Israel-Gaza violence: The conflict explained

is RAE l -PA l E sti NE co NF lict israel-Gaza violence: the conflict explained

An escalation of fighting between Israelis and Palestinians has led the UN to warn of a “full-scale war”. The latest violence followed a month of rising tensions in Jerusalem, though the conflict has gone on for decades.

How did it start?

A 100-year-old issue

Britain took control of the area known as Palestine after the ruler of that part of the Middle East, the Ottoman Empire, was defeated in WW1. The land was inhabited by a Jewish minority and Arab majority. Tensions between the two peoples grew when the international community gave Britain the task of establishing a “national home” in Palestine for Jewish people. For Jews, it was their ancestral home, but Palestinian Arabs also claimed the land and opposed the move. Between the 1920s and 40s, the number of Jews arriving there grew, with many fleeing from persecution in Europe and seeking a homeland after the Holocaust of WWII. Violence between Jews and Arabs, and against British rule, also grew.

In 1947, the UN voted for Palestine to be

split into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem becoming an international city.That plan was accepted by Jewish leaders but rejected by the Arab side and never implemented. they call Al Nakba, or the “Catastrophe”. By the time the fighting ended in a ceasefire the following year, Israel controlled most of the territory. Jordan occupied land which became known as the West Bank, and Egypt occupied Gaza. Jerusalem was divided between Israeli forces in the West, and Jordanian forces in the East. Because there was never a peace agreement - each side blamed the other - there were more wars and fighting in the decades which followed.

The map today

The creation of Israel and the ‘Catastrophe’

In 1948, unable to solve the problem, British rulers left and Jewish leaders declared the creation of the state of Israel. Many Palestinians objected and a war followed. Troops from neighbouring Arab countries invaded. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced out of their homes in what In another war in 1967, Israel occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, as well as most of the Syrian Golan Heights, and Gaza and the Egyptian Sinai peninsula. Most Palestinian refugees and their descendants live in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as in neighbouring Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Neither they nor their descendants have been allowed by Israel to return to their homes - Israel says this would overwhelm the country and threaten its existence as a Jewish state. Israel still occupies the West Bank, and although it pulled out of Gaza the UN still regards that piece of land as part of occupied territory. Israel claims the whole of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The US is one of only a handful of countries to recognise Israel’s claim to the whole of the city.

What is Hamas?

Mums fear for children in Israel-Gaza conflict In the past 50 years Israel has built settlements in these areas, where more than 600,000 Jews now live. Palestinians say these are illegal under international law and are obstacles to peace, but

Israel denies this.

What’s happening now?

Tensions are often high between Israel and Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank. Gaza is ruled by a Palestinian militant group called Hamas, which has fought Israel many times. Israel and Egypt tightly control Gaza’s borders to stop weapons getting to Hamas. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank say they’re suffering because of Israeli actions and restrictions. Israel say it is only acting to protect itself from Palestinian violence. Things have escalated since the start of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan in midApril 2021, with nightly clashes between police and Palestinians. The threatened eviction of some Palestinian families in East Jerusalem has also caused rising anger.

What are the main problems?

There are a number of issues which Israel and the Palestinians cannot agree on. These include what should happen to Palestinian refugees, whether Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank should stay or be removed, whether the two sides should share Jerusalem, and - perhaps most tricky of all - whether a Palestinian state should be created alongside Israel. Peace talks have been taking place on and off for more than 25 years, but so far have not solved the conflict.

What does the future hold?

In short, the situation isn’t going to be sorted out any time soon. The most recent peace plan, prepared by the United States, when Donald Trump was President - called “the deal of the century” by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu - has been dismissed by the Palestinians as onesided and never got off the ground. Any future peace deal will need both sides to agree to resolve complex issues. Until that happens, the conflict will go on. Source: bbc.com/news

‘i feel helpless’ … canadians with ties to israel watch escalating conflict with dread

By Nicholas Keung Immigration Reporter The latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict has caught Canadians who have ties with Israel by surprise and many say what everyone wants is peace. Violence on Israeli streets and in Gaza has many Canadians concerned for family members abroad. Here, the Star spoke with a woman with ties to Israel. The companion piece, on Palestinian Canadians marking Eid amid Mideast violence, is here. Find the latest news here. Elana Carr has been in contact with her family in Israel every day this week, checking in for updates on their well-being via WhatsApp. The Toronto woman, who has an aunt and uncle and many cousins living in Israel, is one of many Canadians watching with dread the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “They sent me photos and you can see the rockets. For me, I feel helpless. We all have been worried about the (COVID-19) lockdown. But my family and others who have families in Israel, they are in bomb shelters. I have cousins with little kids. It’s terrible and there’s nothing we can do. “One of them just sent me a picture of a missile landed right outside of their house.” Born and raised in Canada to Holocaust survivors from Poland, Carr fundraises here for the United Hatzalah of Israel, which runs a network of 6,000 volunteer medics there. She said her organization is made up of volunteers from all backgrounds, with members who are Orthodox Jews, Christians and Muslims. “People have this stigma that Israelis and Arabs can’t get along and there’s no future for peace,” she said. “It’s sad …. We can live in harmony. When this happens, it’s hard.” She said the latest violence has caught many off-guard. For months, most international media attention focusing on Israel has been about the country’s success in vaccinating its population against COVID-19. “Our government in Israel can’t seem to get themselves together, so there was a joke in Israel that they were able to solve the vaccine crisis, but couldn’t form a government,” she told the Star on Thursday. “It’s been relatively quiet. I’m surprised and I think Israelis are surprised, too.” Canadians who have worked to foster friendships and peace between Jews and Palestinians said they, too, are saddened by the heart-wrenching violence in Jerusalem and Gaza, just before Eid al-Fitr, traditionally the happiest occasion of the Muslim calendar. “We mourn the loss of lives and trust between Jews and Palestinians, both here and in the Middle East,” said Barbara Landau, co-chair of the Canadian Association of Jews and Muslims. “My fear is that much of our goodwill and decades of constructive effort will be undone by political interests that do not serve the majority of Jews or Palestinians.” Neora Snitz, who moved to Canada from Israel 23 years ago, said she has been in touch with her parents and two siblings back home, but tries to stay away from media reports about the escalating violence in her homeland. “I talk to my family, but I try to just carry on. But it’s quite overwhelming. I check the news a few times a day, but I’m not glued to it, as a way just to keep breathing and functioning,” said the Vancouver trauma therapist. “That does impact me strongly. I’m less interested about the specific things, but just how they are doing and what’s happening from their perspectives. I don’t need to see images of suffering in order to connect with suffering. I know what’s happening in this chaos.” Growing up in Israel, Snitz said she’s familiar with the tension between the two peoples. “It’s always ready to ignite. All it takes is a spark. I feel people wanted it to be avoided. We need leadership,” she said. “As a therapist, I know people in a state of trauma stay in black and white. They are unable to see humanity in a state of fear and survival. It hurts.”Source: thestar.com

By: Asma Shums, This decade we have been exposed to many fights against injustice around the world and engaged in difficult conversations about once untouched issues. It ranged from questioning the actions of our politicians, injustice to the poor, climate change, government policies, racism, and oppression against minorities. Often times it seems that our input simply does not matter; the world will continue to be the way it and to change it requires the energy and actions of the initiated. This has been proved to be wrong with most issues where the voices of the regular citizen have removed people from positions of power, initiated policies to tackle injustice, racism, and climate change, and more importantly put pressure to create changes on a global scale. With the power of social media, the internet to research and form our own opinions,

WO m EN /y O u T h

How to be an Ally

to using our voice in the real world, we can create change. What if this commitment still seems overwhelming? What can you do to start being a part of the conversation? If you can’t be the leader, be an ally. To be an ally, you take the struggle as your own and use your privilege and benefits to those who lack it. It involves amplifying the voices that are being silenced. You engage in conversations that are uncomfortable and stand up to against the wrong. It might include acknowledging your own misconceptions and educating yourself as it is solely your responsibility to be a voice of reason and support. Beyond the grand ideas, there are smaller steps that can be taken to be a supportive ally. 1. Research before you jump headfirst into social movements. Use the internet, talk to people of that community, research the history, look at what has been done before and what has worked, watch movies and read books that have put valuable time into conceptualizing these difficult and intricate issues. 2. Listen to the people who have experienced this and speak up for the values you now embody. With our income and community, we have privilege that allows us to use our voice to spread awareness in communities. Address racist or derogative language used in your family and social circles to challenge beliefs and change the narrative. 3. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. These actions will bring looks, comments, and pressure to not stir peaceful waters. But the waters are not peaceful, it’s been unsteadied for marginalized groups for years and now is the time to be comfortable with disrupting the status quo. 4. Amplify the voices of the experts and show up fully for your case. Many people in these groups have the knowledge, background, and personal experience to speak on the issues but are often silences. Be an ally and support their causes without making it about yourself. Use your power through social media and communities to allow these people to speak their truth without indulging in the conversation simply to make yourself feel better.

Email info at: asmashums@gmail.com

What do you call a werewolf who has taken an interest in social justice? Awarewolf

role of Women in the family and Society

Women are the pioneers of nation. Indian culture attaches great importance to women, comprising half of world’s population. According to a report of secretary general of United Nations, women constitute 50% of human resources, the greatest human resource next only to man having great potentiality. Women are the key to sustainable development and quality of life in the family. The varieties of role the women assume in the family are those of wife, leader, administrator, manager of family income and last but not the least important the mother.

1. As a wife:

Woman is man’s helpmate, partner and comrade. She sacrifices her personal pleasure and ambitions, sets standard of morality, relieves stress and strain, tension of husband, maintains peace and order in the household. Thereby she creates necessary environment for her male partner to think more about the economic upliftment of family. She is the source of inspiration to man for high endeavour and worth achievements in life. She stands by him in all the crises as well as she shares with him all successes and attainments. She is the person to whom he turns for love, sympathy, understanding, comfort and recognition. She is the symbol of purity, faithfulness and submission and devotion to her husband.

2. As an Administrator and Leader of the Household:

A well-ordered disciplined household is essential to normal family life. The woman in the family assumes this function. She is the chief executive of an enterprise. She assigns duties among family members according to their interest and abilities and provides resources in-term of equipment and materials to accomplish the job. She plays a key role in the preparation and serving of meals, selection and care of clothing, laundering, furnishing and maintenance of the house. As an administrator, she organizes various social functions in the family for social development. She also acts as a director of recreation. She plans various recreational activities to meet the needs of young and old members of the family.

3. As a Manager of Family Income:

Woman acts as the humble manager of the family income. It is her responsibility to secure maximum return from every pye spent. She always prefers to prepare a surplus budget instead of a deficit budget. She is very calculating loss and gain while spending money. She distributes judiciously the income on different heads such as necessities, comforts and luxuries. The woman in the family also contributes to the family income through her own earning within or outside the home. She has positive contribution to the family income by the work. She herself performs in the home and uses waste products for productive purposes.

4. As a Mother:

The whole burden of child bearing and greater part of child rearing task are carried out by the woman in the family. She is primarily responsible for the child’s habit of self-control, orderliness, industriousness, theft or honesty. Her contacts with the child during the most formative period of his development sets up his behaviour pattern. She is thus responsible for the maintenance of utmost discipline in the family. She is the first teacher of the child. She transmits social heritage to the child. It is from mother that the child learns the laws of the race, the manner of men, moral code and ideals. The mother, because of her intimate and sustained contact with the child, she is able to discover and nurture child’s special traits aptitudes and attitudes which subsequently play a key role in the shaping of his personality. As a mother she is the family health officer. She is very much concerned about the physical wellbeing of every member of the family, the helpless infant, the sickly child, the adolescent youth, senescent parent. She organizes the home and its activities in such a way so that each member of the family has proper food, adequate sleep and sufficient recreation. She made the home a place of quite comfortable and appropriate setting for the children through her talent. Besides, she cultivates taste in interior design and arrangement, so that the home becomes an inviting, restful and cheerful place. The mother is the central personality of the home and the family circle. All the members turn to her for sympathy, understanding and recognition. Woman devotes her time, labour and thought for the welfare of the members of the family. For the unity of interacting personalities, man provides the temple woman provides the ceremonies and the atmosphere. The woman performs the role of wife, partner, organizer, administrator, director, recreator, disburser, economist, mother, disciplinarian, teacher, health officer, artist and queen in the family at the same time. Apart from it, woman plays a key role in the socioeconomic development of the society. Modern education and modern economic life use to compel woman more and more to leave the narrow sphere of the family circle and work side by side for the enrichment of society. She can be member of any women’s organisation and can launch various programmes like literacy programme such as adult education, education for disadvantaged girls etc. The purpose of introducing such literacy programme is to raise the society as education enables women to respond to opportunities, to challenge their traditional roles and to change their life circumstances. Education is the most important instrument for human resource development. Women are the key to sustainable development and quality of life. So they should be members of community centre or club to disseminate knowledge about handicraft, cottage industries, food preservation and low cost nutritious diet to people belonging low socio economic status for their economic upliftment. They should act as leaders of the society to raise voice against women violence, exploitation in household as well as in work place, dowry prohibition superstition and other social atrocities. They should be member of religious institution to deliver spiritual speech to adolescent boys and girls in order to eliminate juvenile delinquency problem from the society. In addition they have pivotal role in pre and post marital counselling for adolescent girl regarding sexual transmitted disease. AIDS and other infectious diseases. They are supposed to create awareness about Human rights, women and child rights, credit facility of bank, different immunization programmes to low socio economic status people of the society. Moreover it is the women who have sustained the growth of society and moulded the future of nations. In the emerging complex social scenario, women have a vital role to play in different sectors. They can no longer be considered as mere harbingers of peace but are emerging as the source of power and symbol of progress. Source: yourarticlelibrary.com

the sahara Desert and its Growth – What’s Going on

By:Khadija Nadeem Gr 9

It seems that the Sahara Desert, the second largest desert in the world, isn’t happy with it’s second place position and is determined to take the number one spot. Studies show that the giant desert, which already occupies about 3.6 million square miles of the African continent, has grown roughly 10% since the 1920s. This is due to climate cycles which is completely natural, but also man-made climate change which is a global threat to us all. "The trends in Africa of hot summers getting hotter and rainy seasons drying out are linked with factors that include increasing greenhouse gases and aerosols in the atmosphere," said Ming Cai, a program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences. To put it shortly, as the Sahara expands, the Sahel (a border region) retreats. This will put human societies and ecosystems at risk. The Africans who live there, lead largely agriculture-dependent lives. As the desert expands, rainfall data determines that multiple new acquirements of land are receiving less rainfall. Researchers are currently focusing on the Sahara but new data shows that it’s possible other deserts are also expanding. The African continent is one of the most vulnerable to climate change and