First Palestinian Intifada example essay topic

On the 28th of September, of the year 2000, the second Palestinian Intifada took place. The main reason that sparked this Intifada was the provocative visit of Ariel Sharon, the current Israeli Prime Minister, to the Haram Al Sharif. Even though the visit was what set the ground on fire, these feeling of hatred and desire to rebel had been stirring inside the Palestinians ever since the declaration of the Israeli State, on the Palestinian land, back in 1948. This Palestinian frustration is due to their lack of trust and hope in a peace process that did not yield meaningful results.

After seven years of peace talks and six agreements, Palestinians realized that Israel is not serious about peace. Since 1993, Israel has doubled settlements on confiscated Palestinian land, continued to imprison Palestinian prisoners and has implemented only 8 percent of what it agreed to implement in all the signed agreements. The Intifada, in that timing, was also fueled by the extensive and brutal Israeli use of violence. According to the West Bank leader of the Fatah movement, Marwan Barghouti, the Intifada was "a movement of people's feelings. It is a protest, not a war, against occupation and settlements", .

It would be very true to say that the whole Arab nation crystallized in support of the Palestinians and their cause and sufferings through the mass demonstrations that swept all the Arab states, expressing solidarity with Palestinians. Not only did the support come from Arab states, but also from many Western and European states including peoples in the USA itself. However, the year 2000 Intifada was not the first one to occur. The first Palestinian Intifada took place on the 8th of December 1987. This was the year when the Palestinian first could gather themselves, and stand up to the Israeli forces. What triggered the intifada back then were the Israeli brutal acts against the Palestinian population.

The children that have seen their homes bulldozed, their parents, brothers and sisters beaten, abused, urinated and spat upon by Israelis, virtually on a daily basis for the past twenty years- had become young men and women wanting to take their revenge. They have known nothing but occupation and the despair of dying the same prisoners they were born. They have nothing to lose; they are fearless. They suffer from none of the humiliation or degradation of their parents who were originally driven from their homes. Adding to the despair back then also were the results of the Amman, Jordan Arab summit, November 1987, which focused its attention on the Iran-Iraq war, granting less than lip service to the plight of Palestinians. Not to mention also the economic conditions that had declined immensely due to the drop in oil production and prices, as Palestinians who worked there had no revenue anymore.

A final instant worth mentioning, that also contributed to the 1987 Intifada was that in early December 1987, when four Gaza-Palestinian workers in a pick-up truck were intentionally crushed to death by an Israeli military vehicle, and it was listed as "an Israeli accident". Both Intifada were much more broadly based and comprehensive than anything over the history of Palestinian struggling. They included all sectors of the occupied Palestinian population - all ages, professions, economic classes, etc. They were spontaneous, unplanned, initially unguided, yet unified and cohesive, unlike anything in the past; more intense qualitatively and quantitatively. Even 'Israeli Arabs' (Palestinians with Israeli citizenship) living in the official state of Israel have joined in massive protest against the treatment of their brothers and sisters in the Territories, on both occasions. Now even though the last Intifada got a lot of attention from all over the world a couple of facts still remain unchanged: 1) Israel still denies full human rights to the Palestinians.

In the meantime, Jewish settlers enjoy the full privileges and protection of the Jewish State. Palestinians are regularly stopped and questioned by the army and police. Travel outside and within Palestine requires an "occupation signed permit" - this also occurs when Palestinians need to travel to pray. 2) There are currently five million Palestinians living outside Palestine as refugees. Many of which left as a result of the Israeli violence, others happened to be outside Palestine when Israel decided to close its borders and denied them entry. 3) Israeli law effectively permits the use of torture.

They call it "physical pressure". 4) The Jewish State has killed thousands of Arabs and Palestinians. 5) Israel has never respected the Muslim or Christian Holy places in Palestine. The Aqsa mosque was nearly burned down in 1969, and is still threatened with demolition by the Israelis.

Muslims are also frequently prevented from attending prayers by the Israeli army. With these facts now established, what is it that the Palestinians want? 1) They want to stop the Israeli blood shedding of Palestinians including innocent women and children. 2) They want the withdrawal of the Israel troops from the occupied territories 3) They want a right of return for all Palestinians refugees.