The Zionist Role in the West Bank Conflict

Abstract

The goal of this case study is to analyze the role of Zionism in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over territory and resources. The author will discuss the plans of Zionists and explain the reasons why Zionists in Israel and America have tried to cooperate to prevent further threats in the Middle East and to maximize their national interests. The author will analyze the Social Identity Theory, and Realistic Group Conflict Theory to explain inter-group conflicts and the competition over limited resources. Different ethnic groups want to gain sovereignty and self-determination, which explains peoples' feelings of prejudice and discrimination toward different interest groups (Beinin & Stein, 2006). Additionally, the author applied the Theory of Cultural Hegemony to investigate why nations pursue cultural hegemony, and why cultures, knowledge, and norms can be influenced by the ruling class that manipulates the beliefs and worldview of in-group people. Therefore, different interests and arguments of groups transformed into physical violence, which caused the settlement conflict in the West Bank.