish immigration in the 1920s was quite large and disruptive. By the mid 1930s, both sides had developed militias which they used both to attack British colonial institutions and each other. Jews also flooded back to the Holy Land following World War II, since they felt that they would always be persecuted in countries where they were the minority. In 1947, as UN Resolution 181 was being debated, a full-scale war erupted between the Jewish militias and the Arab militias which is called the Jewish-Arab Engagement. When Israel declared its independence in 1948, the Arab States joined in the War which caused it to be internationally recognized and called the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-9. The on and off conflict that has remained unresolved for over half a century now.

Therefore, if we use the terms Israeli and Palestinian retroactively to those people who would eventually identify or would be identified as Israelis or Palestinians, the conflict started during the 1920s. If we require that these terms be strictly applied, then the conflict started in 1948 when Israel declared its independence.

However, merely being culturally different was not the only reason that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict started. There were also non-Fellahin in Palestine such as the Druze, Bedouins, and Circassians. These Arabs and the Circassians actually did endear themselves to the Yishuv and developed strong bonds with them. The Jews and Druze were jointly able to secure Druze rights to Nabi Shu'ayb, which is a Druze holy site. In return, Druze pledged themselves to the physical defense of the Yishuv and fought alongside Jews in the Jewish-Arab Engagement of 1947-1949 and in all other Arab-Israeli Conflicts. The Circassians have similarly fought alongside Jews in exchange for recognition of their unique cultural heritage and societal integration. The Bedouins were able to strike a strong trade relationship with the Yishuv. The Yishuv was often able to provide Bedouin camps with water and additional jobs. The Bedouins in turn helped the Yishuv maintain a strong agricultural food base, especially in the Galilee Region. Similarly, Bedouins have served alongside Jews in Israel. Currently the Druze are over-represented in the Knesset and are members of nearly every political party except the Religious Jewish Parties.

The reason that the Fellahin, who are now the Palestinians, objected to the Jewish State in addition to cultural difference was that they wanted to create their own country. The Druze, Circassians, and Bedouins knew that they would never have a population large enough to have their own country and so were willing to settle with the Jews who would respect their unique cultures and rights. The Palestinians were not so willing.