Palestine: increasing awareness [part 3]

This months cover by K.K.W,
with layout by Aleksandar Ares.
Original "Street-art" found on Canal street,
near Walker street (downtown Manhattan),
artist unknown

Palestine: Documentaries & films to increase 

awareness. By Aleksandar Ares.

With yet another round of hostilities between the military wing of Hamas & Israel, the rest of the world watches through the media & social networks. Most of us know little of beginnings of the situation between the two countries, or the region know as Palestine. And with all things, one must understand how it works and began in order to have a relevant opinion. Change for the better, not just for one side, will only come with the facts being known. British double-dealing, to win the war against the Ottoman Empire, and satisfy the their French allies would lay the seeds of future conflicts.  

Before the state of Israel was created, going further back to the era before world war one (the days of Ottoman Empire), "...the population of Palestine in 1850 was 350,000 inhabitants, 30% of whom lived in 13 towns; roughly 85% were Muslims, 11% were Christians and 4% Jews..." [Justin McCarthy]  "...In 1914 Palestine had a population of 657,000 Muslim Arabs, 81,000 Christian Arabs, and 59,000 Jews..." [Justin McCarthy] and 1,339, 763 non-Jews by 1946. 

After WW I the British were formally awarded the mandate to govern the region of Palestine [although since defeat of the Ottomans, they indirectly controlled the area]. In 1947, following WW II the British announced its desire to terminate the mandate, and the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending partition into an Arab state, a Jewish state and the Special International Regime for the city of Jerusalem. The Jewish leadership accepted this, the Arab Higher committee rejected it. A civil war began.  More then 700, 000 Muslims were displaced from their home, and would never see them again.

While many support the state of Israel, which is not wrong, many of these people perhaps do not consider the wrongs done by Israel (and Zionist groups who engaged in "terrorism") since 1948 which have lead to the situation today. However, the wrongs done by militant groups within Palestine, and outside of it, to the Israelis after peace agreements were made is certainly not right. In some ways it may have been better that the state of Israel, should never have been created. How do you give a larger portion of a land, or any of it, to a small group of minorities (most of whom had emigrated from Europe in recent years prior to 1948 and soon after)? 

If you would like to know more, go to:www.youtube.com/watch?v=etXAm-OylQQ 'Art is the reason, art is the way'