I Pray to Gd for Land

So, as we are discussing regional conflicts, I've decided to approach the Hebrew/Arab conflict first: The State of Israel. Why does each side want "Palestine?"

Europe Leaves the Middle East 1936-1954
By: Howard M. Sachar

Pg.530 "Isn't it beautiful that today, May 15, seven arab armies are going into Palestine to redeem it from the Zionists and the West." -Arab Legion Officer

^ I found it interesting that this quote from the 1948 War (OR Israel Ind. War OR The Nakba.) It doesn't say the Jews... it doesn't say anything about religion. It only says Zionists, the people settling the land in order to create a seperate Jewish DEMOCRATIC State and something about the West. I believe this is in tandum with the beliefe Israel is an extension of imperialism, run by America and Europe- The biggest enemy to Arabs because of the Treaty of Versailles in WWII. (Explained in Earlier posts. Basically, Arab countries don't like Israel because of europe... not because of JEws. ALSO, for religious purposes such as the levels of people (Non-Muslims should be ruled UNDER Islam in "Daar al Islam" lands.)

Abdullah (Jordan) unintrested in war with Israel.. he and Golda Meir had many secret conversations of peace. He didn't care about a Jewish state as long as he got Arab villages in Palestine (namely what is now calle dthe "West Bank"), and the Jews could have the rest.
Mufti wanted independence for PAlestinieans... his goal was to drive Jews out and rule the land.
Syrians wanted northern Palestine
Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia mostly deemed "Anttiintervinest" just helpin' out the Muslim "Cause." But they also wanted a cut of the land....

SO.. they all wanted land. But what is in the Palestiniean territory, aside from space?


Handbook of the Middle East
By: Michael G. Kort

pg.61 "Israel has virtually no Resources."
Golda Meir is quoted sayin a joke about how moses led us to the only place in the M.E. with out oil!

Minerals: bromides, potash, magnesium-> ALL from Dead Sea
Exports: 40% W. Europe, 30% N. America, 20% Far East
Major industries: Tourism, Technology (food production, medical, defense), agriculture (4% of tot. output... mostly for self-suffinciancy), Industry (plastics, petrochemicals, metal products)

pg 62- Israel suffers from pollution and over population, however it has planted 200 million trees (regenerate soil and absorbe rainwater), has 250 nature reserves, and animals have been naturally come back to the land or have been sucessfully reintroduced. Israel's efforts have renewed the land in ways that were unimaginable in 1940s.

pg.62/63- Population boom: 700,000 refugees from persectuation (Holocaust and Expulsion form Arab countries) had gotten into Israel between 1948 and 1951!


SUMMARY:
I tried to prove that the Middle East conflict was over resources (like oil, water, land, etc.) and not religion. However, like many good hypothesis, with further research it can still be proved wrong. After the resource quest, I've realized resources are the cause of incidents, but the umbrella cause is religion. Religious sites, religious rule... even withtin the State of Israel there are conflicts over the religious party (Shas) being in the Kenesset. I'll go furthur ito the incidents of resources... but it will mostly be arab-arab conflicts.