The root of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict : The Sykes-Picot Agreement

This is an excerpt from the film: “Die Geschichte Palästinas im 20. Jahrhundert, Teil 1: 1896-1939“. Watch the full film (in German) here: On the south-eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea is the historic region of Palestine. Today, it includes Israel, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, parts of Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. For decades, Palestinians and Arab nations have been campaigning for an independent state of Palestine. For many, Palestine is still Eretz Israel (“Land of Israel“), the promised land. Both Jews and Muslims lay claim to it. From 1517 to 1917, Palestine was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. For 600 years it existed as a multi-ethnic state. Around 1917/18, during the First World War, British troops conquer Palestine and it becomes a British mandate territory. However, the British make conflicting promises to Jews and Arabs to finally defeat the Ottomans, which fuels the Middle East conflict to this day. Tensions between Jews and Arabs in British Mandate Palestine continue to rise at the time and violent clashes ensue. In 1937, a British commission of enquiry concludes that the division of the country into an Arab and a Jewish state is the only possible way to peace... Subscribe to World War Footage: Today’s Middle East conflict already begins at the end of the 19th century. In Eastern Europe, anti-Semitism increases significantly during this time and many Jews move to Palestine to escape the pogroms. In Jewish culture, this movement is called the first Aliyah - the first wave of immigration. This extract sheds light on the roots of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, how the destinies of two peoples intertwine to become one of the most tragic conflicts of the 21st century. A look back at the First World War is in order: the Ottoman Empire dominated the Middle East, but England and France had their sights set on certain territories, particularly the oil-producing regions. Meanwhile, the Arab nations were seeking autonomy and wanted to defeat the Turks to reclaim their lands. The Jews, faced with fierce anti-Semitism in Europe, sought a new land. All these divergent interests could not be taken into account, and only the law of the strongest could prevail. © Licensed by CHRONOS UGC