For over a century, this land has been at the center of one of the most painful conflicts in the world. Behind news headlines and political speeches lies a deeply human story — a story of Palestine before and after the wars, a story of people whose homes, lands, and history were fragmented.
This isn’t just the past. It’s the living memory of Palestine. And understanding it means asking: When did the Israel-Palestine conflict start, and how did a thriving land become what we see today?
Israel-Palestine Conflict Map: From Homeland to Fragmented Land
To understand the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, we must start with the land itself.
Where is Palestine located?
Palestine is located in the Middle East, lying on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. This strategic and symbolic location is one of the reasons Palestine has always been at the heart of regional and global attention.
Palestine Before and After
Before 1917, Palestine was a single, thriving territory filled with cities like Jaffa, Haifa, and Jerusalem — vibrant with trade, culture, and everyday life under olive trees older than many empires.
Today, when you look at the map, what do you see?
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Gaza Strip — overcrowded, besieged, and isolated.
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West Bank — fragmented by checkpoints and walls.
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1948 lands — where more than 400 Palestinian villages were erased.
The shift from Palestine before and after colonization didn’t happen overnight. It was shaped by political deals, wars, and movements far from the olive trees and homes of ordinary people.
When Did the Israel-Palestine Conflict Start: Zionism and the Birth of a Political Project
The roots of the Israel-Palestine conflict go back to a turbulent chapter in European history. For many European Jews, the late 19th century was marked by persecution, discrimination, and waves of violent pogroms. In the face of this suffering, the Zionist movement was born — a political project that promised a safe homeland where Jews could live without fear.
In 1897, in Basel, Switzerland, Theodor Herzl gathered Zionist leaders at the First Zionist Congress. Their mission was clear: to find a land to build that homeland. Several places were proposed — Uganda in East Africa, Argentina in South America, and even Cyprus — but ultimately, they set their sights on Palestine.
For the Zionists, Palestine wasn’t just a place on the map; it symbolized a spiritual return to what they saw as their ancestral land. But for Palestinians, it was something entirely different. It was their home — with villages, olive groves, bustling cities, and families rooted in the land for generations.
So when a foreign movement came to claim it, it wasn’t a “return” — it was the beginning of a struggle against what they saw as an occupation by people who had no right to their land.
Early Immigration and the Shifting Israel-Palestine Conflict Map
The transformation of the Israel-Palestine map unfolded gradually through organized migrations known as the Aliyot (immigration waves), each leaving its mark on the land and its people:
First Aliyah (1882–1903)
Mostly from Eastern Europe — poor families escaping persecution. Funded by wealthy donors like the Rothschilds, they arrived in a land already full of Palestinian life and culture. To them, it was a fresh start. To the locals, it was the beginning of a slow shift they didn’t choose.
Second Aliyah (1904–1914)
This wave brought ideologically driven settlers who believed they were “returning” to their ancient homeland. They built kibbutzim (collective farms), established early militias for protection, and began reshaping rural areas. By 1914, around 85,000 Jewish settlers had arrived in Palestine.
Third Aliyah (1919–1923)
After World War I and the Balfour Declaration, tens of thousands of young immigrants arrived — not just seeking safety but actively working to build a Jewish national home. Immigration increased sharply during this period.
Fourth Aliyah (1924–1929)
This wave was larger and wealthier. Many came from Poland and Eastern Europe, fleeing rising antisemitism. They invested in businesses, bought land from absentee landlords, and expanded urban settlements — especially in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, and Haifa.
By the end of the fourth wave, the Jewish population had reached approximately 175,000 people, about 17% of the total population. Step by step, the Israel-Palestine map was being redrawn with uprooted lives and shifting identities.
The Balfour Declaration and the Militarization of the Conflict
In 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issued what would become one of the most consequential letters in modern history — the Balfour Declaration. In it, Britain promised to support “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.”
But there was one undeniable truth:
- The land wasn’t Britain’s to give.
- The people who lived there — Palestinians — were never asked.
Under the British Mandate for Palestine, Zionist institutions grew stronger, immigration accelerated, and paramilitary groups began to organize.
This promise ignited a chain reaction that still echoes in today’s headlines and raises a painful question: Why is Israel attacking Palestine, and why does the power imbalance remain so stark?
Haganah and the Birth of Military Imbalance
By the 1920s and 1930s, the Haganah, a Zionist paramilitary force, emerged — a turning point in Israel-Palestine conflict history. At first, it was a defensive force, but it shifted to an offensive one that carried out raids on Palestinian villages, burned fields, and expelled families.
The group’s power grew rapidly as it acquired large amounts of abandoned British weapons and equipment left behind by soldiers from the Mandate authorities before their withdrawal.
Later, this relationship became more formal as the British themselves trained and armed Haganah fighters, seeing them as a tool to maintain control and serve their colonial interests.
While the Haganah was being equipped and trained, Palestinians faced the opposite fate. The British imposed strict disarmament laws, carried out arrests, shut down resistance networks, and crushed uprisings — especially during the Arab Revolt in Palestine (1936–1939).
The Palestinian Revolt: Resistance to Injustice
Between 1936 and 1939, Palestinians rose in a massive revolt against British rule and growing Zionist immigration. It began with strikes but was met with overwhelming force:
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Over 5,000 Palestinians were killed during brutal crackdowns and bombing campaigns on villages and cities.
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Thousands more were wounded, often with little or no medical access, as collective punishment became common.
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More than 9,000 Palestinians were imprisoned or exiled without fair trials.
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Entire villages were bombed, homes demolished, and fields burned to break the will of the population.
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Community leaders were executed or exiled, leaving the Palestinian movement disorganized and vulnerable.
The revolt weakened Palestinian leadership and strengthened Zionist militias, further tilting the balance of power.
UN Partition and Palestine Before and After
In 1947, Britain handed the “Palestine question” to the UN. The proposed UN Partition Plan divided the land as follows:
- 56% to Jews (who were about one-third of the population)
- 42% to Arabs
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2% for Jerusalem as an international zone
Palestinians rejected the plan. How could a land that had been theirs for centuries be divided without their consent? Yet the decision was already set in motion, setting the stage for the Nakba.
Nakba 1948 and the Transformation of the Map
On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of Israel. What followed is known as the Nakba — “the catastrophe”:
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750,000 Palestinians were forced to flee.
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Over 400 villages were destroyed.
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Families were scattered across borders.
For Israelis, it was Independence Day. For Palestinians, it was the beginning of exile. This event marks the ultimate shift of Palestine before and after — and remains at the heart of today’s question: Why is Israel attacking Palestine?
Watch the Full Story on YouTube
History comes alive when you can see it unfold. We’ve created a powerful visual episode on our YouTube channel, where maps, voices, and archival images bring this chapter of Palestine’s story to life.
Rajaeen: Crafting a Future of Hope and Heritage
The story of Palestine is not just history — it’s a living struggle for justice, dignity, and identity. Decades of displacement and inequality have not silenced the Palestinian voice.
At Rajaeen, we believe that preserving heritage goes hand in hand with building a better future. By supporting skilled artisans and digital creators among Palestinian refugees, we’re not just sharing products — we’re amplifying voices, reviving traditions, and creating real economic opportunities.
Join us at Rajaeen — stand with Palestinian refugees, support their craft, and be part of a movement that turns tradition into lasting impact.
