Geographical causes of the sraeli Palestinian conflict

1. Geographical causes of the sraeliPalestinian conflict http://anthologyoi.com/history/geography-how-geography-contributes-to-the-israel-palestinian-conflict.html

2. Soil fertility and climate • The dry and arid climate means much of the west bank have infertile sols and this means the Palestinians find it difficult to support themselves through farming. • This lead to commuting into Israeli territory to find menial work, however the large number of suicide attacks meant Israel built the west ban wall and so stopped that migration and so have increased the need for Palestinian farmers to cultivate more marginal land leading to greater pressure on the land and increasing soil degradation. • The separating of the Palestinian • farms by the west bank wall has further • lead to conflict as the Palestinians feel • their livelihood is being denied to them.

3. Soil fertility and climate • The lack of a viable employment and poverty lead Palestinians to become dependent on groups for food and basic needs. • These groups may well be the same groups who are responsible for terrorist acts. • The isolated agricultural lands amount to 2077 km2 73.6% of the total agricultural land area in the West Bank which is 2822.8 km2

4. Water resources Isolated water resources in the West Bank The Segregation Wall will and has come on areas containing artesian wells and main water basins that provide the West Bank with water, which is considered vital to sustain agricultural life going in the Palestinian society. According to April 30, 2006, (32) springs and (29) wells will be isolated in the western segregation zone in addition to (30) springs and (105) wells isolated in the eastern segregation zone. The Segregation Wall has also isolated many of the water resources in the West Bank. The Palestinian farmers use these springs and wells for drinking and irrigation purposes, which severely influenced the amount of drinking water available to Palestinians and their agricultural products. The Golan Heights, which were Syrian lands before 1967, are strategic as there occupation allows Israel Sole access to the Sea of Galliee. The Golan Heights contribute significantly to the water resources of the region, providing about 15% of Israel's water supply.

5. Water resources • Of the water available from West Bank aquifers, Israel uses 73%, West Bank Palestinians use 17%, and illegal Jewish settlers use 10%. • While 10-14% of Palestine’s GDP is agricultural, 90% of them must rely on rain-fed farming methods. Israel’s agriculture is only 3% of their GDP, but Israel irrigates more than 50% of its land. • Israel does not allow new wells to be drilled by Palestinians and has confiscated many wells for Israeli use. Israel sets quotas on how much water can be drawn by Palestinians from existing wells. • During the war of 1967, 140 Palestinian wells in the Jordan Valley were destroyed to divert water through Israel’s National Water Carrier. Palestinians were allowed to dig only 13 wells between 1967 and 1996, less than the number of wells which dried up during the same period due to Israel’s refusal to deepen or rehabilitate existing wells. • The Gaza strip relies predominately on wells that are being increasingly infiltrated by salty sea water because Israel is over-pumping the groundwater. UN scientists estimate that Gaza will have no drinkable water within fifteen years. • Many of the most important underground wellsprings in the West Bank are located just to the east of the Green Line dividing Israel from Palestine. Israel has built the Wall not only to annex land but also to annex many of these wells in order to divert water to Israel and illegal West Bank settlements.

7. Olive trees • Thousands of Palestinian farmers depend on Olive trees products as a main source for their livelihood from centuries to this day as it represent some 40% of the total income of fruitful trees in the Palestinian territory. • Israeli has targeted the olive trees throughout its ongoing occupation in the West Bank . • Hundreds of thousands of olive trees were uprooted over the years in order to build Israeli settlements, construct bypass roads, establish security bases, etc, but most importantly to cut off the lively ties between the Palestinians and their lands. • about (515742) fruitful trees were uprooted in the West Bank since the beginning of the second Intifada until September 2006.

8. http://www.passia.org/palestine_facts/MAPS/newpdf/WestBankWall.jpghttp://www.passia.org/palestine_facts/MAPS/newpdf/WestBankWall.jpg

9. Highland and Israeli settlements • In order to exert further influence on land Israeli’s feel is theirs, many illegal settlements have been built. • These settlements tend to be on higher land and often land surrounding them is flattened to maintain a strategic advantage. • The spread of these settlements mean less land for the Palestinians. • People are forced to live in very high density areas, leading to inter-cultural tension and hostility to the Israeli settlers

10. Economic Geography • Due to the constraints of movement and trade neither the West Bank nor the Gaza strip has a functioning economy. • Up to 50% of Gazans are unemployed • The GNP of israeli’s is $20,555 . • the GNP is only $558.14 in the Gaza strip • It is $754.40 in the west bank • This further forces people to rely further on aid agencies or charitable or political groups which may have a violent wing. • Israel is reluctant to label olives grown in occupied territories as such although there are moves from UK supermarkets to label the olives as clearly either from Israeli settlements or from Palestinian lands. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/10/guidance-labelling-food-israeli-settlements) • Professional people find it difficult to get work in the two occupies areas and so there skills cannot be utilised and this further impoverishes the Palestinian economies