Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

This site aims to provide authoritative information on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without polemics. On the theory that less is more, we've scoured the web and selected the best articles, maps and other materials. Links are organized by subject and annotated, so you can find what you need quickly. Here's an overview of the site:

• Primers/Backgrounders - New to the conflict? Want to review the basics? Start here.
• Maps of Israel-Palestine - In this conflict over terrritory, the maps say it all. Check out the current lay of the land and see how it has changed over time.
• The 1948 War and the Palestinian Exodus - The single most important event in Israeli-Palestinian history. Essential to understanding today's situation.
• Massacres Committed in 1948 - What made 700,000 Palestinians flee their own country? A key factor was the state of panic that followed deliberate Israeli massacres of civilians.
• Palestinian Refugees - The fate of the 6 million Palestinian refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars remains the most explosive issue in the conflict.
• Zionism and the Concept of "Transfer" - The Zionist movement's strategy for dealing with the indigenous Palestinian population. Today it would be called "ethnic cleansing."
• The Oslo Process and Its Failure - Find out why Oslo was less a peace process than a way to consolidate Israeli control over the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
• Israeli Settlements - Over 400,000 Israelis now live in illegal settlements built on Palestinian land captured in 1967. Settlement construction continues to this day.
• Palestinian Citizens of Israel - Like indigenous peoples everywhere, the 1 million Palestinians in Israel are second-class citizens in their native land.
• International Law and Human Rights - How do Israeli practices in the occupied territories stack up against the major human rights treaties? Find out here.
• U.S. Aid to Israel - Over one-fourth of the entire U.S. foreign aid budget goes to Israel, to the tune of $3.5 billion per year. Here are the facts and figures behind this support.
• The Pro-Israel Lobby - Learn how this special interest group influences U.S. foreign policy and stifles public debate, to the detriment of U.S. national interests.
• More Links - Didn't find what you were looking for? These are the web's best places to learn more about the conflict and keep up with current events.