Key Issues


In this section, we have drawn from a wide variety of sources to provide the reader with enough information to understand the most urgent issues in the region today and to begin to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve a just peace.  Many of these subjects build upon information found in “The Basics” section.

The list of Key Issues may seem long, and there are more to be added to this list, such as: U.S. Role/Military Aid, Jerusalem, Settlers’ Violence, and the Palestinian Economy. This tell us something about how important and serious the Israel/Palestine situation is, reaching into a multitude of areas of human rights, politics, care for the earth, and international diplomacy.  Some of these issues may be new to you, providing information that is not commonly associated with Israel/Palestine.

For example, when one mentions child prisoners, people are often surprised to hear that this is associated with what they imagined was a conflict about land or borders.  Similarly, many people do not think of water as a key issue in this conflict, but it is central to Israel’s colonization of Palestinian land and overall project of ethnic cleansing.

Settlements” and “Occupation” are both words commonly associated with Israel/Palestine, but there is a high level of misunderstanding of what these really mean. In that regard, the “Two-State Solution” also must be understood, not as a goal we can assume is desired by all parties or is the agreed upon solution, but as a contentious issue in its own right, one that is central to the failure to achieve a just peace.  You will find a wealth of information and analysis that lie under the surface of this much-used phrase.

Send us your suggestions about key issues that deserve attention and are not represented here: [email protected]