The Unresolvable Conflict: Why Peace in Israel-Palestine Remains Elusive

For decades, the world has pursued a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, with countless negotiations, summits, and peace plans put forth in the hope of achieving lasting peace. Despite these efforts, the conflict endures, rooted not in territorial disputes or political grievances, but in an intractable ideological chasm: the rejection of Jewish sovereignty by much of the Islamic world.

To understand the roots of this rejection, one must delve into Islamic theology and history. In traditional Islamic teaching, Jews and Christians are classified as “People of the Book,” afforded certain protections under Muslim rule in exchange for accepting a subordinate status as dhimmis. Dhimmitude meant paying the jizya, a protection tax, and living under numerous social and legal restrictions to emphasize their inferiority to Muslims. This system was not merely a historical reality; it was, and remains, deeply embedded in the Islamic worldview as a reflection of divine will.

Under this framework, Jews—while historically marginalized and persecuted—were tolerated as long as they accepted their status as subservient to Muslims. The rise of Zionism shattered this paradigm. For the first time in centuries, Jews asserted their right to autonomy and sovereignty. The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 marked a profound reversal of the dhimmi system, a bold statement that Jews would no longer live under the yoke of subjugation. To many Muslims, this was not only a political affront but a theological challenge to the natural order prescribed by Islam.

Zionism’s assertion of Jewish self-determination represents an existential affront to Islamic doctrine, which holds that lands once conquered by Islam (dar al-Islam) must remain under Muslim control. The notion that Jews—a historically subjugated group—could claim sovereignty in what is considered Islamic land is viewed as a rebellion against divine authority. This perspective underpins the vehement rejection of Israel’s right to exist by groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and even more “moderate” Muslim-majority states. It explains why the conflict persists, regardless of Israeli territorial concessions or attempts at reconciliation.

The promise of peace is further undermined by the Islamic concept of jihad. Many Muslims believe they are divinely mandated to wage war against non-Muslims to reclaim what they consider Islamic lands. This belief is fortified by Quranic verses promising that the faithful will prevail against overwhelming odds, aided by angelic forces. For example, Surah Al-Anfal (8:65-66) states: “If there are among you twenty who are steadfast, they will overcome two hundred, and if there are among you one hundred [who are steadfast], they will overcome a thousand of those who have disbelieved.” Such promises instill a sense of inevitability and divine backing in the struggle against Israel, rendering any compromise tantamount to heresy.

Attempts to frame the conflict as a struggle for national liberation or human rights miss this critical point. For many Muslims, the issue is not the plight of Palestinians or the borders of a future state; it is the very existence of a Jewish state. Even countries with no direct territorial disputes with Israel—such as Iran, Pakistan, and Yemen—maintain steadfast hostility toward the Jewish state. This hostility is not rooted in solidarity with Palestinians but in the theological conviction that Jewish sovereignty is an affront to Islam.

Proposals for a two-state solution or other peace initiatives fail to address this ideological barrier. While some Muslim leaders may engage in pragmatic agreements or treaties, these are often viewed through the lens of temporary truces (hudna), permissible in Islamic jurisprudence when Muslims are not yet strong enough to achieve total victory. Such agreements are not genuine reconciliations but strategic pauses, as evidenced by the continued glorification of jihad and martyrdom in Palestinian society and the broader Islamic world.

In this context, peace is unattainable because the conflict is not about land or rights; it is about identity and supremacy. As long as Islamic theology views Jewish sovereignty as a violation of divine order, the war against Israel will persist. Jews must either accept their historical status as dhimmis, subordinate and dependent on Muslim protection, or prepare for perpetual conflict.

The global community must recognize this reality. Efforts to pressure Israel into concessions or to treat the conflict as a symmetrical struggle between two national movements are misguided. The war against Israel is not a struggle for justice; it is a religiously driven campaign to restore Jewish subjugation. Until this truth is acknowledged, peace will remain an unachievable dream, and the world will continue to misunderstand the nature of this enduring conflict.