Ethnic Group Conflict
Introduction
Cultural battles have been fought throughout history and the suffering caused by cultural differences in the Middle East has continued for years on end. This unrest presents many challenges and hinders the ability for the societies to function successfully. This paper will discuss the implications of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in relation to conformity, the interplay between social perception and social cognition, and what social perceptions must be understood and analyzed in order to promote resolution between these two groups.
The Conflict
There was not always conflict but conflict grew out of division of land and ideologies. Palestine was originally inhabited by a multicultural population- approximately 86 percent Muslim, 10 percent Christian, and 4 percent Jewish- living in peace. The conflict did not arise originally from cultural differences but from an encroachment of land. In the late 1800s an extreme minority Jewish group known as Zionist began to migrate to Palestine and claim it as their home-land. This did not pose a problem at first but over the years more and more Jews began to settle there with a major surge during Hitler’s reign, (If America Knew, n.d.). With the influx of persons of Jewish ethnicity moving into Palestine dissention grew among the people. The conflict grew hostile among the Israeli and Palestinian people. Within these groups there are some that have provided refuge and compassion through similar beliefs, values, and sensitivities. It is though these types of groups that empathize with the opposing group that can help play a part in solving the conflict. The conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian people did not originate from the religious differences between Jews and Muslims but rather from land rights. Who is to have control over Jerusalem, border rights, land and water, and the division of Palestine into two independent states is still the heart of the conflict. Over the...