Palestine and Israel: How Zionism and Nationalism Influenced the Conflict

Although the Zionist movement occurred in response to growing antagonism towards Jews in Europe, the movement also contributed to modern day conflicts between Israel and Palestine and the conflicts between Israel and the Middle East. The Zionist movement was founded by Theodore Herzl in the 1890s, and the primary goal was to establish a Jewish nation, born of nationalism, not religion. For Jews experiencing anti-Semitism in Europe, the development of a Jewish state was necessary; however, the location of the state, which was determined by the British during and after World War II, posed significant problems for the Middle East.
The Middle East, which was developing at the time of the creation of Israel, was also influenced by the British government. The British government, which promised the geographic region of Palestine/Israel to both the Arab Muslims and the Jews, based their actions on the Zionist movement and the ideas put forth by Theodore Herzl. By placing a Jewish state in the then developing Middle East which so politically, socially and religiously contrasted the surrounding counties, the Middle East came into its own identity to withstand significant differences with the Jewish state. Because the Jewish state was created on the basis of nationalism, it was fought with nationalism. The need for nationalism arises, such as it did in Europe for the Jew, when one self-proclaimed nationality becomes a strong presence in a specific area, thus recreating the demographics on a large scale.
By placing two developing groups in one area of the world, the British were essentially setting the stage for conflict. The Zionist movement, which began the move of Jews to the Middle East, is paralleled in the growth of nationalism throughout the Arab-Muslim Middle East. The rise of nationalism within any group comes from oppression, example or conflict.