THE ROOTS OF THE PROBLEM
A SHORT HISTORY OF ABUSE
From the beginning of the 20th century when the British and French arbitrarily divided up the land, the Middle East has been a region focussed on borders, wars and demographic dilemmas. Charged with the care of these lands, the Great Powers sought to exploit every opportunity, exploiting resources across the region, dividing nations to form states without the consultation or consent of the people.
These were the dying days of the age of colonialism and it was to get no better with the Cold War. During the Cold War, the epic battle of wits gave rise to a desire for an ever-expanding sphere of influence, a constant jostling for position and alliances- and this meant supplying arms. Between the superpowers supplied billions of dollars in weaponry to anyone who would take them, locking this region into a Realpolitik mentality that must be broken.
Behind the Scenes
“When an inexperienced gardener sees yellow leaves on a tree, he keeps removing them, hoping that the tree will become or at least appear healthier. A wise gardener, however, will seek to determine the real problems that are deep in the roots.”
When Israel became a state after the war in 1948, 77% of Palestine's land was used for the creation of the state. The majority of those living in Palestine at the time became refugees in other countries and this first land crisis became the root of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict (Wikipedia)