Path Progression meets a Heavy Hand

"Other things being equal, Palestine would probably also have become an independent state, and Jerusalem, now such an important city, might well have been its capital. But this did not happen. During the period of the British mandate, the Zionists were able to establish themselves in the country and create a Jewish state. Jerusalem remained a religious and a strategic prize, and its ownership was contested by the Jews, the Arabs, and the international community" (Armstrong 371).



It is overwhelmingly interesting to wonder what would have happened if Zionists had not inserted themselves into the narrative of Palestine and Jerusalem. Emboldened by the Balfour Declaration, these Jewish nationalists were able to claim the land of others, backing themselves up with contested historical and religious evidence. Palestine was unable to develop along the path that several other countries surrounding it had progressed upon. It was not allowed independence and sovereignty. Instead, a 3rd party claimed they had a religious homeland within the nation and started a plan to rid the land of those who contested their claim.



Considering how often Jerusalem changed hands and was built upon, it is honestly not entirely surprising that this trend continued into the present. Having such a vast amount of political, cultural and religious importance, it is fertile land for contestation to arise. This change of hands is different though because the peoples taking over claimed past ownership and religious rights (and were also backed up by a modern political power). Palestine was taken over in an age were conquest and domination has become diminished, leading to the event becoming particularly important and interesting. Palestine's fate would have played out considerably differently if this third party had not inserted itself - but we will never get to see what that fate would have been.

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