Property Rights, The Root of the Israeli - Palestinian Conflict

A common trope heard in regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that the battle has been going on "for thousands of years", implying that there are no rational solutions nor logical roots to the issue. It is simply "what always was and what always will be." This is a dangerous attitude to have towards just about any problem in the world, as it leads to despair and discourages any attempts at real solutions. Imagine if abolitionists had simply conceded the argument that "there's always been slavery, so there always will be slavery, so I guess we'll just have to live with it."There are real and identifiable causes to the violence in the Middle East region. My purpose here is not to provide a complete and thorough history of the current conflict, but rather to touch on the key issue surrounding it.For 400 years or so prior to World War I, the area was part of Ottoman Syria under the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. During this time the region was inhabited by Arab Muslims, many of which today identify as Palestinians, as well as Jews, Christians and other smaller tribes.In the 1800's and early 1900's, Jews living in Europe were often the victims of religious persecution. My own ancestry on my father's side stems from Russian immigrant Jews who fled the pogroms - a fancy word for massacres - to start a new life in America. This persecution also led to the creation of the modern Zionist movement, the effort to provide Jews a "safe haven" in their biblical homeland of Israel. Many European Jews began to immigrate to the area now known as Israel,  acquiring property from Arab land owners. This began to lead to a backlash from Arab nationalist movements which felt threatened by the increasing Jewish presence.The concept of nationalism - the idea that "this land is our land, has always been our land, and always will be our land" - led to increasing violence on both sides while under Ottoman rule, but overall the conflicts were still relatively isolated, not region-wide.After World War I, the Middle East was carved up by the victorious imperial powers, and the British acquired control of the area. During British control, Jewish immigration from Europe increased, as did Palestinian nationalism. The British attempted to craft several different "mandates" to create Jewish and Arab regions in the area, and tensions continued to increase. This tension came to a head following World War II, when sympathy towards the Jewish cause was at an all-time high for obvious reasons, eventually leading to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.It is no coincidence that as imperial and international forces began to whip out their map and attempt to carve out regions for Arabs and Jews in the area, conflict has only continued to increase over time.In the entire discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the one thing that never seems to come up is the issue of property rights. Individuals on both sides of the conflict have violated property rights in every step of the conflict. There are stories of Jewish gangs forcing Arabs off of their land during the creation of Israel; conversely many Arabs launched attacks against Jews in an effort to force them off of their legitimately acquired property.  Todays, this pattern of violence continues, as Israelis bulldoze homes and destroy essential infrastructure of Palestinians, while groups like Hamas routinely launch rockets into civilian areas.There is nothing wrong with Jewish people wishing to create a safe haven and desiring to live in the area they see as their Biblical homeland. There is also nothing wrong with Arabs, both Muslims and Christians, wishing to live in the region as well. It is the method by which they attempt to express these desires that have created the conflicts. Nationalism and religious fervor have replaced the concept of property rights all together. Without a respect or understanding for property rights, the only method left to utilize is violence.Property rights have taken a back seat to "collective" or "group" rights. Every act of violence is seen as an attack against "the Jews" or "the Palestinians', and retaliation is then unleashed upon entire groups of people, instead of the individuals responsible for the specific acts of violence. The cycle of violence that stems from this should surprise no one.Only when the people of the Middle East - dare I say, the people of the whole world - begin to truly understand the concept of property rights will there be any hope of peace in the Middle East, or peace in the world.I discussed the Middle East conflict, including its correlation to property rights, with CODEPink's Alli McCracken on a recent episode of the Lions of Liberty Podcast.AND for more on the concept of homesteading - the only method by which property can be legitimately acquired outside of legitimate purchase or gifting - check out my interview with Timothy Terrell.Receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!